Are You Upset About High Gas Prices?

Much of the oil is owned by governments. Foreign governments: Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela, Iran, Iraq, etc. Their 'stockholders' do not have our best interests in mind, and do not pay taxes to our government.

Considering that much of the profit goes to some government already, I'd prefer our government collect a better share of it.

 

I don't think the Fed has the authority to print money. Those orders come or at least approval of such actions comes from higher up, I could be wrong. In any case one result of printing more money such as the 600 billion printer up about a year or so ago is to jump start the market. That money had to go somewhere and IMHO most of it went into Wall Street. The most immediate effect was to raise the market and create investor/consumer confidence. It's second effect will probably be inflation, already happening, it remains to be seen if it was a good move or not but history doesn't hold out much hope.

That's my best shot so far!


Ahhh, well this isn't my shot but after leaving this thread and scanning Google News I found this . . .

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/24/business/economy/24fed.html?_r=1

I think we are about ready to experience the same thing that happened with Roosvelt's attempt to spend America out of the "Great Depression" why we couldn't have learn the lesson that spending your way out of an economic downturn doesn't work the first time is beyond me. Especially, if you consider the fact that other countries have tried the same thing, notable Japan, and have suffered the same results, i.e. a long draw out period of high unemployment and a stagnate market.

 

I hear you, thanks for the reply.

 

How about we fund clean energy by drilling here? We have enough oil and other energy reserves to do so. That way we put people to work who pay taxes. Corporations in America get the money we normally send to the Middle East and to other countries that don't like us. I think this would have a three fold benefit of fixing the economy, keeping money away from terrorist and increasing revenue to the government which could pay down debt and reduce the deficit. Sweetness.

 

For California it's .49 cents per gallon state tax and .18 cents per gallon tax Federal. Distribution Costs, Marketing Costs and Profits is .13 cents. But that's California we do things a bit differently here! LoL!

Estimated Gasoline Price Breakdown & Margins Details

 

That is a completely different argument. Instead of drilling more at all, just reduce. Easiest way to reduce, is to price it higher.

 

We need money and the economy to grow so that we can convert over to clean energy.

 

Again:
Known US oil reserves: 21 Billion Barrels.
US consumption: 21 Million Barrels per day.
Time to empty: 1000 days.

 

The fundamental problem is an unsustainable system. At present, our rather cushy standard of living is based on cheap energy. It's been a good ride, but now our cheap energy is coming to an end. What does this mean? It means we have two options: 1) Learn to live with less energy, or 2) Find another source of cheap energy. The two options are not mutually exclusive.

Tom

 

Not really. I take the bus to work anyway.

 

Very upset, because the pump price does not include:
- billions of dollars per year in exploration and production tax credits and other subsidies for an industry that makes billions in profits
- external costs to society such as the effects of pollution and distortions of foreign policy
- taxes sufficient to support transit and adequate highway maintenance (increasing them by $1 per gallon might be enough)

Correct all the above and US gas would be about $7 per gallon. I would happily pay that much now for artificial carbon-neutral gasoline.

 

Well,

It would not be clean energy.

The way to do it is to tax imported oil to the point that domestic oil has a big benefit, and thus all the extra-ordinary techniques to find and pump our domestic oil are competitive in the market place.

This results in an increase in oil at the retail level, however. Ready for $5 / ga ? More ? Probably worth it to deny funds to terrorists. But, it would not go down well politically.

 

Japan, obviously going through a crisis, just had multiple polls that show between 58% and 70% of the Japanese public are for increased taxes to pay for their problems. A society that when something goes wrong, they all chip in and help eachother out.

It seems silly that even posing the idea of tax hikes is considered political suicide in the states. It needs to be done. Whether it be by closing tax loopholes or just raising the base rate, or both.

 

(Hopefully a constructive shot.) The serious difference here is that the problem is mostly at the individual level, not the government level. What if this "Manhattan Type Project" were to succeed? I could easily see where super cheap energy would have the larger population driving vehicles that makes the hummer look small.

Or stated differently, is our energy problem the result of too little available energy or the unrestrained desire to have more than the other guy if we can get it? Most all of the complaints are focused on having the government return us to the previous lifestyle we mistakenly took as a "right".

 

...and yet, I still have big-a$$ed SUVs and jacked-up trucks flying around me on the streets and highway, jamming their gas to jump ahead of me so they can slam on their brakes at the stoplight or turn off half a block away.

Gas prices aren't high enough until people "get it"... saving fuel is worth a lot more than cheap fuel.

 

FL Prius Driver - I appreciate your "shot."

I suppose I have no "hang-up" about the life style of others .... I do not resent people that drive big a$$ed SUV's or trucks ... or live in large homes, own boats or take vacations. It has never been my interest to say .. you cannot have that.

What I would hope is that through technology, all vehicles could become more efficient, more environment friendly, safer, and etc. In all probability, an EV, but (I think we are talking about cold fusion) I hope the science can solve the problems so we can all enjoy cleaner energy, and apply that energy in ways to enable us all to improve our quality of life .. without destroying someone elses.

BTW, I do not own a boat, and I live in a townhouse.

 

What should I say - paying 1.55€/L - 8-9$/gal....

 

What I meant by government programs was either to fund highway maintenance/improvements or alternate energy sources. Something other than corporate profits. If we have to have high gas prices put it to good public use.

I do not know about your state but NC gas tax is fixed and does not rise with the price of gas. As a matter of fact, NC complains about the rise in price because people consume less and there is less tax income.

 

I wonder how many of those people know that driving fast means using more fuel...

 

There was an article in my local newspaper today about the "proposed" new CAFE standards for future vehicles. The domestic automakers were trying to stall the idea of a 62+ MPG rating by 2025; The CEO of Toyota essentially said "eh, we can meet that with no problem".

I personally think that the American public will be demanding better mileage vehicles by then. I usually go to the Auto Show each year and am astounded by the crappy MPG posted by all of the "new and improved" vehicles.