What's the deal????? (venting on fuel costs)

[Lammie]

The cost of fuel is killing us! We have been trying to sell the house, and I know the market is soft right now, to move closed to where Steve works. It costs more money to put gas in his Beetle than it costs him for car payment and insurance. Easily. I was thinking about it while I could not sleep last night. He's filling up three times a week and it is costing around forty bucks each time. In a four week month, that's almost 500.00 a month.

This is rediculous!!!!! Where and when will this bullcrap end????? You would think that the government would step in and stop the Exxon Mobiles of this planet from choking the life out of this country. But I forget, our leaders are millionaires because of oil. :roll:

My rant for the day.

 

[Limomike]

yep... u got it right. Gas prices and casinos here in Oklahoma choking the economy....

 

[Alice]

Lammie,

I was looking for the House hearing with Monica Goodling yesterday and happened upon the governor of Florida, giving an interview on MSNBC. He and other governors are going after price gouging oil companies. I got in on the end of the interview so I didn't catch all of it. However, he was actually pretty worked up about it. Maybe it's gonna take the individual states to at least get the ball rolling somehow.

Wished I'd seen the whole interview.

Found an article on an interview of the governor...

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/ ... 1028.shtml

Alice

 

[rockridgecattle]

I know what you mean, here we are paying 1.16 a litre and in winnipeg they just jumped to 1.23 a litre. multiply that by 4. something and it's 5.00 a gallon US.
How do you make ends meet or may hay with that cost?
Rarely go to town, or the city, pay bills on line, ugg what else can you do? Still have to feed cattle, get to much snow for swath grazing, where do you tweek the farm to cover the extra fuel costs?

 

[Lammie]

I know what you mean, here we are paying 1.16 a litre and in winnipeg they just jumped to 1.23 a litre. multiply that by 4. something and it's 5.00 a gallon US.
How do you make ends meet or may hay with that cost?
Rarely go to town, or the city, pay bills on line, ugg what else can you do? Still have to feed cattle, get to much snow for swath grazing, where do you tweek the farm to cover the extra fuel costs?

Where do you tweek anything to cover extra fuel costs? And everything costs more because it costs more to ship goods, grow food, fertilize crops, and the list goes on... I don't know how low income people make it.

 

[Frankie]

I saw a report that people making over $55,000 per year aren't bothered much by $3 gasoline. People making $75,000 per year aren't bothered AT ALL by those prices. People making $45,000 and less say, of course, that it's a serious problem for them. Virtually all the state Attorney Generals asked our Justice Department to investigate high gasoline prices. Alberto has apparently ignored their request. What a surprise!

 

[Lammie]

Well, I'm bothered a lot and I would be regardless of my income. It isn't right. The big oil companies have an excuse for everything. Refinery issues, pipeline issues, whatever. It still doesn't cover the fact that Exxon Mobile makes HUGE profits. I am not the kind of person that thinks that everything should be regulated by the feds, but I think it is time to consider it.

 

[Gate Opener]

People throw a fit when there is a hurricane and crooks come in and charge those people 9 prices for a generator. They need that generator. Government steps in because it is price gouging.

Kinda seems like the same thing here except its gasoline not generators but to make it worse this is 24/7. Hmmm wonder why nothing is being done?

 

[aplusmnt]

Write you senator and ask them to allow drilling in Alaska and offshore. But most importantly ask them to pass legislation to come up with a standard national blend of gas. Instead of hundreds of different blends being required by different States, cities and regions. Let the U.S. have only a couple different blends.

So many blends and switching over to Summer blends to meet the EPA standards cause a bottle necking at the refineries.

The Dem's are in control of congress now, let them be Hero's to the American people and pass some legislation to help the problem instead of wanting to sue OPEC :roll: Which will only make the OPEC nations retaliate with higher crude prices.

Lower prices are easy.

1. More drilling in Alaska and offshore
2. Less EPA regulations instead of the ever growing more
3. National blend so gas can be shared state to state.

Congress can correct all them problems. President can not do much about them.

