Diesel Prices

[Gary - K7GLD]

"Moderator- I don’t want to turn this topic into a political statement



Then why DID you?



but something has to be said.



I personally think that the price of fuel will stay high and climb higher all summer long. Mr. Bush has to pay for his war someway. Also Bush, Cheney, Halliburton (sp?) and their other oil cohorts will in the meantime make BILLIONS. Then in Sept or Oct the price will suddenly drop a FEW cents/gal to ensure Bush’s re-election. That way we are supposed to think that we are getting a “GOOD” deal! However the price after the election will still be considerably higher than it was last winter/spring. Get accustomed to it! It fells so good to get SHAFTED!



I may be wrong but that is the way that I see it!"



1. Any observant driver KNOWS from long experience that fuel prices typically rise thru the summer months, and then retreat in the fall - why has it just now become a "Bush conspiracy"?



2. Are you REALLY saying that rising fuel prices are intended to somehow "pay for the war"? SHEESH!



3. Are you saying that all we need do is "vote for the other guy" if we really want to see permanent, significant reduction in fuel costs?



Has it not occured to you that we just MIGHT now be paying for a decades long failure to establish a national energy policy - one that assures reasonable isolation against manipulation from foreign interests - and that the failure is NOT one "owned" by the Republicans or conservatives - but pretty much equally shared by ALL our political "representatives"?



Has it not ALSO occured to you, and those like you, that as long as we out here in society attempt to choose sides and fight against EACH OTHER over which party is "to blame", the status quo will not soon change?



This is NOT a "political issue" in the sense that one party is to blame, while the other is pure as driven snow - they all share equally for where we now find ourselves - and to suggest otherwise is short-sighted and foolish!



It also prevents us from focusing on the REAL issue, which is a meaningful domestic energy policy that isolates us from foreign manipulation, provides research and development of alternative fuel sources, and development of energy-efficient transportation as well as other energy dependent items...



And THAT is a non- partisan, high priority need - otherwise, we will continue to fight "energy wars" - regardless of WHO is in office, until all oil is depleted, and we return to burning our meat over campfires!

 

[GWDiesel]

High fuel prices

Gary: Very good post ,I could not agree more with you! They keep talking about the oil reserve,Is that for war,a disaster, or what? could we use some of that reserve to replace some of the Mideast oil and force their price's down?? this is a rip off on there part. I think they are trying to break our economy, so we will go broke like the USSR did and collapse from within. IMHO Jerry

 

[SGoodman]

It is true that this is obviously an issue that should concern all of us. In my mere opinion it is true that this country has had the luxury of playing with oil like it was going out of style and not paying for the real cost of it. In Europe these prices would be nothing new, as they have been paying the equivalent of 4 dollars a gallon for quite some time, if not more. In some respects rises like this may be some what of a wake up call for this country. I would not mind waking up and no longer seeing soccer moms burning 60 gallons a day by driving their kids to school in an excursion. But on another note this country is full of hard-working people that don't deserve to have fuel costs double over a few years. Policy issues? Perhaps. As I say from what I know, our oil reserve is a last ditch effort, meant to last a matter of months, and with current consumption, maybe less. So to tap into these would be at major cost, reduce vital emergency reserves, and possibly lower prices by at most 50 cents, for a very short time. Energy policy? Probably. Thirty some years ago our policy makers got scared, but did not retreat from oil. People will admit that oil won't last forever, but no one seems to want to really put up the money to figure out solutions. The answer? No idea. All I can say is that at almost 21 years old I think there will be a big burden for me to shoulder. Feel fortunate because someday my only choice of wheels may be a honda that whines or a ford ranger that runs on corn. If it really gets ugly I'll just have to live out of my truck and drive my house to work.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Europeans pay more for fuel because of the composition of their society, politics, energy sources and production/distribution - NOT because they are somehow more environmentally conscious or generous - fact is, they pay more for MANY products they buy daily than we do, and for the same reasons they pay more for fuel!



I'm no more interested in paying more for a gallon of fuel simply so I can somehow be viewed as a "responsible good guy", than I am for a pair of pants or gallon of milk...



Wonder if the day will come when due to OUR lack of development of energy policy and alternative fuel sources, we'll see coal-powered 747's and 18-wheelers...

 

[DHayden]

until all oil is depleted, and we return to burning our meat over campfires!

MMMmmmm..... meat over campfires... (insert Homer drool here)

 

[OTRPU]

