1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Gasoline could drop 50 cents/gallon by spring

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by malorn, Feb 7, 2008.

  1. malorn

    malorn Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2005
    4,281
    59
    0
    Location:
    "Somewhere in Flyover Country"
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    We all have a self-interest in seeing gas prices drop, other than Al Gore and co. The spike in gas prices was the result of the plunging in the value of the dollar and the ability for over-speculation which was changed in late june. It had little to do with supply and demand.
    As for my selling irresponsible glutonous vehicles, I sell nothing as glutonous as the Lexus large SUV's and in fact sell the best mileage vehicle in the segments represnting over 80% of the volume sold in the US.
    The US economy can not withstand failures of the magnitude of GM and Ford without disintigrating into chaos, just one example, GM is the largest private provider of health care in the world.
     
  2. dogfriend

    dogfriend Human - Animal Hybrid

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2007
    7,512
    1,185
    0
    Location:
    Carmichael, CA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    GM is an HMO? Who knew?
     
  3. Darwood

    Darwood Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2005
    5,259
    268
    1
    Location:
    Minnesota
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    And ONCE AGAIN...we need to remind Forelorn Malorn that this is not a Toyota chat forum and none of us here are cheerleders for the Lexus large SUV or the Tundra or the crap your selling. This is a Prius forum. The Prius is the lowest consuming vehicle that we can buy (not inlcuding the NEVs that are impractical for family use or the TESLA we can't afford). If and when GM comes up with something that beats it, many of us will switch over. (Unless we find we have to buy it from a prick that blames his own target market for every bad thing that happens in the country).
     
  4. TJandGENESIS

    TJandGENESIS Are We Having Fun Yet?

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2005
    5,299
    47
    0
    Location:
    ★Lewisville, part of the Metroplex, Dallas, in the
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
  5. dogfriend

    dogfriend Human - Animal Hybrid

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2007
    7,512
    1,185
    0
    Location:
    Carmichael, CA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Yes, I think if you go back about 20 pages or so in this thread, I made a similar post; I wish Malorn was right, because the high price of fuel is part of our economic woes that we are seeing now. But I don't think the price of fuel will drop substantially even with the economy in the toilet.
     
  6. thepolarcrew

    thepolarcrew Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 17, 2008
    4,426
    271
    0
    Location:
    North Dakota
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    The Arabs have us between Iraq and a hard spot (Pakistan).

    The whole time exercising their economic will by speculating with sovereign funds to help drive the market.

    Now the market drops and they cut production to drive up the price.

    When are people going to wake up.

    Especially those calling for $10 gas a while back. Now a lot of them are on the flip side begging for cheaper fuel and they still don't want to drill to plug the gap until we can get more alternatives on line.

    I see an other 30 years of Carter influence coming if Obama is elected. Half of his advisers are from the Carter admin.

    By the time this wreck clears it will be 10 years, another 10 to wake up and 10 to get some production on line.

    I just love those liberals.
     
  7. malorn

    malorn Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2005
    4,281
    59
    0
    Location:
    "Somewhere in Flyover Country"
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    You do know what I really mean, right?
     
  8. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2007
    10,664
    567
    0
    Location:
    Adelaide South Australia
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Yes, that GM in its typical fashion made a decision years ago, ignoring trends(that people were living longer), which it thought would be cheaper in the short term. To provide life time health benefits to its long serving staff rather than a wage increase(which they would have paid from current production not future production).

    This isn't unlike how they chose to ignore that oil is a finite resource and promote the giant gas guzzler as its main stay rather than put its efforts into developing and promoting more efficient vehicles. Cheaper in the short term but it has/will come back to bite it on the arse.

    Sad isn't it?
     
  9. PriusSport

    PriusSport senior member

    Joined:
    May 20, 2008
    1,498
    88
    0
    Location:
    SE PA
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    If anyone didn't think the price of oil was hyperinflated by speculation--and had nothing to do with real supply-demand--you know better now. Somebody broke the bubble, and oil prices fell like a rock. And, oh yes, off-shore drilling was a giant red herring--in terms of the speculation problem.

    Now, about the stock market craziness. Just spoke to my banker about it. We agree it's all irrational, and not connected with the government's efforts to restore credit in a financially mismanaged system. Contrary to media reports, this aggrevates the economy, but is not decisive unless credit is frozen to businesses and consumers. That's what the bailout is all about.Keep the credit going.

    The stock market pullout is a pure fear response--out of ignorance of the true issues. Bush should go on TV and tell the market investors to stay put--DON'T SELL--it only makes matters worse. But we all know by now that Bush is no leader, so don't expect it.

    You only lose money when you sell. And prices right now are way below fundamentals.American business outside of finance is still very strong. You can damage it and yourself by melting the stock market down to nothing. Remember, you only lose money when you sell. Don't sell. That's the patriotic thing to do, as well.
     
  10. Darwood

    Darwood Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2005
    5,259
    268
    1
    Location:
    Minnesota
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    "Especially those calling for $10 gas a while back. Now a lot of them are on the flip side begging for cheaper fuel and they still don't want to drill to plug the gap until we can get more alternatives on line. "

    Your party has been doing it's best to STIFLE alternatives since they were first discussed BY CARTER. The only difference now, is they finally acknowledge the need for alternatives. Yet, they still won't support them and stick to the "drill, baby, drill" mantra. They still fight against mass transit in favor of "More roads!". They still favor spending trillions securing oil access and mere millions to "research" alternatives. The only way to extend credits for solar and wind was to tack it onto a save Wall Streets nice person bailout bill. Lovely. Great leadership from the oil companies... er, I mean republicans.
     
