Remember hearing that gas prices were going to drop in the $2 range for good. I believe that was close to the elections. Then (SURPRISE, SURPRISE) They gradually kept going up after the elections!

Now with the 2008 Election coming up and gas being almost 4 freaking dollars a gallon!!!! Do you think prices will go down right before the elections again, or do you think they will keep the prices high, so a Democrat can use that as leverage to get into office (assuming presidents arent "elected" but "selected").

And after hearing about Exxon's record profit, i dont wanna here the excuse "thats just supply and demand".

Well, I think that the oil companies are taking us for a ride on the price of gas as they continue to post monumental profits, of course they might be somewhat responsible for price gouging. However, I feel the real threat to the price of gas is going to come when Iran and Venezuela start demanding Euro instead of the American Dollar, much like Saddam had planned to do.

Once this happens, I think for sure we can be expecting the war with Iran.

Where are you getting that it's almost $4.00/gallon? I'm genuinely curious.

It's still $2.70's to $2.80's here. I just paid $2.79/gallon, and I thought that was wretched.

As to "the $2 range," I guess anything from $2.00 to $2.99 qualifies, unfortunately.

I'm sure, in the not too distant future, we'll be over $3.00/gallon.

PS - I'm in South Carolina.

I live in New Jersey, we have the lowest gas prices in the USA and all of our gas stations are Full Service. I wouldn't even know how to pump my own gas if my life depended on it.

My Theory Is that Gas will continue to go up, until its time to vote ( ) again in 2008.

[edit on 8-5-2007 by Where2Hide2006]

rm8471, I am in NW Arkansas, and gas is $2.88 a gal. That's getting close to going over the expected range.

The supply and demand part isn't as much about crude as it is about the refining capability. Refineries are not being built as fast as consumption is increasing. At least this is what is put out as the real problem. That seems to have been an oversight, on purpose I would think.

The big oil boys save the money of building refineries AND get to increase price at the same time. Makes money both ways. And all it costs is some kickback in slightly higher crude prices to the producers, and a neat little price fixing job is all done.

Then again, I'm just paranoid.

Its about 3.75 here for premium gas. So its pretty damn close to 4 bucks

The reasons change all the time... Katrina, refining capacity, false reports on a busy hurricane season, future trading, and increasing demand...At the same time, record breaking billion dollar profits. Okay... Even a 10 year old moron can tell whats going on if explained correctly (something our media doesn't do).

The thing that bothers me, is the other day the media (yep our so called fair and unbiased media, hahaha) basically took time to tell people that its a waste of time to boycott (ie those mass chain letter, boycott this day campaigns) gas stations, saying it would not effect pricing, um okay..

Why would the media do that? A boycott even for a day or two a week, would impact the demand, even for the shortterm (less people buying equals less demand, I mean come on now).. It was on multiple channels. Oh wait I forgot, we don't have a free and unbiased media anymore, thats right I need to remind myself this all the time...

Our media has become a joke, since when are Paris Hilton, The Queen, Kight Rider dude's lives our top news, esp with everything going on... Tabloid News is becoming our only news...

The other thing that pisses me off, are the oil and gas experts that come on, always telling us its the consumers fault this, or that. Expert and Industry Employee/Rep are not the same thing. Anytime I see an Expert spitting the basically same bs every year, I just change the channel... The smile on these experts faces and their suits should be an indictator of whats behind the scenes.

Consumers are partly to blame, and I say it partly. everytime I see a hummer with some douche bag driving on the highway, I slap myself. But honestly, Americans were painted in a corner, our demand is due to our lack of proper regulations on MPG (compared to Europe or Asian Countries and there MPG standards)...

The oil industry is dictating these demands, our politicians are in on it, duh (this is evident with the lowering of prices around elections), and theres really nothing we can do about it, but bitch and complain....

Really what could we do? Car Pool? haha Most people have horrible commutes because our nations road systems are the worst they've ever been, thus adding to the demand problems, due to the poor commute.

No. Not when I see new oil wells going in and old ones starting back up; where is all this oil going if refinery capacity is down? We're getting hosed.

U.S. "energy policy" is a loser at the gate, unless you're an oil company, then it's a winner.
Americans are refinancing existing homes (i.e. spending their equity/savings), taking out interest-only mortgages on new homes, taking out payday loans, to ease personal debt, which goes up with higher energy costs (not just in increased gas prices but in increases in food, heating, goods, etc. that depend on oil energy).

This continued borrowing to cover debt is truly a death spiral. And yet, after 9-11 we were told by the President to go shopping. Shopping might be good to make us feel better, but it can't take the place of a new energy policy to get us off an increasing demand for oil, especially oil that helped fund the terrorists.

