OP/ED: Outrageous Gas Prices Going to Get Worse...

As gas prices continue to rise, I begin to wonder if we will ever go back to the prices we once had approximately 5 years ago. I believe we were told that prices would normalize once the Iraqi conflict was over. And I distinctly remember being told that Operation Iraqi Freedom was declared as mission accomplished. But now that we have control of Iraqs oil fields, I also wonder why we are supposedly having an oil import problem.

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Fast-rising gas prices set records in 2 states

"The climb has put both the government and private groups on alert for price gouging. The Department of Energy said in a statement Tuesday that "spikes in gasoline prices are always of concern and something the Department of Energy monitors very closely."

Will anything actually be done about this? I doubt it. Any time a problem like this arises that affects people nationwide we hear about it on the news for a few weeks, the appropriate departments say a few words and that becomes the end of it.

This is just another example of a few things.

1: On how dependant we are on oil and how easily this country could be brought to its knees because of this dependancy.

2: How easily Americans are robbed of their money and basically held hostage by companies that supply an essential commodity.

How long will it continue and how much higher must the prices rise before something is actually done to atleast curb, if not eliminate this problem?

I honestly can't see this country getting this proverbial monkey of our back until we absolutely have to.

It's not like we will be able to affect the opinions of those in office that are so easily swayed by corporations and special interests. The actual ones that create policy...

[Edited on 13-3-2004 by Nerdling]

[Edited on 4-9-2004 by Valhall]

It's crazy, man. When I was in Italy, the gas was 1 euro per liter!!!

It's nuts. 1 euro is about $1.20. For a stinking liter!!!
Aaaarrrrggggghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!


Mr. M

I just came back from a trip to Germany, and it's funny how CNN is reporting about the "gas crisis" in the US, while prices across europe are easily 3 times higher. Get over it.... what we should start doing is buying more fuel efficient cars. How about diesel anyone? I drove around some pretty nice TDI cars from BMW and Mercedes among others. I drove at 150mph getting 40mpg.....

I agree on the SUV factor. Fuel efficiency plays a part, but there are some differences, they have free health care and very low auto insurance compared to the US. We have ridiculously priced auto insurance and ridiculously priced health care.


And I agree that driving on the Autobahn rocks! I love driving there.

[Edited on 10-4-2004 by Facefirst]

Gas prices......

Isnt there a $0.35 tax on every gallon? At least as an average? What about all the thousands of regions that have different requirements of fuel requiring different refining methods with different set up times and such?

There are many things that we as a country could do to reduce the cost of fuel. Starting by attacking the current tax system. Its not the Bush administration that does this. Its the government. Until we get all those people out of offive like Ted Kennedy and Tom Dasshole (whoops, spelling), we will have high taxes on everything.

[Edited on 4/10/2004 by Seapeople]

It does'nt matter right now if supply of crude is increased because of a shortage of refinery capacity in the U.S. Gasoline stocks will remain low and pricing will remain high and yes state and federal tax does'nt help the problem, In Georgia I'm paying $1.58 a gallon while in California I've seen prices past $2.20 gallon, thats taxes and transportation differences between regions- but mainly taxes.

eeek its about 1.80 here in Michigan... I already have to pay tons of gas money to my ride... ... looks like I'm riding my bike for the next few weeks....

my two cents on this, the high gas prices in the US are partly caused by Just In Time inventory systems of the oil companies here and by OPEC. The oil companies reduced their inventories on purpose so that they could make more profit (less inventory makes the price go up). The other reason I believe (OPEC) is that I read (possibly Businessweek) that they decided that the oil consuming countries could support a higher price without it affecting us too much. I still do not like paying more.

However when you take into account inflation, the peak price of a gallon of gas here in the US would be about $2.85 a gallon reached in the 80's (inflation adjusted) compared to somewhere around $1.78 a gallon average now. I'm not hearing lots of fussing or plans to cancel trips or anything of that nature so far either. I did hear of one email chain letter asking to boycott the biggest oil company to drive down gas prices.

Did you ever notice that when OPEC raises prices or the price of oil jumps, the price at the pump goes up immediately but the same can not be said about when oil crude prices drop. It usually takes awhile before the price at the pump goes down. More profit for the oil companies at our expense.

Gasoline tops $2.00 a gallon!!

www.cnn.com...

In the UK, gasoline prices are absolutely astronomical.

I remember a few years ago when here in the `States, they (however briefly) fell below $1.00/gallon. This is maybe mid-1998 or so? It was during the Cliton Administration, at least, the second half of it.

Now, though...Around where I live, regular (aka, "the cheap stuff") is about 2.15/gallon. I drive a little fuel-efficient car, so it's about thirty dollars to fill it up every ten days or so...
I honestly can't imagine driving something that gets sub-15 miles to the gallon (which, to be frank, is the majority of the vehicles where I live).
Truth is, though, they won't get better: People vote with their wallets. People will drive these cars until they, without a doubt, can no longer afford them. That's the only time that gas usage will change. My guess is, gas will have to get about 3.50 / gallon before we start seeing a major shift towards more fuel-efficient cars.

The gas itself being higher I can deal with. I can suck up an extra $5 on the fill up, no problem.

My big concern is that everything else goes up in price lockstep with the gas! Adjusted for inflation, groceries are predicted to hit their highest prices in over 50 years here in the US in the very near future.

I just paid $2.12 at the pump here in Florida, along the turnpike. Man, that hit hard! I'd been expecting $1.90.

my poor 1970 cougar with a 425 hp big block sits in the drive way. I'm at the point I'm riding my vf700 to work in the rain.. at least it runs on rice.....cheap stuff here (upper indiana) is $2.00

[Edited on 18-5-2004 by deadcatsrule]

LOL ya i own 2 trucks, 1 v8 and a v6.....gas around here is about 90 cents per litre. i have a 60L and 80L tank....do the math