Anyone else sick of 3 dollar + gasoline ?

[SWAMPMASTER]

Eh, I hope it goes up and I probably make less than most everyone on here.

Why would I want it to go up? Because I am sick of people and their land yachts. One person riding around in a Denali or F350 super duty.

I am tired of some idiot with a lifted jeep/truck/suv driving around the streets. Yeah that lift kit you put on looks real cool until you hit someone.

So I say yes to 5 dollar gasoline. I even say yes to 7.50 gas, just so that people will pull their heads out of their collective (insert appropriate word) and drive more along the lines of what they actually need. Because lets face it, most folks won't be buying gas guzzlers when it costs a fortune to get anywhere.

Well I am glad u hate me but, I dont know you so I really dont Give a C... what u think

Proud owner of a Full size surburban, Tahoe, F250 Crew cab all paid for and wont drive a samll death bucket

 

[SWAMPMASTER]

I quess I get tired of people complaining about GAs Prices! You do have a choice u dont have to buy it, u dont have to use it,Its not OPEC its not the Pres or texas fault, any and all of you can own and buy Oil futures that what sets fuel prices well that and taxes. If gas hits 10.00 a gal I will still own and drive my big Trucks might not drive as much but again Its my choice as I dont have to travel or go to work by Vechile everyone has other choices. Ride a bike, horse,walk, Heck even a MOtorcycle if ya want they are safer than those little smart cars IMHO

 

[CoCa Cola Cowboy]

Along with that flogging were takin on petro, how about the 4% increase on Citizens Gas product to cover their start of 2011 !!!!!! Those JERKS

 

[Cemetery-man]

Why would I want it to go up? Because I am sick of people and their land yachts. One person riding around in a Denali or F350 super duty

I love my gas guzzling SUV land Yacht. I paid my dues driving tiny economy 4 cylinder Pinto's, Vega's and small pick-ups since the '70's and only wished that some day I could afford one of those nice big ol' fully loaded cruisers.

Hard work and patience paid off and now I can pretty much afford whatever I want to drive which is why I splurged this year and got me that over-priced loaded gas guzzling SUV. At my age the chance to treat myself to something I always dreamed of owning is nearing an end so if I have to pay more to fulfill and enjoy that dream, then so be it.

I quess I get tired of people complaining about GAs Prices! You do have a choice u dont have to buy it, u dont have to use it

 

[tenring]

Think ration cards for every licensed driver, and a max of 55 gallons per month, already printed up, stored in 'guvmint warehouses.

 

[hornadylnl]

Same thing that's preventing you from building your own stadium $$$$.

My question was a trap. You gave me the answer I figured I would get.

Heh. Market lock. It's the same thing that makes it impossible for just about any average citizen from building an empire in a mature technology. I've run into this several times. Company A won't give you the time of day because you don't have enough product for them to want to deal with, but you can't bootstrap up to get enough product for them to pay attention to you because no one will. Then they say that you need to buy insurance for them to deal with you, but then no insurance company will sell to you at a price comensurate with the risk because you are too small. And then the government steps in with additional regulation/paperwork that you as a small startup company can't deal with because you are too small.

Mature markets suck for the average person. The only real advantage the little guy has is to try to get in early in a developing market.

Getting back to the topic at hand, it IS possible for the little guy to produce his own fuels, but it's going to be impossible to do it for cheaper or less convenient than the established market can do, even with obscene profits thrown in the mix. If I burn 10 gallons of gasoline a week that costs me say $40 and I make $10 an hour, I have to work 4 hours that week to fuel my car. Less for those who make more. I have produced motor fuels: even if you assume that all feedstocks were free, which they aren't, I have to work way more time to produce 10 gallons of fuel.

Me, I'll continue to buy solar panels, heat with wood from my land, and pay more with time and money for my fuels, just so I can thumb my nose as much as I can at those who are dependent on market forces for their prices, especially those who whine about it.

Shibumi answered the question the best.

My funding is a little low this week.

You don't mind paying high fuel prices? It wouldn't bother me as much if they were honest about it. Big oil always has an excuse for rising prices. OPEC, .gov, El Nino...there always seems to be an excuse. But then they consistently post record quarterly profits.

Just be honest about it and tell me..."We're going to be doing you again this month. We're raising the prices and there really isn't anything you can do about it".

Again...I understand profit. I just hate liars.

And you gave me the answer I expected you to give me.

Yes, market forces play a huge part in limiting competition in the oil business. Getting the capital to get started is a huge one. Buying land to explore for oil is a huge one. Actually finding said oil is a huge one.