Certainly, Tom Friedman isn't the only voice calling for America to become the world's leader in energy research and development. Folks, America as you know it is in crisis. A new way of thinking is required, or it's our last gasp, in gas fumes.

Lastly, the worst losers are the soldiers dead and maimed in Iraq. They fought for our "way of life", another way to say our increasing demand for oil.

I have a thought.
Last year about this time we were all told to not buy gas for one day. Well, the big boys just laughed at that because it inconvenienced the buyer more than created a problem for the sellers. I have an idea that might work.
Since Exxon/Mobil are the top 2 oil companies (now 1), if everyone was to stop fueling up at Exxon/Mobil (and their affiliates) stations and they weren't selling any gas because nobody was buying it, then THEY would lower their prices. A price war would ensue as the competitors who benefited during the "boycott" would want to keep their new-found customers and would accordingly drop their prices. We all have to have our cars and so we all have to buy gas but the BUYERS control the market NOT the sellers. Quit gasing up at the highest priced whores in the business and the rest of the "service stations" (I use the term in the equestrian sense) will start a price war for us and maybe we can get gas prices back down to 1.30/gallon.

Originally posted by hikix
Its about 3.75 here for premium gas. So its pretty damn close to 4 bucks

Its about that for REGULAR where I live.

As for gas going down, I don't know. I'm still trying to figure out why its so high now. Theres always some new excuse for the prices going up. Everyone bitches and complains and the prices go down for a little while until a refinery breaks down again or something stupid like that and its back to $20 a gallon

sigh

I live in New Mexico and pending on the station you can find it from $3.19-3.29 a gallon.

Here is how gas prices work:
They announce a problem: gas prices go up 10-20 cent, then a month later drop only half of that or less.
Every month they put the price up a couple of cent, usualy 8-13 cent at a time. Sometimes they will do this in larger numbers several times a month. The catch being they will "drop" prices during "major driving times" of the year, so people will THINK they are getting a bargain! "Hey look! Gas is down 20 cent a gallon! Lets hit the road!" Despite the fact it went up 50 cent in the last 4 months.

Screwed up? Yes. Logical? Yes. They will put the prices up, cut them back a tad, then skyrocket them up again. This is how they get away with it. Gas prices will NOT go down, only up.

Hellloooooo......
Price war, anyone? It is achievable/do-able and won't inconvenience we the buyers.

Never mind. I just checked out snopes.com and apparently this idea has been suggested (and repeatedly failed) for the past 6 years. *thumps self on head* Back to the drawing board. *sigh*

Doesn't anyone see a correlation with the oil industry's excuse for prices being demand matched up with the piss poor mpg standards for American Cars? Technically if we trace where the money comes from, we will see that the oil industry controls pricing, always keeping away from the noman land of Congress intervention and investigation.

If MPG matched up with the most progressive countries, our demand would be greatly reduced. Lobbyists fight for us to have horrible standards, and slow ass progression of said standards. Why? I already know the answer. Do you?

I don't know about your neck of the woods but Rhode Island's road systems are turning from bad to worse, currently the highlight being the closure of 95 from midnight to 6am for the next several months. I find that has to be considered, the poor road systems and resulting detours that always pop up, adds to the demand, it has to. There is no way bad road design and mapping doesn't. I mean, hell, I occasionally have to dodge potholes on the highways, whats happening here. Roads are going to #, and the price of gas goes up. Anyone see a correlation yet, considering taxes from gas are sometimes used for our road systems. Bad Roads equal more demand, which should equal higher payout from taxes on gas, supposedly in the end equaling better roads. It isn't happening.

It also doesn't help that our government (state and federal) wastes more gas, oil, and energy then most of the citzens. Just imagine how much energy our government uses in a day (state and federal), I have no numbers on it. Thats including everything from Airforce 1 to a humvee in Iraq. Just imagine.

Its just bs to put blame on the normal population, its scapegoating.

Originally posted by squidboy

Its just bs to put blame on the normal population, its scapegoating.

Thank you, i am thinking the same exact way. This administration apparently thinks we are "addicted to oil". The blame is always placed on us.

Its not just this administration..its all of the various administrations. They will keep us at the edge ..always striking out at a tangent to keep the public off balance. Not just on this issue but others too. Always the tangent never the bulls eye. This is just another manner of voicing what Squidboy is saying.

I will be taking my moped to work today though I have two cars and a truck. I try to keep them filled up most of the time but do not always drive them. My mopeds help tremendously in this ability. Alot of folks at work are switching to motorcycles. It is noticable.

If I ride alot I use up about 2.5 gallons of oil and gas mix in a week. I'm just paying the same per gallon as everyone else around here. I save my gas in my truck or car for large cargo loads at the grocery store or Home depot etc etc.
Currently the rate is about $3.08 per gallon here on the Chesapeake Bay of Virginia and locally here in the City of Hampton.

