Number 1 Topic. Fuel Prices. Who to voice are opions too?

[Jeff H]

The number 1 topic just about every where is fuel prices. I'm looking for people with ideas here. This is not a discussion about prices in your area. We don't need reminding!

How or where can we get politions addresses, e-mail, phone numbers. Is there any website for this kinda thing? Feel free to post some links or any thing that will be constructive!

What about petitions and mailing it to goverment politions?

Just looking for things that will get there attenion.

 

[AMink]

Do a search on US Senate and US House. It'll come up with the main page, then you go through it and find your reps. I've done it, got responses, but email responses don't fill the beast with diesel :-laf . I'll believe response when I see <$2. 50 again. Preferably <$1. 50!

 

[RustyJC]

And what exactly do you expect the politicians to do about the price of crude oil, a world commodity, and the resulting price of refined products? Are you suggesting price controls? I lived through the supply shortages the last time that was tried back in the 1970s, and price controls in China at $2. 01/gallon are currently resulting in fuel shortages, per an article in the business section of the Houston Chronicle this morning.



Rusty

 

[DHorton]

No sir. What is being suggested is that refineries in America be run at full capacity, while throttling back some of the tree-hugger issues, until a cost effective solution is found. I don't think the Polar caps are gonna melt in a year or 2 if we back off some of the regulations and make sure they are not throttling production back here for mear gain.



Not trying to flame, but have been researching this issue for a while. If we refined what is sitting in the gulf, what is being churned out locally and released some restrictions for a bit, prices would fall within reason. ALSO, definitely not looking for government control, just government assurance that someone is not raking the American people through the coals, just for their own benefit.

 

[RustyJC]

No sir. What is being suggested is that refineries in America be run at full capacity, while throttling back some of the tree-hugger issues, until a cost effective solution is found.

BP has experienced 3 refinery explosions in its Southeast Texas facilities in the last 6-9 months or so. One killed 18 individuals. A question being asked by investigators as well as industry critics is, "Is the pressure to maximize production leading to safety shortcuts?" U. S. refinery capacity utilization is currently 96% (or higher, depending on whose numbers you use) - that leaves precious little downtime for scheduled or unscheduled maintenance. There's no "silver bullet" lurking here.



On edit: HERE is an interesting article on this topic from MSNBC, hardly an oil industry mouthpiece.



Rusty

 

[Jeff H]

Take your blame games some where else! I've heard it all. This is not just about polititions. Its what ever works to fix or help the situation.

If all we do is complain nothing will get done. Thats like asking your truck to fix itself.

Thanks AMink will try it.

 

[RustyJC]

Take your blame games some where else! I've heard it all. This is not just about polititions.

The blaming of politicians for doing nothing looks to me like it started with post #1 of this thread. Who else is being blamed?



Rusty

 

[Jeff H]

Understanding the topic must be a challenge?

 

[RustyJC]

How or where can we get politions addresses, e-mail, phone numbers. Is there any website for this kinda thing?... . What about petitions and mailing it to goverment politions? Just looking for things that will get there (politicians?) attenion.

As I said, what exactly do you want the politicians to do? If that question is "playing the blame game", then I guess you need to point out why you consider it so.



Rusty

 

[DHorton]

I think what is being asked, is to have the government of the people, make sure that we are not being fleeced. If we are not, then I can not see harping on them. If we are, then I expect action that is beneficial to all. No one wants more regulations or control in the governments hands. It is just a matter of getting answers to the why we are being driven so hard to pay almost 100% increase compared to last year +/- some months. Each story seems to relagate itself to suspicion and never leaves you with a warm fuzzy that it is the honest one. Sincerely not trying to start a conspiracy theory or any other lackluster crap. Just looking for answers. I can take the truth, just waiting to here it. Also these forums provide a wealth of knowledge from a much larger range of POVs. I welcome issues to be discussed and if needed, vented about. Once you wade through the emotion, you can usually grasp a few grains of knowledge that was not there before.

 

[RustyJC]

Given all the comments of having "Texas oilmen" in the White House, if the Justice Department of the Bush administration performed an investigation and issued a statement that no price-fixing conspiracy is taking place, I wonder how many would believe them?



Rusty

 

[DHorton]

Very true. I don't pick on the administration. I don't have room to, I voted em in. I guess you are right. There are no real smoking guns, full on answers on this. It would still be nice to have the Venezualan price for fuel though (. 12pg). Ahhh... . Dreaming is so fun... .



Also, apologies to all. I did let my emotions get ahead of me earlier. I run a hotshot company, so these prices are eating me alive. Talk about picking the wrong time to start up... . Anywho peace and goodwill to all.

 

[SHobbs]

The way I see it. How many of our people died freeing Iraq? It is time to start pumping them dry, we can trade them our services for oil. Afterall we helped them and do you think they will every repay us.