Now let's assume that I as investor like your business plan and I loan you all the capital necessary to start your oil company. Can you just go out there willy nilly drilling for oil or do you have to seek government permission first? Do you have to get permission to drill and where to drill? Do you have to get permission to build your refinery? The truth is that the government has just a big a hand in creating whatever degree of monopoly the oil industry has as the industry itself. Oil companies have been trying to build refineries for decades but it takes a decade or more to satisfy all the regulations and greenies to do so.

Do I like paying $3 for a gallon of gas? No. Do I let the price on the pump shape my entire perspective on gas prices? Of course not. I spend $6-8 to go to work to gross over $200. It's an expense like my work clothes, steel toe shoes, etc. I live 25 miles from work. I wouldn't walk 50 miles a day for $6-8. I wouldn't operate a business in an environment that is so hostile to me, IE the kvetching customer base and a nanny government controlling my every decision.

I also put gas prices in perspective by comparing it to other items on the market. Gas costs less per gallon than other liquids that aren't nearly as difficult to produce. People will complain about $3 a gallon gas but walk into the station and buy water at a rate of $5+ a gallon. Bottled water is a million times easier to produce than gas. People will complain about paying $3 for gas to go to the game on Sunday but don't mind paying $50 for a nosebleed seat and $5+ for a 16 oz beer. That translates into $40+ a gallon. Where is the public outrage about the gouging going on there?

I wish the oil companies would go Galt for a week. Just maybe people would gain a little perspective as to what a service they are providing. I'm sure the bulk would just call for more government intervention though. "Record Quarterly Profits" in and of themselves mean nothing to me. If I start a business and my profit the first quarter is $1 and the second quarter is $2, that would be a record quarterly profit. What are oil company profits compared to other industries in dollars and percentages? Can we decry a company that makes a 10% profit while excusing another that makes a 20% profit but a lower dollar amount than the 10% company?

 

[Cemetery-man]

Think ration cards for every licensed driver, and a max of 55 gallons per month, already printed up, stored in 'guvmint warehouses.

Since there is no shortage of gasoline and there's a lot of money to be made off gas taxes I don't think they want to restrict drivers from spending money on gasoline. Just the opposite.

 

[public servant]

And you gave me the answer I expected you to give me.

Yes, market forces play a huge part in limiting competition in the oil business. Getting the capital to get started is a huge one. Buying land to explore for oil is a huge one. Actually finding said oil is a huge one.

Now let's assume that I as investor like your business plan and I loan you all the capital necessary to start your oil company. Can you just go out there willy nilly drilling for oil or do you have to seek government permission first? Do you have to get permission to drill and where to drill? Do you have to get permission to build your refinery? The truth is that the government has just a big a hand in creating whatever degree of monopoly the oil industry has as the industry itself. Oil companies have been trying to build refineries for decades but it takes a decade or more to satisfy all the regulations and greenies to do so.

Do I like paying $3 for a gallon of gas? No. Do I let the price on the pump shape my entire perspective on gas prices? Of course not. I spend $6-8 to go to work to gross over $200. It's an expense like my work clothes, steel toe shoes, etc. I live 25 miles from work. I wouldn't walk 50 miles a day for $6-8. I wouldn't operate a business in an environment that is so hostile to me, IE the kvetching customer base and a nanny government controlling my every decision.

I also put gas prices in perspective by comparing it to other items on the market. Gas costs less per gallon than other liquids that aren't nearly as difficult to produce. People will complain about $3 a gallon gas but walk into the station and buy water at a rate of $5+ a gallon. Bottled water is a million times easier to produce than gas. People will complain about paying $3 for gas to go to the game on Sunday but don't mind paying $50 for a nosebleed seat and $5+ for a 16 oz beer. That translates into $40+ a gallon. Where is the public outrage about the gouging going on there?

I wish the oil companies would go Galt for a week. Just maybe people would gain a little perspective as to what a service they are providing. I'm sure the bulk would just call for more government intervention though. "Record Quarterly Profits" in and of themselves mean nothing to me. If I start a business and my profit the first quarter is $1 and the second quarter is $2, that would be a record quarterly profit. What are oil company profits compared to other industries in dollars and percentages? Can we decry a company that makes a 10% profit while excusing another that makes a 20% profit but a lower dollar amount than the 10% company?

Wow...after reading this...my entire outlook has changed.

Big oil...please run those prices up to $12-$15 per gallon. I didn't realize I've been oppressing your profit margin for all these years.

Please, big oil, forgive me for ever thinking you were just effing the consumer over.