I have been thinkng it would go to $4.50 to $5.00 per gallon some three or more years back. I just did not specifically know the time table. Just that it would eventually drift in that direction but I actually thought it would happen sooner than it has to date.

One of my main concerns is what will happen to American Farmers dependent on fuel to plant and harvest. If they cannot plant and harvest the shelves will empty in the grocery stores. Not only that ..this country exports tremendous amounts of food to other countrys. These countrys will eventually go hungry and on the move to get food. Wars have begun from these motives.

The key would be not purchasing gasoline for some two weeks or more. Failing that..to reduce our need drastically. This is just to unfeasable for most of us with our family and work commitments.

Car pooling will help with some of us but for others work reqiurements often dictate we cannot follow this pattern. Some of us are essential personel and must show up early negating the abilitiy to car pool.

The politicians and oil companys are counting on this to keep us off balance. It is up to us to structure or restructure our lives to make this happen. I have been doing this for years. It just works out well for me on my moped as I only must go some 8 miles to work one way.

Dont allow yourself to be deluded here...both political partys are counting on keeping the public on the dependency strings. There is no difference in them here no matter what is the party line being spewed out today.

Politics is economics is keeping you and me on the strings. Think it through and think your way out of it.

It is up to you and me to change our thinking and habits and cut the strings.

Thanks,
Orangetom

Well, how to get the price down:
1. Reduce. Pain in the butt, not everyone will do it and it could backfire in higher costs to keep profits up.
2. Pettition. Not to boycott purchases, but to the politicians. State very clearly and plainly that you hold them responsible and unless the price goes down and stays down you will make it your mission that they will not only never get your vote, but that you will activelu campaign that they get no one's vote. They can talk all they want but when your efforts gain support, they will work a little harder.
3. Quit. Go absolutely cold turkey, find some land and go totally off the grid. The Grizzly Adams solution works, but man does it have drawbacks.
4. War. Destroy every gas station and refinery you can find. Now of course you will only make it worse on the rest of us but violent revenge does feel so good on a personal level.

All fun aside, the oil companies profit off of a percentage. I think that their margin is actually 6%, but let's use 5% for the easy math. At one dollar it is 5 cents, 2 dollars is 10 cents...now that we are pushing 35 cents a gallon record breaking proffits are understandable as 350% price increase over the past 7 years is raking in a 700% profit per gallon. Now add in the increase of consumption of gallons and it is money hand over fist. Federal taxes have remained the same 41 cents per gallon. No wonder the roads are falling apart even if every dime went to road upkeep.

Think 6% profit margin is too high? Restaurant mark ups are in the 33-40% range, which yields about a 10-12% profit margin. How much was a Big Mac 10 years ago, a dollar, $1.50? No wonder that clown is always happy. But in fairness there is less price fluctuation in mass produced burgers.

The price of gasoline will continue to rise until consumption declines to the point where supply exceeds demand.

For your consideration:

year average cost/gal consumption (1,000s barrels/day)

2002 1.44 8.85
2003 1.63 8.93
2004 1.92 9.10
2005 2.33 9.15

As with all commodities cost always rises with demand. I'm not sure to what extent US military gasoline usage adds to the consumption figures but the bottom line is that gasoline prices will continue to rise until the cost becomes prohibitive of usage.

Anyone who supports "green living" should support even higher prices to promote conservation.

[edit on 5/30/2007 by darkbluesky]

Hey, I wanted to add, that the other day (I can't remember if it was on 60 minutes, or the Lehrer News hour on PBS???) but anyway, it was an interview with George Soros (the billionaire) and when asked what he thought gas was going to do, he said he saw the run on oil as a bubble that sort of came about as money shifted from other investments like housing and such over to oil...( was only partly paying attention so forgive me on my inaccuracy and lack of definite reference point) He did say he thought it would drop significantly in the near future.

I hope he's right, for the sake of everyone who is spending so much for transportation.

Nevertheless, it might be a good thing too if it gets people to move closer to work where they can walk / bike or use the public transport. This thing has been coming' for a long time with the way modern society burns oil like there's no tomorrow. Even if Sorros is correct and it goes down, you know as well as I do that it's just a matter of time before it goes way up again soaring to new heights...

I think we need to insulate our selves now and plan ahead. Seriously consider living within walking distance of the work place and a viable market place to shop. Also plant a garden and buy solar panels and/or a windmill if possible. Insulate your water heaters if not already. Think about weatherproofing the windows. Get rid of all incandescent light bulbs and replace them ALL with compact florescent or LEDs...get used to the changes early so when it does finally get really freakin' bad, it won't be such a shocker...

Best of luck everybody!