 

[Alice]

Write you senator and ask them to allow drilling in Alaska and offshore. But most importantly ask them to pass legislation to come up with a standard national blend of gas. Instead of hundreds of different blends being required by different States, cities and regions. Let the U.S. have only a couple different blends.

So many blends and switching over to Summer blends to meet the EPA standards cause a bottle necking at the refineries.

The Dem's are in control of congress now, let them be Hero's to the American people and pass some legislation to help the problem instead of wanting to sue OPEC :roll: Which will only make the OPEC nations retaliate with higher crude prices.

Lower prices are easy.

1. More drilling in Alaska and offshore
2. Less EPA regulations instead of the ever growing more
3. National blend so gas can be shared state to state.

Congress can correct all them problems. President can not do much about them.

Don't believe anyone mentioned the president himself doing anything about it...just the federal government in toto.

Alice

 

[Frankie]

Write you senator and ask them to allow drilling in Alaska and offshore. But most importantly ask them to pass legislation to come up with a standard national blend of gas. Instead of hundreds of different blends being required by different States, cities and regions. Let the U.S. have only a couple different blends.

Show us something saying we produce "hundreds of different blends...." You would take away a state's right to do what they think's best for air quality in their state?

So many blends and switching over to Summer blends to meet the EPA standards cause a bottle necking at the refineries.

And shutting down refineries for summer maintenance sounds just like what they did during the electricity crises in CA several years ago. Later we found out they were manipulating the system to drive up prices. I think the same thing is happening in the oil industry. But since the Attorney General won't investigate, even though most state AGs have asked him to, we'll have to wait for an answer.

Good for the EPA. Our our quality stinks in many places. When we lived in Denver, people with respiratory problems had to stay inside.

The Dem's are in control of congress now, let them be Hero's to the American people and pass some legislation to help the problem instead of wanting to sue OPEC :roll: Which will only make the OPEC nations retaliate with higher crude prices.

I'll second that. In fact hearings are scheduled to look into oil company profits. At the very least, to "encourage" the oil companys to put some of their profits into new refineries here in the US. And, yes, there are places they can be built. If they're not willing to build them, then perhaps they'll lose some of their tax breaks.

Lower prices are easy.

1. More drilling in Alaska and offshore
2. Less EPA regulations instead of the ever growing more
3. National blend so gas can be shared state to state.

Manure. Oil companies won't drill in ANWAR, even if Congress allows them to. They've said so. There's not enough oil there to make it worth their while. Now, if the US taxpayer pays for the infastructure, they'd be happy to reap the profits, but I don't think the American taxpayer is going to be receptive to a suggestion like that.

Congress can correct all them problems. President can not do much about them.

Not if the President vetoes.

 

[Alice]

I've wondered about that lack of refineries issue since it was brought up sometime back. With the record oil profits...the staggering oil profits...why can't the oil companies build more refineries? I'm sure there are laws governing construction like that, but seems to me in cases of emergencies...and what we are experiencing is an emergency...

Oh heck...of course there are ways and places to build new refineries. It just seems to be more lucrative if they don't...

Alice

 

[Gate Opener]

Still can't get away from RECORD profits being made by oil companies.

 

[Alice]

Still can't get away from RECORD profits being made by oil companies.

And, a growing number of the United States citizens can't either.

But Gate Opener, I'm afraid we will continue to hear excuses...and somehow, someway, it will be tied back to evil liberals...not the ones lining their pockets with the oil profits and whining about their hands being tied. Whew, tie my hands like that...throw me in that briar patch!

Alice

 

[aplusmnt]

Still can't get away from RECORD profits being made by oil companies.

That is what business are suppose to do. I wonder how many other companies made record profits this year? Usually businesses have a plan to increase profits every year. So record profits will happen every year on a successful and growing business. Even in cattle producing.

Problem is people want themselves to make more money, they want their businesses to make record profits. But can not handle it when others do. especially if it interferes with their goal to increase their profits.

 

[Alice]

Still can't get away from RECORD profits being made by oil companies.

That is what business are suppose to do. I wonder how many other companies made record profits this year? Usually businesses have a plan to increase profits every year. So record profits will happen every year on a successful and growing business. Even in cattle producing.