Everyone that drives anything holds the answer in their hand. We're at war, why the he!! isn't there a federally mandated National 55 speed limit? I've just driven more than 10,000 miles in less than 30 days, coast to coast, on Interstates, and when loaded not exceeded 55 MPH. I wonder how many of you have passed me. In this period I think I passed 5 vehicles that were actually going slower than I. And they had good reason from what I could see to be going the speed they were. I can get at least 25% more mileage out of my fuel at 2,000 revs with 4:10s. It all has to do with greed and the battle between the haves and the have nots. As long as people continue to pay the price the price will continue to climb. OOIDA, self proclaimed lobbyiest for professional truck drivers has proclaimed June as National Truck Safety Month. Asking professional drivers to run compliant for the month of June. What the hell kind of professional organization is this. . . run compliant for the month. They should aspouse all professional drivers set the example and run compliant evertime they turn on their key. You see I differentiate between Commercial and Professional drivers. Commercial drivers ignore speed limits, ignore hours of service rules and in general do what they think they have to do to make more money. Greed's ugly head again. Professional drivers follow the rules, plain and simple. The sign says 55 MPH Speed Limit. It doesn't say if you feel like it, or that it's optional. Or that because everybody does it that it has become socially acceptable to exceed this limit. As far as I'm concerned the fine for speeding should be $1,000 dollars first offense, second offense $5,000 dollars, and third offense LIFE INPRISIONMENT. You've obviously exhibited through behavior you have total control over that you don't intend to follow the law and are willing to take a chance and kill me or somebody else. And I don't want you killing me nor mine because you think you have the right to have an accident. There ain't no such thing as an accident. Only stupid people doing stupid behavior. Actually they aren't even stupid, they just do stupid things. If they really thought about it before hand they wouldn't do it. Everything would be cheaper for everybody if everybody just slowed down and left two vehicle lengths between themselves and anything else. Insurance would be cheaper, fuel would be cheaper, there wouldn't be any traffic jams, and nobody would be road kill, which there is absolutely no reason for. Just that it's socially acceptable to have an accident. BS. See you on the road, I'm the only one out there doing 55. You ought to try it sometime. . . it's how I turn $2. 00 a gallon fuel into an actual $1. 50 p/g.



Tow Safe,

Steve J.

 

[nfox]

Here in Algona, Iowa diesel is priced at $1. 76 a gallon, in the last week gas went up fifteen cents to $1. 89 per gallon. I can't see any reason for the price increase this dramatic, they will raise the prices up so far and drop it back down 15 to 20 cents and act like they are giving us a break, greedy Ba$tard$!!!

 

[ndennis]

Napa Valley is now $2. 399 a gallon

N Dennis

 

[lschultz]

OTRPU you said a mouth full there and your right. I see many a Dodge,furd,chevy pass me hauling ass and when I get to a light at a intersection there they are

 

[WyattEarp]

gas and diesel prices

In my last post some time back the station near me, diesel 154

still, but gas Reg(174) prem(194)

In neighboring NC. reg(185) prem(209) rediculous prices in NC. gald i don't have to buy it over there... .

 

[mgonske]

$1. 88/gal at home north of Titusville, FL friday afternoon; $1. 62/gal at the Flying J in Seffner, FL (just East of the I-4/I-75 interchange near Tampa) on Saturday and Sunday. Guess what I do every time I need to travel to the West coast (of Florida)?

 

[richardcoxid]

Gary – KJ6Q



You are correct “Any observant driver KNOWS from long experience that the fuel prices typically rise thru the summer months, then retreat in the fall”. You should have added that they increase again (especially diesel that is also used as heating oil) in the winter. The normal excuse is that a refinery or two are shutting down for maintenance or a pipeline is broken etc. This is done once or twice per year thus creating an artificial shortage and price increase.



I have often wondered what would happen if some of the Electrical Utility companies would, just when the hottest part of the summer is upon us would suddenly announce that they were shutting down some plants for routine maintenance/modernization. This would cause only a “slight shortage” of electricity with a resulting price increase. Sorry folks- No A/C this summer! The same thing goes for the electrical/gas companies during the winter, causing an artificial shortage with a price increase. Sorry folks- Turn down your thermostat this winter! Of course this would never happen because the utilities are PUC “controlled”.



As for a “Bush conspiracy”. He (the republicans) just happen to be in power now. But, you and I both know that most politicians of ANY party manipulate what is happening in order to enhance their election/re-election chances. So voting for the other guy isn’t necessarily the answer. However I didn’t remember that Iraq invaded us.



I totally agree with you about our “National Non-Energy Policy” (my words). I worked 27 years for Argonne National Laboratory (operated by the University of Chicago for the DOE) one of the premier energy R&D labs. I know how “politicized” our National Non-Energy Policy is. We would have a “direction/mission” for 4-8 years then a different administration would come into power and BANG!, the results of the last 4-8 years would go down the drain or into a holding pattern. Then we would sit there and spin our wheels or move in another direction for the next 4/8 years. And so it went. If you have ever worked for or with the Gov. you know how it is. Halfway through a project somebody in DC will get up on the wrong side of the bed and with a stroke of the pen cancel a project.



The long-term effects of an energy policy in effect today will come home to haunt us 50 and more years from now. Heck, it takes 10 years of analysis and work for Attorneys just to get an Environmental Impact Statement signed. This is before the first shovel of dirt is turned for a new construction plant.



I have long advocated that the “energy policy” be taken out of the hands of the politicians. We need to establish a “Blue Ribbon” panel of acknowledged scientific/engineering experts in the production/development/use of Coal, Hydro, Oil, Gas, Nuclear, Solar and Wind energy. This panel would determine in what direction the energy policy moves regardless of which “party” is in power.



So you see I don’t think that you and I are that far off in some our thinking.



BTW- In the 40’s-60’s I had an uncle who was W6SRJ. In the early years he had a vacuum tube KW rig and every time he keyed the mike the final outputs would glow blue. Pretty awesome for a 10 year old kid!

 

[ndennis]

Napa Valley up 4 cents over the weekend... . now $2. 439 a gallon. Diesel now higher than most of the stations super unleaded.

N Dennis