Man...some people will argue about anything. You probably think BP did all that clean-up out of the goodness of their heart and didn't shaft the consumer to make up the expenditure.

Just wow... I really do understand supply and demand...market share...profit margins and all that. I also understand greed.

Now excuse me while I go fill up my car with my .gov gas card.

Maybe I'll drive out a tank or two so big oil makes another record profit this quarter...

 

[hornadylnl]

Wow...after reading this...my entire outlook has changed.

Big oil...please run those prices up to $12-$15 per gallon. I didn't realize I've been oppressing your profit margin for all these years.

Please, big oil, forgive me for ever thinking you were just effing the consumer over.

Then put your principles where your mouth is and start up Public Servant Oil Company. You can operate it as a non profit business. You can solicit investors to get it up and running.

Man...some people will argue about anything. You probably think BP did all that clean-up out of the goodness of their heart and didn't shaft the consumer to make up the expenditure.

Did you think they fired up the government printing press to pay for the clean up? Do you think McDonalds ate the $3million they lost in a lawsuit over a burnt crotch? Do basic check book principles not apply to business checking accounts? You know, where deposits must be equal to or higher than debits?

If you don't like how BP handled the oil spill disaster, you are free to buy your gas elsewhere. What prevents food manufacturers from putting poison in their products? Government fines or the fact that if they kill off all their customers, there won't be anyone left to buy their products? Yes, there are businesses who are short sighted and will do whatever it takes to make a buck now at the expense of the consumer. The threat of being run out of business by the consumer spending their money elsewhere does more to deter this than any government regulation.

Just wow... I really do understand supply and demand...market share...profit margins and all that. I also understand greed.

Now excuse me while I go fill up my car with my .gov gas card.

Maybe I'll drive out a tank or two so big oil makes another record profit this quarter...

What raises our standard of living? Greed or government bureaucracy?
I'm sure you work for free out of the goodness of your heart because we need public servants. Or do you do so for your own personal greed? You know, to be able to pay your mortgage, utilities, and other bills? We have demonized greed and we are worse off for it. One person's desire to get rich drives him to produce something that others will pay him for. In that process, jobs are created and the standard of living improves. Instead, let's demonize John Galt and elevate James Taggart. Will we all be better off for doing so?

 

[bobzilla]

it's times like this that I'm glad the we bought the wife her little Turd. 38mpg on a car that cost us $2k 3 years ago is a good thing.

 

[hornadylnl]

it's times like this that I'm glad the we bought the wife her little Turd. 38mpg on a car that cost us $2k 3 years ago is a good thing.

I currently have a Buick LeSabre that gets roughtly 25mpg and a Dodge truck that gets 10-12 mpg. We drive the car as much as possible and only take the truck when it's necessary. Sure, I could buy a third vehicle to keep the truck parked much more than it currently is and save on gas. But how much am I really saving if I'm paying to title, plate, and insure a third vehicle?

I also ride a Harley and love all the comments about how much I must be saving gas riding it back and forth to work. Lessee, I get about 40 mpg out of it opposed to 25 mpg out of my car. I can buy a full set of 4 tires for my car for about $300 that lasts 50,000 miles, an oil change at the dealer for $20, etc. It costs me about $400 for a set of tires on my Harley. The rear is good for 10,000 miles and the front is good for 20,000 miles. I change my own oil on the bike and run synthetic. For 3.5 quarts of oil and a filter, it costs me $45. Now add in the fact that I have to run premium gas in at 20-30 cents higher, how much am I really saving?

 

[mikeplan14]

These prices are ridiculous

 

[bertenshaw]

I'm going to make all the people in the US feel a lot happier. Diesel (which I use) in the UK is £1.31 a litre. Thats £4.98 for a US gallon or £5.95 for an Imperial/UK gallon.
We pay $8.04 for the smaller US gallon. !!!!!!!!!!!! It's killing us 8>(
Petrol or Gas as you know it maybe 50c a gallon cheaper.

 

[indykid]

bertenshaw, how much of the cost of your petrol is taxes?

In the US, federal tax is 18 cents per gallon (all US figures), each state then adds a tax, which in Indiana is a flat 18 cents plus 7% as a sales tax or about another 18 cents per gallon US. Taxes on a gallon in Indiana amount for 54 cents with gasoline (petrol) at about $3.00 a gallon (again US).

What I am getting at is if we in the United States were taxed the same as Europe our gallon would also be around $8.00 US.

 

[bertenshaw]

Hi. It's about 70% if not more now. It's made up of VAT (value added tax ) and Duty (a tax on goods the government pretend they don't like you using too much of. Tobacco, booze and fuel are charged duty)