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[Tractorat]

Gas has been creeping up in the last couple of months with no appreciable increase in the cost of oil. Yet, I haven't heard any alarm from the gov nor the media. Now, oil is almost twice what it was just a few months ago, with no alarm from the news or the gov. This, in the middle of the world economic crisis, and ever decreasing demand for oil and gas. If the economy recovers, can you imagine where the price of energy will go ?



Im just ranting again.

 

[HBarlow]

It's real confusing to some folks.

 

[bheiting]

Look at the bright side, it's a third of what it cost a year ago. When the price goes
sky high everybody and their brother starts pumping. Then the market gets flooded and the price falls. Some "experts" think it's about where it should be, considering
reserves and demand. I figure nothing will change until we find a substitute for oil
in the ground. Anyone want to nominate Willy Nelson for energy secretary? I
wonder if you can make oil from hemp?????

 

[Skydiver]

I have also been wanting to know why gas in the last 5 days jumped from $1. 82 to $2. 06.

Doesn't gas always go up this time of year to punish the hard working families who desperatly want and need a vacation?

 

[HBarlow]

An old friend of mine, who has been an oilfield service company electrician for 28. 5 years (Norton Drilling/Patterson Drilling) called me about three or four weeks ago to tell me his company stacked all their workover rigs and equipment, laid hundreds maybe several thousand employees off, welded the gates closed, and walked away.

He's now on unemployment and at the age of 64 is not likely to find a job. He's not severely harmed, he has saved, invested, and bought rent houses for many years and was planning to retire at the end of this year when he turns 65 anyway, but thousands of younger men and older men who haven't saved, invested, or made plans are now unemployed and set up to lose their cars, trucks, and homes.

Some guys whine when the price of gasoline or diesel fuel goes up a dime a gallon and want the government to interfere in the private economy but is anyone aware that when the price of raghead crude oil from the desert is low, as it is now, a hundred thousand Americans who work in the oil exploration, drilling, and service industry lose their jobs?

The economy effects all of us. Every dime of price increase or decrease in every commodity we buy benefits someone while harming someone else. We are all in this together.

 

[Tractorat]

I certainly dont know the specifics, and I admit I could be wrong here. But, I think the oil companies found out they could bleed us dry with gouging pricing. If they are laying people off now, I believe it is only to reap the same huge profits they have been getting in the last couple of years. If they were to call back the layoffs, and bring prices down, I dont think they would be making any less profit than they were a few years ago.



As I say, I dont really know that. But nobody is going to convince me otherwise. Ive just been burned too many times. And I trust the oil companies even less than I trust the government.



TRat

 

[macdaddy]

Without a energy policy to speak of. Yes the prices will /are going to be back right where they were.



The current administration continues to count on "Green" energy as the solution to cut our thirst for the black goo



Mac

 

[HBarlow]

I certainly dont know the specifics, and I admit I could be wrong here. But, I think the oil companies found out they could bleed us dry with gouging pricing. If they are laying people off now, I believe it is only to reap the same huge profits they have been getting in the last couple of years. If they were to call back the layoffs, and bring prices down, I dont think they would be making any less profit than they were a few years ago.

As I say, I dont really know that. But nobody is going to convince me otherwise. Ive just been burned too many times. And I trust the oil companies even less than I trust the government.

TRat

It's going to be somewhat difficult for a company who laid off every employee and shut down its operations "to reap the same huge profits they have been getting the last couple of years. " And the company I mentioned is only one of many across the country who has laid off most or all of its employees.

Let's assume you are a mechanic, plumber, carpenter, painter, brick layer, whatever. How would you feel if I and a few thousand others decided you were gouging the rest of us by greedily overcharging us for whatever service you perform to earn your living? And then, because I and others vote, in order to satisfy me and a few thousand others who resent the rates you charge and the income you earn, the government steps in and regulates your industry? The "government" which means some overeducated but clueless bureaucratic hack with a calculator "determines" that you are overcharging me by charging me $20/hour and arbitrarily reduces the labor rate you can charge to $10? How does that sound to you? Can you do your work and feed your family on that wage... ... or, are you forced to go out of business or into the unemployment lines?

If the free market is left alone to function free of government influence or control it is always self-regulating. If a majority of consumers determine that the price is too high they will quit buying that particular good or service or shift to an alternative.

The reason we are stuck with the whims of raghead tyrants in the arab world is because our government interferes and prevents drilling in our own waters and our own land. The prices of fuel are artificially increased by local, state and federal taxes, and by local, state, and federal interference by dictating what fuels can be refined, transported, and sold to whom.

 

[Tractorat]

HBarlow,

You and I are certainly on the same page as far as drilling is concerned. But I can't put the blame on Obama for this one. He is doing exactly what he said he would do here, and he was elected anyway.



I put most of the blame on Bush for this (BTW, I voted for him). He had 8 years to allow domistic drilling and he didn't. Oh, he finally reversed the "presidential" moritoreum on domestic drilling, but it was just before he left office. If he had reversed that position early in his presidency, it might have gotten some traction. Now we're just screwed.



TRat

 

[HBarlow]

HBarlow,
You and I are certainly on the same page as far as drilling is concerned. But I can't put the blame on Obama for this one. He is doing exactly what he said he would do here, and he was elected anyway.

I put most of the blame on Bush for this (BTW, I voted for him). He had 8 years to allow domistic drilling and he didn't. Oh, he finally reversed the "presidential" moritoreum on domestic drilling, but it was just before he left office. If he had reversed that position early in his presidency, it might have gotten some traction. Now we're just screwed.

