Gas prices up again

A Shell customer holds his wallet as he pumps gas at a Shell gas station in Menlo Park, Calif,. Wednesday, May 7, 2008.

[helen]

If there was a shortage of oil we would have gas rationing.

Someone must step in to stop this gouging.

Exonmobil could start the ball rolling in the customers favor if they lowered their price for oil they pump out of the ground.

Customer alert. Put in only 5 gallons when you go to the pumps. This tactic worked in St. Louis.

[Gregg]

They want everyone to be poor so they can dictate over us

[MCR]

There was a story about the gas stations not being able to program the pumps to go to $4. Let's hope they don't figure it out.

[local discussed consumer]

Its all GREED at the expence of the working public, unfortunately we have no choice but to pay there outrageous increases if we expect survive, what I don't understand is how our "LOCAL PRODUCERS" can advetise "Buy American Produced Gas" @$3.70 a gal. and sleep at night knowing that there is no real justification for them charging that amount.
I have held off on booking or cancelled Family vacations so many times due to fluctuation in gas prices that not even going to attempt to travel any distance this spring thru fall at any time soon. We are lucky enough to have a pool and that with a few palm trees will be our summer fun! Hell, I may even dust off the old Schwinn and ride that to work every day I can.

[Kristin]

The environmentalists need to calm down. Now that we have reached this point, it is beyond necessary to begin drilling in our own country. Let us eliminate, or at the very least drastically reduce, our dependence on foreign oil. We are being killed...and it is the environmentalists' fault. As is the food shortage hitting parts of the world because of their push to biofuels for a problem that doesn't exist [global warming].

The sooner that the rest of us normal folk wake up and realize what is going on, the quicker we can stop this train from going off the cliff.

[SoberUpTeddy]

The "big oil companies" profit about 8 cents on a gallon of gas (national avg.) The government profits about .47 per gallon (national avg.)The oil company had to extract, transport, and refine the oil. What did the gubmint do? Absolutely nothing. You are being gouged all right but not by the oil companies.

[MCR]

Didn't the oil companies get over 18 million from the gumbit (as you call it). What was it for again? I forget.

SoberUpTeddy wrote:

The "big oil companies" profit about 8 cents on a gallon of gas (national avg.) The government profits about .47 per gallon (national avg.)The oil company had to extract, transport, and refine the oil. What did the gubmint do? Absolutely nothing. You are being gouged all right but not by the oil companies.

[unknown]

If there was a shortage they would be rationing the gas like they did in the 70's. It is just to see how much they can get out of the consumer, and as far as food goes, they shouldn't be sending food and supplies to other countries, they should be doing things in this country helping people instead of people who don't want our help and that hate us. Then we would have food for our people and lets do something to not need the oil over in the east either.

[Reality Guest]

/Over a year ago the Iranians broke from an OPEC agreement to sell oil in US dollars and began selling their oil for EURO's. If anyone has been payin attention lately it costs $1.60 US to buy 1 EURO. The Iranians are causing more harm to the US economy than 9/11 ever will. Be prepared for a military operation against Iran before the end of the Bush presidency, and listen for their reasons.

[angelstar701]

SoberUpTeddy wrote:

The "big oil companies" profit about 8 cents on a gallon of gas (national avg.) The government profits about .47 per gallon (national avg.)The oil company had to extract, transport, and refine the oil. What did the gubmint do? Absolutely nothing. You are being gouged all right but not by the oil companies.

Someone's gotta pay for the welfare and raises/vacations for congress. I walk to work now...moved to do it, but gas isn't affecting me one bit anymore. With a trip to Pittsburgh costing me almost $10 in gas, I appreciate the small business owners who survived in my small town. Lesson learned..fromnow on it's GO LOCAL for me!

[KAT]

unknown wrote:

and as far as food goes, they shouldn't be sending food and supplies to other countries, they should be doing things in this country helping people instead of people who don't want our help and that hate us. Then we would have food for our people and lets do something to not need the oil over in the east either.

AMEN!! If they don't want our help and we have to beg them to let us help - Scew that-- We have enough people in America that need help that the government doesn't care about.

[Hitman]

This is all a result of what happens when you send so much American business overseas that the foreign economies start to grow faster than ours. This leads to China and India being able to buy more oil therby increasing world wide demand which causes prices to rise.

