Who Do You Blame For High Gas Prices

I had to laugh when I read this.
There are a lot of people/groups I’d blame,…. Putin is pretty low on the list.

www.yahoo.com...

Most Americans blame Vladimir Putin, oil companies for high gas prices: POLL

I also have a good memory and know our prices were skyrocketing before anything happened over there, but nice try, nice try!

So let’s hear it, who do you blame?

a reply to: JAGStorm

ask Lumenari, she knows.

a reply to: JAGStorm

On a somewhat related note. There is a gas station by me that I can’t stand. This place has had zero competition. They have been gouging people and providing horrible customer service since inception. The problem is that they were so centrally located it was hard not to go there. Like I said zero competition. They were able to grease some palms and stop any new construction for the longest time.

Well, as you know times change and so do local politicians. There is a new gas station going in right across from it. I am dying laughing. The new place will pretty much wipe this place off the map.

I know everyone is all like “support mom n’ pops.” My question is, what if the mom and pop is a horrible business?
It is very rare that I cheer for a corporate place over a local one, but in this case it will be significantly better for the area, the people. Of course there were people crying oh’ the mom and pops la la la. GUESS What, nobody is holding a gun to your head. If you want to buy from the mom and pop, do it, spend more money there for worse service!!!

a reply to: JAGStorm

Gas prices here started to rise right after lockdown ended and the factories reopened, the culprit was that we didn't have enough storage.

a reply to: JAGStorm

Half the problem is market speculation.

a reply to: JAGStorm

It's a combination of issues and not just one factor as the primary driver.

a reply to: JAGStorm

It's not a single cause
Drilling permits
Transportation costs
Supply at market
Taxes
Political policies
Wars

All those things and some others effect the people assigned to buy and sell oil. Those speculators set the prices and Biden made them nervous.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: JAGStorm

It's a combination of issues and not just one factor as the primary driver.

Of course it is, but as Americans we want to blame someone, it makes us feel better.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
Of course it is, but as Americans we want to blame someone, it makes us feel better.

That's because nitwits are trying to one up the other team.

What a redundant question, I always blame the ones on the diametrically opposed political side. It's really easy, saves you a lot of thinking, you should try it on occasion...

originally posted by: JAGStorm
They have been gouging people and providing horrible customer service since inception.

My question is, what if the mom and pop is a horrible business?

Drive by?

I blame progressive oriented policies over the past 40 years that have constrained US supply. We are too dependent on OPEC countries when we can produce enough to have competitive prices and supply ourselves.

Current gas prices started rising as soon as Biden was put into office. Putin is only a small part of the price increase. The left does not encourage production and companies are not going to invest and continue to produce when the powers in office are openly hostile to the industry.

There hasn't been a refinery built in the US in like 40 years.

The left likes high gas prices because they think it will push people to electric cars. They are also ignorant about all the other things that are made with hydrocarbons.

a reply to: JAGStorm

There was this Circle K near where I live, had been there for at least 30 years. The owners and help were great. Then, a Valero was built almost next to the Circle K, nice big gas station. Word quickly got around that it was owned by a communist and almost no one gave them their business. Eventually Valero folded and sold to Circle K for pennies on the dollar. I love our new Circle K, thanks Valero!

originally posted by: JAGStorm
a reply to: JAGStorm

On a somewhat related note. There is a gas station by me that I can’t stand. This place has had zero competition. They have been gouging people and providing horrible customer service since inception. The problem is that they were so centrally located it was hard not to go there. Like I said zero competition. They were able to grease some palms and stop any new construction for the longest time.

Well, as you know times change and so do local politicians. There is a new gas station going in right across from it. I am dying laughing. The new place will pretty much wipe this place off the map.

I know everyone is all like “support mom n’ pops.” My question is, what if the mom and pop is a horrible business?
It is very rare that I cheer for a corporate place over a local one, but in this case it will be significantly better for the area, the people. Of course there were people crying oh’ the mom and pops la la la. GUESS What, nobody is holding a gun to your head. If you want to buy from the mom and pop, do it, spend more money there for worse service!!!

Competition always lowers prices. Any gas station that is the only one is going have higher prices.

Here is a tip though... Gas is a wholesale product. Mom & Pops buy their gas from distributors/jobbers. In most cases, the Mom& Pop is selling the same gas as the name brand across the street. So you can absolutely save a few pennies a gallon going to Joe Gas station instead of the Shell/BP/Chevron station. It is the same gas.

Gas at the pump though is very low margin though. The station is only making a few cents on it.

originally posted by: Alien Abduct
a reply to: JAGStorm

There was this Circle K near where I live, had been there for at least 30 years. The owners and help were great. Then, a Valero was built almost next to the Circle K, nice big gas station. Word quickly got around that it was owned by a communist and almost no one gave them their business. Eventually Valero folded and sold to Circle K for pennies on the dollar. I love our new Circle K, thanks Valero!

Except for the fact the Circle K was probably already selling Valero gas...

a reply to: Edumakated

The left likes high gas prices because they think it will push people to electric cars. They are also ignorant about all the other things that are made with hydrocarbons.

I have to agree with you. I wouldn’t just say the left though.
I’ll give you a perfect example. There is this cleaning cloth called Norwex. People go ga ga over this crap, because it is recycled, good for the environment blah blah blah. In the end it is made from plastics, it probably contributes to micro plastics in the ocean.

Same with cloth reusable grocery bags. The water, dye, bleach, that it takes to make them is much worse for the environment than paper bags and I hate to say it, but probably even plastic bags. Cloth bags require frequent washing to prevent ecoli too.

originally posted by: Edumakated
There hasn't been a refinery built in the US in like 40 years.

Not a large one, there are smaller refineries that have been built but they primarily focus on non-gasoline distillates.

originally posted by: JAGStorm

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: JAGStorm

It's a combination of issues and not just one factor as the primary driver.

Of course it is, but as Americans we want to blame someone, it makes us feel better.

Well that's because people besides us are responsible.

My wife.

She blames everything on me.
This time im switching it up.

a reply to: JAGStorm
Firstly, le me say when the corporate gas station has undercut the mom and pops station and put it out of business then you'll see the corporate place hike their prices.
A nice serious question :- before the hikes how could suppliers sell you gas at the lower price? There was no shortage at the wells, there was no shortage at the depots, you could bring in (because of the Rona) scarce deliveries but not enough to create the situation they portray? So why the hike? Because they can.