  11. Darwood

    Darwood Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2005
    5,259
    268
    1
    Location:
    Minnesota
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    "Somebody broke the bubble, and oil prices fell like a rock. And, oh yes, off-shore drilling was a giant red herring--in terms of the speculation problem. "

    The drop in oil now is speculative as well! As in, speculation that a massive worldwide recession is going to kill demand and maybe we DO have enough oil to go around for a little while longer.
     
  12. malorn

    malorn Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2005
    4,281
    59
    0
    Location:
    "Somewhere in Flyover Country"
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Maybe we DO have enough oil to go around for awhile? You have been reading far too much peak oil propaganda.
     
  13. thepolarcrew

    thepolarcrew Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 17, 2008
    4,426
    271
    0
    Location:
    North Dakota
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Ah, I live in a state that exports oil. We export coal of various types. We export food. We have a banking system that's in the black and solvent.

    We have 2 democratic senators and our member of the house is a Democrat. So if you are saying my party is to blame I guess it is part of the DC problem.

    And isn't it Obama who wants to stuff a bunch of money into infrastructure to get employment and the economy going? Oh ya, that was until the meltdown which started during the Carter Admin, deregulation, Iran hostages, birth of bin Laden.

    Every winter I get rippled so you folks in the Min area can heat your houses while it cost me more. Off of coal no less. What are you doing with your nuclear waste.

    Sitting on it!!!!!!

    Oh, and I almost for got my Minnesota friend, we are running a Billion dollar surplus with a population of just over 600,000 people. I'll bet your running in the red. Talk about red herrings.
     
  14. ctbering

    ctbering Rambling Man

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2008
    1,650
    123
    5
    Location:
    Chicago Illinois
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    If the price per barrel dropped almost 50% when the price of a gallon was over $4.00 per gallon, why should we wait until spring for the gas pumps to catch up? Technically, we should be at $2.00 a gallon NOW! Besides, as a Prius owner I would love to see the price per gallon drop just like the gas guzzlin hog SUV owners. My concern would be the emphasis on alternative energy sources would take a back seat...I think most Prius owners are into the car for other reasons than just the gas prices.
     
  15. thepolarcrew

    thepolarcrew Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 17, 2008
    4,426
    271
    0
    Location:
    North Dakota
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    I honestly don't see alternatives going away unless our youth and middle aged are brain dead.

    My kids are young and this has had a positive impact (price of gas) and our Prius vs the gas hogs they talk about every day.

    We go some where and and it's all the kids talk about. "You have a Prius? So cool"

    Now the economic meltdown and a lesson or two or four and maybe the US will be like it was in the past as far as cooperating with our neighbors. Home side that is.

    The Arabs are going to do all they can to drive up the price. It cost lots of money to finance terrorist infrastructures.
     
  16. dogfriend

    dogfriend Human - Animal Hybrid

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2007
    7,512
    1,185
    0
    Location:
    Carmichael, CA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    I'm guessing that you meant that GM provides health insurance for its workers, but that isn't what you wrote.
     
  17. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2004
    14,487
    1,518
    0
    Location:
    Spokane, WA
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Not me. I've been calling for a greatly increased gas tax ($10/gal sounds okay, though I think I might have suggested $15) with the money to be put into building sustainable energy infrastructure (solar, wind, etc). I still want that.

    But regardless of what anybody wants, gas prices will continue to trend upwards. Sure, there will be drops from time to time. Markets always jig-jag up and down. But the trend is up, for two reasons: 1. supply, and 2. demand. Supply is going nowhere but down as remaining oil reserves get more and more expensive to extract. And demand is going nowhere but up as China and India industrialize. The depression is cutting demand at home, and in the short term that is the greater influence on demand. But China and India are trending upwards, and in the long term that will be far more important. And when our own economy finally stabilizes, our demand will grow as well...

    Unless we get smart and develop sustainable infrastructure. That does not mean extracting the 3 or 4 months worth of oil in Alaska or the 8 or 12 months worth of oil off our shores. It means gathering the energy the sun gives us for free.
     
  18. brick

    brick Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 10, 2006
    1,083
    78
    0
    Location:
    Upstate NY
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Are we giving the 50 cent thing a second chance this year? It might actually work this time given the state of our economy. Too bad the catalyst for reduced price is reduced demand which, (working up to the unfortunate part), is caused by plight of the middle class. People with no place to work aren't going to burn up much gas commuting. Don't get me wrong, I like a $15 fillup as opposed to a $30 fillup. But it seems more than a little selfish to be cheering it on for the sake of expensive toys. :rolleyes:
     
  19. klodhopper

    klodhopper New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 13, 2007
    537
    153
    0
    Location:
    Colorado Mtns.
    Vehicle:
    2002 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I think that gas will go down shortly...that way you can afford it on unemployment!;)
     
  20. malorn

    malorn Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2005
    4,281
    59
    0
    Location:
    "Somewhere in Flyover Country"
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    As in Peak Oil? I have recently read a couple books on the subject and in my library they are shelved very near Al Gore's books on global warming. Both items are wish-lists of the far-left wing propagnda machine.

    I am a conservationist and believe we must do everything in our power to take care of the earth, but long before there is a real shortage of oil the US will no longer be dependent, and the AGW movement is about politics and power, nothing less, nothing more.