Problem is people want themselves to make more money, they want their businesses to make record profits. But can not handle it when others do. especially if it interferes with their goal to increase their profits.

Oh, now there's a comforting hypothosis...and a real answer to the problem.

Problem is people want themselves to make more money, they want their businesses to make record profits. But can not handle it when others do. especially if it interferes with their goal to increase their profits

At the most, that doesn't hold water...at the least, it makes absolutely no sense.

Alice

 

[Dusty Britches]

My gasoline bill is about to exceed our mortgage. :shock:

but I really don't want the government to get involved. I've never heard of a program they've come up with that works.

The market will straighten this out.

 

[rockridgecattle]

my 2 cents. they will not build new refineries because of the law of supply and demand.
Not enough refineries supply is low demand goes high so does the price.
Same at the well...put out just enough to keep the demand high so prices stay high.
Same for the cost of fertilzer. They know how much we need. So they make just enough to drive the demand up and then there goes the price. they new bio diesel meant more fertizier, did they make more? NO they drove the price up.
I think they see a ressession comming and are looking into higher prices now because a ressesion would drive the prices down
My brother works in the oil patch somewhere in the equipment management end of things. He said the companies are putting big projects on hold because we could be heading for a ressession.

 

[Frankie]

aplusmnt said

Instead of hundreds of different blends being required by different States, cities and regions.

I asked for proof of that. I imagine when he started looking, he found the same link that I did. I'll put it below, but it says that in 2004, AAA put the number of different blends at "more than 15." One pipeline operator used the number "38" for different blends he had to contend with. I seriously doubt that we've gone from 38 to "hundreds" in three years, especially under this Administration, so aplusmnt will probably just ignore my question.

But I didn't want this to get lost in the shuffle. If someone throws that sort of "stuff" at you as an excuse for high gas prices, you have some actual references. :lol:

http://www.cei.org/gencon/019,04157.cfm

 

[aplusmnt]

aplusmnt said

Instead of hundreds of different blends being required by different States, cities and regions.

I asked for proof of that. I imagine when he started looking, he found the same link that I did. I'll put it below, but it says that in 2004, AAA put the number of different blends at "more than 15." One pipeline operator used the number "38" for different blends he had to contend with. I seriously doubt that we've gone from 38 to "hundreds" in three years, especially under this Administration, so aplusmnt will probably just ignore my question.

But I didn't want this to get lost in the shuffle. If someone throws that sort of "stuff" at you as an excuse for high gas prices, you have some actual references. :lol:

http://www.cei.org/gencon/019,04157.cfm

Sorry I did not answer you in a timely enough matter, decided to take kids to eat Pizza since they got out of school early being their last day. :roll:

I can prove that I will admit when I am wrong on here! Can you? I do not ignore things when the discussion goes in a direction I am not liking. Can you say the same thing?

You are right saying 100's was an exaggeration. What I found was 40 different blends in 2004 close to your 38. And I would say with all the different states adding E10 and E85 to the mix and then taking into consideration the different blends of diesel and bio-diesel that the refineries probably make 40 to 60 different blends through out the year now days.

My exaggeration and off the cuff remark of 100's vs 40 to 60 does not change the facts of my comment. If congress would nationalize and have a national blend it would solve many of the problems we have with supply especially during summer.

It would lower prices and stabilize the market. Any educated person knows this to be true? Are you educated? Do you disagree that this would not result in lower and more stable prices?

As for not allowing the states to regulate themselves. Well many things are controlled on a national level why not Gasoline blends and EPA standards?

Ps. You did not accurately quote the page you posted. You did not put the sentence in that says the 15 were what was being used at any given time

"Nobody even knows for certain how many different gasoline blends are in use at any given time. AAA has put the number at "more than 15."

Plus the source you quoted says ONE PIPELINE OPERATOR deals with 38 different blends. How many operators and pipelines are there?

Plus he went on to say that they all have to be shipped on a segregated basis. Which proves my point of a bottleneck supply problem.