Here's the answers:

1. repeal all the environmental laws that require refineries to make 50 different blends of gas for select markets in the U.S. and that restrict building new refineries
2. increase domestic production by drilling in ANWR, the Dakotas and Gulf of Mexico
3. make the automakers increase fuel efficiency for all cars and trucks
4. give tax credits and incentives to companies who are investing in alternative energy for transportation purposes

I can give you many more, however my time is valuable. And FYI, we get most of our oil from Canada and Mexico and we are now refining over 15% of the oil OUTSIDE of our country (mostly due to our over-burdensome environmental laws).

[Roger]

And when we do send aid over seas, how do we get repaid? We get it back by way of a bullit or a bomb. When will our so called government for the people learn charity starts at home.

[SoberUpTeddy]

mcr - Where were you 5 years ago when the oil companies were struggling to survive? Now that they make a profit they should be punished? Do you feel this way about all companies that make a profit or just "evil" oil companies? Anyone with even a basic understanding of economics would know that if the demand for your product increases so does your profit. If you ran a lemonade stand and sold 10 glasses yesterday and 20 glasses today didn't your profit just double? The oil companies don't profit more on each gallon they sell, they simply sell more resulting in higher profits.

[What]

For those clueless about gas prices:

http://www.factsonfuel.org/gasoline/index.htm...
ARE OIL COMPANY PROFITS OUT OF LINE?

Oil and natural gas industry profits are right in line with the average for all industries. Because gasoline is so important to everyday life, some folks get nervous when prices go up and raise allegations of price gouging by oil companies. But, over the years, more than 30 government reports have confirmed that gasoline pricing is driven by legitimate market forces.

WHAT INFLUENCES PRICES?

Gasoline prices are driven by the realities of global supply and demand for crude oil. There are also costs associated with refining, distributing and delivering gasoline that factor into the price you pay at the pump. When you adjust for inflation, today's pump price is actually lower than the peak retail prices of 1981. The relatively lower costs over the past two decades can be attributed largely to lower crude oil costs. Manufacturing, distribution, and marketing costs have also declined. Only taxes have increased.

[bluejeep_04]

the thing i do not understand is they raise prices on the fuel already in the tank , not what they are getting . when they get the shippment of the higher price fuel is when they should raise the price . not what they have now . but the other thing is congress,state reps , president canidates are all saying that they are putting together a bill or something like that to reduce prices and find out why the oil companys are making billions upon billions of money . while the price just keeps going up . by the time they actually do something is going to be to late . it is going to be $5 dollars plus for a gallon of gas . but the only good thing for some business's are going to be motorcycles and scooter stores are going to be very well off and the car market will almost go belly up . except where cold, wet, snowy weather is but that is a given . and with all this standard of living might go up . some families might have to ban together to make it . but if you work for the oil company no worries at all right .

[What]

bluejeep_04 wrote:

the thing i do not understand is they raise prices on the fuel already in the tank , not what they are getting . when they get the shippment of the higher price fuel is when they should raise the price . not what they have now . but the other thing is congress,state reps , president canidates are all saying that they are putting together a bill or something like that to reduce prices and find out why the oil companys are making billions upon billions of money . while the price just keeps going up . by the time they actually do something is going to be to late . it is going to be $5 dollars plus for a gallon of gas . but the only good thing for some business's are going to be motorcycles and scooter stores are going to be very well off and the car market will almost go belly up . except where cold, wet, snowy weather is but that is a given . and with all this standard of living might go up . some families might have to ban together to make it . but if you work for the oil company no worries at all right .

The price is linked to the price of crude oil. Therefore, when crude oil prices go up, so do the gas prices.

Also, it's publicly traded commodity so the price can vary from day to day. Lets say you have a share of stock worth $100 as of today. Tomorrow, the stock goes up to $110 and you decide to sell it. What price would you sell for? Obviously $110.

[Erie]

Go make more money and gas wont be expensive

[James W Summers]

It is interesting that the major oil companies yet again made record quarterly profits. This being the case they should be able to significantly lower the price per gallon of gasoline.

It is also interesting that in the late 1970's the ma Bell telephone companies were considered monopolies and were broken up.

It seems to me that the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department should be closely monotoring these companies. They should have axcess to their financial records.

[point of view]

I googled gas prices world wide,and everyone one except a few places is paying big bucks,venesuala is 45 cents a gallon and pr is 1.27 but for the most part its from 4-6 dpg.