TRat

I think you know my opinion of nobama but I didn't mention him here, wasn't even thinking of him. And, although I voted twice for Bush, he was largely a disappointment to me, as was his father. Both were country club Republicans, not CONSERVATIVES, as I am and deeply believe in.

I blame government, all government for many years of stupid, misguided policies.

We American voters, through our own greed, ignorance, or apathy have allowed a political class to develop who now rule us largely without being accountable to us. The current crop of pond scum is trashing the US Constitution more each day, and millions of morons are cheering them on.

IMO, the majority of fools and charlatans who occupy the seats in congress and in the executive branch are people incapable of starting a lawn mower, changing their oil, or even the furnace/ac filter in their home. Few if any of them could balance a checkbook or run a one cash register convenience store. They are liars and frauds, there to become rich at the public trough. Many openly hate America and its values and urinate on our heritage and traditions with every comment they make.

We embarked on this journey into politics because in an earlier post you remarked that government wasn't even paying attention (or something similar) to the increase in fuel price. I hope government doesn't notice even when a truck is approaching at 50 mph when they enter a crosswalk. I sure as h... don't want the current government to notice anything about fuel, prices, or anything else. If you think fuel prices are high now, wait until the socialist administration turns it's evil attention to fuel.

 

[Tractorat]

Amen brother



TRat

 

[KLauber]

For the second time this year, diesel is the same price or less than regular gas! Hmmmm. .

Ken

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

For the second time this year, diesel is the same price or less than regular gas! Hmmmm. .



Ken

They didn't lower the price of diesel, they simply RAISED the price of gas - we asked for desel/gas pricing equality - and we GOT it!

 

[Ncostello]

I've been paying 2. 19 forever quite some time. Gas was 1. 45 +/- not too long ago while diesel was still holding 2. 19. Now tonight I noticed gas is 2. 19 as well now, same as diesel. So if nothing else... I'll be saving money with the MPG issue etc. Assuming diesel don't go back to 4. 95.

 

[JUeckert]

a few comments i would like to make. first, big oil isnt always to blame. case in point. the local wally world has finally started selling diesel, this is a blessing for me and many others. i live in a town that has a total of about 10 diesel pumps[stations that sell diesel]. of these 10, 8 are owned by 3 different local men. all 3 are long time residents. they constantly keep the diesel price about 15/20 cents a gallon higher then stations in other towns, owned by other people. walmart's current diesel price is 1. 89 a gallon, and has been for over to weelks, the other guys have been at the lowest of 2. 09 and are currently at 2. 15/2. 21. long story short, sometimes it really is the stations owner/supplier, who is doing the gougeing. my contracting buisness fell to a all time low for well over 18 months, while fuel prices sky rocketed. if not for having nearly all my equipment paid for, i would have went under. i know of many long time truckers,loggers and contractors who did just that, and a bunch who had to let numerous employee's go. i hate to see any body loose a good job, but i really hate to see folks that have been long time employers/workers get down, as opposed to someone who has jumped on the oilfield ban wagon to ride the wave a few years ,loose their job. i live in the heart of an oil patch, and have seen it come and go for decades, one thing many of these folks have in common, they spend their money like drunk sailors. i realize there are different aspects to take in consideration, but on average my heart dosent bleed for them! as for the politcal comments, clinton did nothing for the oil industry, bush helped some, obamma will cripple it . some of what obamma is imposing will kill the small time producer's. this will do nothing but create even more of a monopoly. .

 

[Tractorat]

JUeckert

Of course you are correct about some of the higher prices being offered are the result of the individual station uping the price. But, I don't know what it is in your state. But, here in Washington, they have something called "zone pricing" The oil companies will price up the cost of fuel based on where the local market is. I dont know if they charge the individual station more, or if they just make the station charge more for the fuel. If the oil company owns the station (shell for example), it's a moot point. But the result is that we can see a big difference in pricing in just a couple of miles.



Interesting enough, we have refineries just about 90 miles north of me up in Anacortes. You would think fuel would be less expensive up there. But, it tends to be a whole lot more expensive then down here in Bothell.

 

[HBarlow]

TRat,

You live in a socialist state. Your politicians are socialists. They are fond of higher prices on fuel as well as raising taxes. Compare the fuel taxes you pay in your state with other states, for example TX, OK, MO, etc. I don't know what they are, haven't looked in a long time, but I'm confident you'll find that is part of your problem with fuel prices.

 

[Tractorat]

HBarlow,

Ha, you are certainly correct there. I just dont know how they keep getting elected. Well, it is mostly the people in Seattle. They have enough population that they elect the governor, as well as everything else. IMO, alot of the people in this state are just plain stupid. The other problem is that there truely is corruption and voter fraud in this state. But the courts are all very left wing and wont do anything about it.



But, there truely is the zone pricing in this state. Big oil, to a certain extent, tells even the locally owned stations what to charge. And if they dont, big oil will withhold supply. Thats illegal, but its done. If a station wants to charge a lower price for fuel than what is allowed, they get stepped on. There was quite a hubub about it maybe a year or 2 ago. But the attourny general said what they do is reprehensible, but legal.

 

[HBarlow]

... ... . I just dont know how they keep getting elected. Well, it is mostly the people in Seattle. They have enough population that they elect the governor, as well as everything else. IMO, alot of the people in this state are just plain stupid. The other problem is that there truely is corruption and voter fraud in this state. But the courts are all very left wing and wont do anything about it... ... ... .

Similar to several states and the nation right now.