Gas Prices

After reading a thread in the General Forum, I figured I'd post my comments about gas prices here. First of all, gas prices aren't going up this time because of a shortage of oil or Iraq. They are going up because an additive used in gas, methanol, is being replaced by ethanol. The difference is ethanol is much cleaner than methanol. The problem is while the big oil companies new this was coming for over a year, instead of gearing up for it tried to get congress to postpone the law requiring this conversion. So once again we are at the mercy of refineries for our gas, which has been the biggest factor in high gas prices over the last year and a half (not so much a lack of oil). There are refineries out there that have been shut down for years and the big oil companies have fought to keep them that way. Those refineries need to be re-opened and new refineries need to be built. The only way that will happen is if there is much better oversite from our leaders in Congress as well as a president who is more inline with the common people (all of US ;D ) Of course the best sollution would be to SERIOUSLY work on development and deployment of alternative ways to move us from point A to point B. Instead of treating the idea of moving away from oil as just some fun little experiment. So should we blame Bush.... Sure, I feel he get's a little, but then again so does congress as well as the greedy SOBs running the oil companies. And maybe we get a little of the blame too.... For not electing leaders (or stepping up to the plate ourselves) who will address and work through the issues that effect our daily lives....

Just my .02 :-/

Hmmm..... That's it, I'm running for office!!!...Anyone wanna vote for a grumpy telephone man ::) :P ;D

I promise to fix it all!!! ::)

[willy]

You got my vote Jeff
It is very true what you said, mostly about the stepping up to the plate.
Our elderly population was raised in an atmosphere of voting by party line. Will vote republican or democrat because that is their family way or whatever.
Because of that we have billionairs in office that are as far removed from us as we are from amphibians. Come to think about it that is a perfect analogy.
If we all voted by looking at all the candidates and picked the one we thought would really do the right things and that was our only consideration this country would turn around in a decade ;)

[labii]

You are both so right....

[bigshrimpin]

GW's Budget only alotted $150 million for research on cellulosic ethanol . . . that's nothing!!! compare that to MS's 84million dollar investment in PEIX. Frankly I think this illustrates that GW's priorities aren't for making the ethanol research and production any less expensive. That money sure isn't going to help a whole lot for something that going to make up 10% of our fuel.

Oh well . . . I put my money on ADM and PEIX a while back. I sure hope they suceed in bringing us some less expensive boating fuel.

[parishht]

8)

Gotta agree with all the statements above.

Especially the part of older folks and who they vote for.
When my mother in law was asked why Bush?
her answer hes a nice looking man,
father in law said I don't agree with all of Bush's policies,
but we are in war time and we must stay the course.

Frustrating as hell dealing with the oldsters.

[macojoe]

We are not given fare choices for who runs for prez!!

The only ones that make it to the point were they are running are the ones that have agreed to help big business in some way !!

Then from there on the couple we all come to love or hate, are the finial pick of big business and what the MEDIA wants us to see!!

We do not pick the prez, the Media and Corporate America hand pick them for us and we have to figure out who will be the better Crook!!!

[chitbob1]

Macojoe you took the words right ouy of my mouth

[TheTinMan]

I'm not sold on the Ethanol theory. Crude oil is up to almost $68/barrel!, before Eth is even added. Eth has some effect on the price increase but not that much, IMO.

Crude oil prices are set by OPEC. The countries that make up OPEC are: Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Libya, UAE and Venezuela. Iran has outright threatened us to leave them alone on their Nuclear program or "we will pay". Venezuela has it in for Bush. Sadly, the US is pretty much hated around the globe right now. The greedieness of the oil companies doesn't help either.

[macojoe]

Listen we tell everyone we are the richest, most powerful, and almighty!!

Any other country you talk to all pay Thur the a$$ for gas!! Singapore is $5 a gal (I know some one there) Ask others, Brazil pays over $4 and the list goes on and on!!

Its time for the richest almighty country to pay there fare share!!

When you boast you are the best then you have to pay like the best!!

Suck it up boys and girls!! Its here to stay!

Brother Tin,
I was starting to think that I was ill-informed, now I realize just how little I understand the oil biz as it's crazy. Your right about the price of crude going through the roof, but it seems that that is being blamed on the shortfall of our refineries ??? I would think if our refineries couldn't keep up, crude would remain the same or fall a little, since we wouldn't be able to consume any more than what we already are :-/ But then I found this:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/04/...berg/bxcom.php

So now I'm at a loss as to understanding why crude oil prices are going up even though we can't consume anymore than we already are and there doesn't seem to be a shortage of it :-[ It's easy to see why gas prices are rising (in the short term), but why does it effect the crude oil ???

Is there a professor of economics around ???

I think I'll retract my bid for election now, since I feel too stupid to run ;D