Gas Prices - June 2008

[Jeff_in_Atl]

I don't understand why people are blaming someone for making money. Making money has become a bad thing these days.

[Steel2686]

I will and you obviously will too. You go ahead and keep blaming the speculators and the sheiks and let me know how that works for you. Me, I am calling my congressman and senators and telling them to get off their a$$ and pass a bill to start drilling NOW. We'll see which method works. Well with the democrats in control neither will work.

I've gone this route. We'll see if enough pressure works. Unfortunately, we don't have the refineries to do much of anything with the oil once they drill. But drilling is a big start.

It's so infuriating how special interest groups control our government... In this case, the environmentalists.

[Bug Lover]

Capitalism works when there is "free trade".

Capitalism works best when there is TRUE "free trade". Thanks to import and export taxes and restrictions by other countries on importing U.S. products, we don't live in a TRUE free trade situation. Barring the removal of all those things, we are doing the best we can. In any situation, you have to work within the limits set forth, including capitalism. I don't necessarily agree with all the laws we have, but I do my best to work within the limits.

[Steel2686]

I don't understand why people are blaming someone for making money. Making money has become a bad thing these days.

It will always be a bad thing when making that much money (record profits) affects so many other people. They were making plenty of money before.

[BrdWAtti2d]

I don't understand why people are blaming someone for making money. Making money has become a bad thing these days.

If I go down to 7-11 and point a gun in the clerks face and take all his money I'm making money, that's a good thing right?

[Jeff_in_Atl]

I've gone this route. We'll see if enough pressure works. Unfortunately, we don't have the refineries to do much of anything with the oil once they drill. But drilling is a big start.

I heard Monday that some state has passed a bill to enable someone to come in and build a refinery there. Smart move by that state.

It's so infuriating how special interest groups control our government... In this case, the environmentalists.

Oh boy is that the truth. Politics are not the same as it was 150 years ago.

[Jeff_in_Atl]

If I go down to 7-11 and point a gun in the clerks face and take all his money I'm making money, that's a good thing right?

No you ar not. You are steeling it. And before you say it the speculators and investors are not steeling it either. They are working the system legally.

[Bug Lover]

I've gone this route. We'll see if enough pressure works. Unfortunately, we don't have the refineries to do much of anything with the oil once they drill. But drilling is a big start.

It's so infuriating how special interest groups control our government... In this case, the environmentalists.

We don't have refineries because of the environmentalists, too. We have allowed them to create laws that prevent companies from making improvements to the refineries or building new ones, without having to spend so much money that they have decided it isn't worth it. It's the same reason we don't have steel mills in the U.S. anymore.

[BrdWAtti2d]

And that's exactly where our opinions differ.... They are thieves and I truly hope they all get sucked into the chasm when their bubble bursts.

[Steel2686]

I heard Monday that some state has passed a bill to enable someone to come in and build a refinery there. Smart move by that state.

I didn't hear that. I hope that is the case. What a great move. Maybe that will add a little pressure on our side.

I watched a report a while back... Might have been a little over a year ago now... Anyway, it was about environmentalists and their reasoning for not allowing oil to be tapped into in Alaska. The case made for drilling was so strong, it even had positive effects to the environment in the proposed bill (endangered wildlife preservation around the drilling site... Constant monitoring of a given radius in the area, etc...).

The environmentalists didn't want to hear any of it.

[Steel2686]

We don't have refineries because of the environmentalists, too. We have allowed them to create laws that prevent companies from making improvements to the refineries or building new ones, without having to spend so much money that they have decided it isn't worth it. It's the same reason we don't have steel mills in the U.S. anymore.

Agreed. The special interest groups are going to be the downfall of this nation if it's allowed. Environmentalists certainly aren't the only ones, but in this case they are.

[BrdWAtti2d]

To quote Mr. Spock, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one". We have that bassackwards.

[Jeff_in_Atl]

And that's exactly where our opinions differ.... They are thieves and I truly hope they all get sucked into the chasm when their bubble bursts.

Like i said.

I don't understand why people are blaming someone for making money. Making money has become a bad thing these days.

So the next time you go to sell your car you need to sell it for $1 to someone because if you get any more for it you are making money and that is bad.

[BrdWAtti2d]

So it's ok for the speculators to rip us off but not OPEC or the oil companies?

[Jeff_in_Atl]

So it's ok for the speculators to rip us off but not OPEC or the oil companies?

That is not what I said at all. Not even close.
"Ripping us off" is nothing but a phrase to stir the hate emotions just like "greed" is. Speculators are there to make money to support their family just like you are. Besides they aren't the ones making the big dollars OPEC is.

OPEC is not a US entity therefore they are not subject to our laws. They are the ones making the big bucks.

The oil companies look like they are making huge profits but we all know that us corporations are pass through entities and the money they make gets passed on to the share holders. if you make $.01 per gallon and sell 1,000,000,000 gallons you made $10,000,000 which sounds like a lot but that money has to be divided up between the share holders and taxes and exploration and bla bla bla. My daughter has a couple of shares of Exxon-Mobil and a couple of shares of Hershey's stock. The dividends are about the same. So why is one company a criminal and one is not? Is it because you NEED one and not the other? OK so the new rule is if you are in a company that people need you can not make profit? WTF