 

[Jeff H]

Well people say government does not control prices. But then I hear that refineries are at max out put. People say we need more refineries. But I appears that are government is against that. Probably because enviro nazi's don't wan't any more being built?

I did not ask a question refering what should a politition should do. I never even hinted that. I never mentioned price control either. Its my business what I decide to do with the information. Its your business on what you decide to do with the information.

 

[MLimpert]

I believe a good solution would be temporarily loosening some regulations to allow a few new refineries to be built. That seems to drive some of the random price increases, but I don't think it would fix it totally.



That said, I have made an effort to run biodiesel whenever possible. Its not much, but at least I'm doing a little bit. I wish there was more public and political interest in this, because it really would help.

 

[jandtjil]

Bio diesel is not widely available, othrwise I too would be burning a safe amount.

Maybe we need to write petro chains and ask that they carry B10 or B20 at the pump.

 

[nps]

Be careful with your posts. This is Jeff's thread and what he does with it is his business.



Lighten up dude.

 

[RustyJC]

I did not ask a question refering what should a politition should do. I never even hinted that. I never mentioned price control either.

OK, if you don't think the politicians can/should do anything, why do you want us to flood them with our complaints?



Rusty

 

[Jeff H]

I'm not gonna tell them what to do. Thats not my job.

Putting pressure on them can't hurt. We voted them into office. We can just as fast vote them out. Its the government that set the regulations on oil companies. Are elected offials need to relize that the are country is growing. The rest of the world is too. So should the out put of energy keep up.

Would you rather do some thing now? Or wait till we hit a recession? This country looses more and more jobs every year. Well now were paying for it. Now are hard earned money goes towards products made in china. So basically we this country are creating there drive for fuel.

They also don't have the emission standards that we do. China is just in the beging of there industrial revolution. Making mostly stuff for the U. S. When I see those big ships on tv carrying those containers. A lot of that product being offloaded use to be made in America.

Norwest airlines wants there mechanics to take a 25% cut in wages. How would that sit with you if your boss said were taking a 1/4 of your pay away?They want them to take a cut so they can pay for fuel to fly. Then that money goes toward the oil companies. Now who robbing who? Plus you now just lost your pension. North west air is considering moving there mechanics base over seas. It just never ends. Cororate greed is really hitting us now.

Talk to any one in the shipping bussiness. I know plenty too. They are just barely making any money. Imagine owning a fleet of 100 trucks. Take every thing and times it by a hundred. If you put on 200 gallons of fuel for each of all one hundred trucks. Thats 20,000 gallons. Times Lets say 1. 75 a gallon. Thats about $ 35,000 to fill up those 100 trucks to burn 200 gallons each. Lets just hope he's getting 5 to 6 to the miles to a gallon. Fuel Surcharges a like giving them a couple pennies.

Wait till this fall when schools will be asking for more money. To heat schools and fuel up school busses. Any doubt taxes will be going up? Soon farmers will hit the fields. Farmers have to really bite the bullet this year. I could go on but maybe others have some thing too say.

So if I offended any one. Well ya must be an oil man or a politition. If any one thinks just sitting back and not doing any thing. Well thats actually what will happen. Were just the little people. Not one man can make a difference. But maybe if people speak out and enough. Things may happen. I'm not bettin the farm on it. But then again doing nothing we my loose the farm.

I'm not answering any more questions. I'm asking YOU.

 

[RustyJC]

Well, let's do some root cause analysis. Buried in your post is the following:

Now are hard earned money goes towards products made in china. So basically we this country are creating there drive for fuel.

And you're exactly right - China's economy is the fastest growing major economy in the world, and their appetite for energy and raw materials is astounding. Our company manufactures engines and compressors - guess what iron and steel costs have done over the last 3 years? Guess how difficult it is to find qualified sources for complex castings and forgings? Why? Because China's growth has fueled demand for raw and finished materials.



The same thing is happening with crude oil and refined products. China's booming economy must be fueled, so they're creating increased demand for finite resources whose supply has not really changed. Economics 101 says that a constant supply under increasing demand will experience price increases until demand is cut back to match supply. THAT is why crude oil and refined product costs are increasing, and that's also why it may take a worldwide recession (which cuts demand) such as we saw in the late 1990s before we see meaningful reductions in crude oil and refined product prices. In the late 1990s, crude oil fell to $10/bbl as worldwide demand tanked! (By the way, that pretty well disarms the theory that the oil companies set the price of crude oil - if they do, why did they let it fall to $10/bbl?)



Now, is it the government's fault that we're buying more products from China, or is it the American consumer's desire for the absolute lowest price product available that is responsible for this? If it's the latter, what possible good does it do to whine to a bunch of politicians?



Rusty