Gas prices

[PoisonSnake]

I blame all these high gas prices on the MDC.

[Outdoorsfool]

You just have a woody for the MDC right now.

[DuckDr.]

I thought it was because of the HUGE oil spill.........somewhere............or some BS like that. Some tanker trucker said either A) it going to be $3.00 a gal. B) it'll drop after labor day. I think its C) he don't have a fruck'n clue.

[Outdoorsfool]

Heard on the news last night that natural gas prices this winter could be at all time highs, because of the oil market. WTF does that mean??? What the helll does the price of oil have to do with natural gas...except the gas companies are taking lessons on how to screw us over on prices.

[JimDog]

Let's put this all into perspective...

[DuckDr.]

I thought gas was cheap in the 70's. Course I wasn't quite old enough to buy it yet so there ya have it.

Looks like wars are always good for the economy though!!!

[Outdoorsfool]

JimDog - Not sure what kind of perspective that is....it shows gas to be about $2.25/gal in "today's dollars". It ain't been that low for awhile. It's over $2.50 gallon now and expected to near $3.00/gal before it starts to come down again. So that means its near the 1981 price right now and will probably surpass it. But what good is "perspective"? Is it supposed to make us feel better about gas DOUBLING in price in the last 3 years, or less? Personally I don't care 'bout perspective. I care about how much lighter my wallet is everytime I hit the gas station. I care that no other industry in the US gets away with the crap the gas/oil companies due. Supply and demand economics are all well and good...until the companies start hedging on supplies and running smoke-and-mirror games to make it appear there's some sort of shortage.
Like I said, the report I saw showed usage was only up 1% over this time last year, so our demand is essentially the same.

[Outdoorsfool]

One other thing...we hear all the "scientists" and politicians talking about how they can only get so many MPG's out of a car. They say even the hybrids are at their maximum capactiy as far as fuelage capability. Bullchit...that's what they want us to believe because it makes $$ for the politicians. Check out this story.... 250 mpg
All these automakers and their scientists can't do what this dude did in his garage for about $3,000. How's that for perspective?

[Duck Me Runnin]

For my first, and possibly onlyest post on this forum, let the record show that I was NOT paying anywhere near $1.61/gal. in 1981.

More like $ 1.25.

[JimDog]

I was simply showing that the price today is lower then it was in '81 (in inflation adjusted dollars).

But I just have to ask. What crap do the oil companies get away with? One specific example will suffice. It is perhaps one of the most regulated industries in the country. It's not lack of refineries (although none have been built in the U.S. in 25 years). There is no shortage (that is just smoke and mirrors from the oil companies. India and China have not had any impact on the world demand for oil).

Trust me, I don't enjoy paying $2.50 for a gallon of gas. But your blame is being leveled at the wrong party. Oil companies are there to make a profit. Their obligation is to their shareholders. They have been backed into a corner by the overregulation of their industry. And if they are so forkin profitable, why not buy stock in the company - then you get a piece of the pie, too.

[Outdoorsfool]

I remember it hitting $1.35. I had a 1972 Pontiac Grand Prix and $35.00 filled the tank and it lasted about 3-4 days. That's when I decided the old 400 4bbl had to go. Between gas and tickets, I never had any $$!

[Outdoorsfool]

I gots me some stock...but I won't see the profits until I can retire.

I've heard 3 different stories in the past 2 weeks as reasons given for the drastic increase in oil prices (see one of the above posts). It can't be all of them...and neither one by itself holds water. It's one thing for a company to make a profit...heck, I'm all for it. But when a company makes a profit....a RECORD profit quarter after quarter, on a necessity...seems to me something's gotta give. Is it right for companies to make record profits every month on something we can't do without? I've heard a trucker's strike may be on the horizon over fuel costs.

[Outdoorsfool]

Here's an article from a farm-based news organization. Delta Farm Press I'm sorry, but don't be trying to get me to feel sorry for all the oil companies excessive regulations.

[Rafe Hollister]

Okay, to begin with, the article refers to "Big Oil." Seems that whenever a group wants to portray any industry as evil, they call it "Big ---". As if to imply that "Small Oil" is okay. So they automatically lose me from the start. Later, the article alludes to the fact that no refineries have been built in the U.S. "...since 1976, almost 40 years ago." Do the math and see how thorough a job they did in their investigation.

[Outdoorsfool]

Rafe - I ain't saying it's perfect...helll show me any article that is. Read some of the reports paid for by big oil. The truth lies somewhere in between. What is undisputed is that the oil companies earn record profits just about each month/quarter. They are talking about how the refineries are in such bad shape and have to be taken down for repair. Show me where the companies have put profits into anything except what they absolutely have to to keep it operating.