Greene County Daily World

High gas prices remain a major concern

Posted Wednesday, May 14, 2008, at 2:45 PM
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Is anyone listening out there?

Is there a politician who is willing to actually do something about the high price of gasoline? Is there anything our politicians can do to bring down the price of gas?

If politicians believe the American people don't care about the high price of gas, they're wrong. Dead wrong.

According to a poll conducted by the Greene County Daily World, with over 1,793 votes cast, the high price of gas is at the top of the list of things they want to see the new president tackle.

The question: If the new president in 2009 could deliver on one promise, which would you prefer?

The results:

*	Pull out of Iraq within six months: 21.5 percent. (386 votes)
*	Gas prices would be reduced to $2.50 and stay there for a year: 54.5 percent. (977 votes)
*	Free health care for all American citizens, though federal taxes would increase by 5 percent: 24.0 percent. (430 votes)

It's clear that gas prices hurt Americans in more ways than one. Adding $20 or more per week just to fill up your car, SUV or truck is the most obvious. But it goes much deeper than that.

The items we purchase at grocery and department stores are higher because it costs more to haul items from Point A to Point B.

What are people saying about the issue? The following comments were left on our Web site:

*	"What about a reduced federal government and better control over the economy?"
*	"I would like to see the U.S. pull out of Iraq, but I don't think it could possibly happen in just six months."
*	"Everything is linked to the price of gas, even health care."
*	"Are we getting any oil from Iraq? And they have the space for refining oil to gas, so why are we not doing something more profitable while we are there?"
*	"Depending on who wins, federal taxes will go up 5 percent anyway so might as well get free health care out of it."
*	"If we pull out of Iraq the other problems would eventually be solved."
*	"All these would be great."
*	"Well, this choice was a rather difficult one to make. While the idea of pulling all troops out of Iraq has been the dream of families world wide, it is most unrealistic. The damage has already been done and the war will still continue with or without our presence in the Middle East. Gas prices. For many people all over the United States, lower gas prices would be such a relief. The truth of the matter is, the price of gas lies not within the control of the government. Doesn't anyone remember economics? It's all a matter of supply and demand. As blissful as lower gas prices would be, the idea of that is too unrealistic. So that leads me to the third option. Many citizens of this country cannot afford health insurance or care of any kind. This would benefit probably the best and this option is more tangible than the other two."
*	"Why not $.99 a gallon for the gas?"
*	"Everything is attached to the price of gas and diesel per gallon."
*	"I would like to see income tax gone and a federal sales tax in its place."
*	"How about lessening some federal spending to pay for health care for citizens?"
*	"Free health care like in France would help so many Americans."
*	"None of the above have long-term practicality, but stable energy prices would certainly be helpful."
*	"There has to be a cap put on these outrageous gas prices!"

Comments
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fyi.. Here is a link that will give you the price for wholesale gasoline.

http://www.bloomberg.com/markets/commodi...

it is listed in cents per gallon....

as of this post it is 339.30 cents per

what I do not know is if this is pre tax or post tax....

Maybe one of resident experts could chime in on that. Then we would have an accurate knowledge on how much your local station is making off of us at the pump.

-- Posted by america on Tue, May 27, 2008, at 1:00 PM

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=...

I would guess that with the stock market as crappy as it is everyone is running for crude futures......

-- Posted by america on Fri, May 23, 2008, at 8:06 AM

a new record for oil prices and no new comments.....=(

-- Posted by america on Thu, May 22, 2008, at 10:56 AM

lol.. "many retailers and credit card companies have noticed consumers paring back spending on discretionary items, including clothing and jewelry, to be able to afford necessities such as gasoline and groceries."

I guess we wont be consuming much here in America in the near future. That will make some people happy (see related blog in this paper). I read some pinhead reporter today complain about Americans still buying food even though gas is exspensive. It wont be long before we can not afford that either. I guess I will go get me a solar panel and chew on it for a while.

I am thinking about buying a horse. Oh wait..the methane from a horses flatulence is destroying the planet. I would sure hate to add to that problem.

I also would not want to abuse the poor animal by forcing it to carry me around town. Maybe I get one, put a plug in its rear, and carry it around town: just to make everyone happy.

rofl...we asked for this. As a matter of fact there are people in this country begging for it.

$134 a barrell: this is just the beginning.

write your congressman: demand increased domestic fossil fuel production!

-- Posted by america on Wed, May 21, 2008, at 3:55 PM

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=...

-- Posted by america on Sat, May 17, 2008, at 11:33 AM

you make a good point buck, gas prices are becoming a joke, but I think a more serious issue are our family members and friends that are overseas.......

-- Posted by TDavid on Sat, May 17, 2008, at 6:13 AM

ok Ill stop now....I am sure I have no clue what I am talking about.

-- Posted by america on Fri, May 16, 2008, at 3:38 PM

Further, it has supplementary fossil fuel resources (coal and shale) almost beyond calculation -- enough to run the U.S. economy for centuries. Ironically, the U.S. no-drilling policy ensures that the U.S. will ultimately -- and inadvertently -- possess the largest strategic crude oil reserve in the world.

-- Posted by america on Fri, May 16, 2008, at 3:37 PM

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/s...

of course all these people are probably liars.... they fool themselves so that they can lose fortunes on the street.

http://www.runet.edu/~wkovarik/oil/

http://www.worldalmanac.com/blog/2008/01...

http://www.planetforlife.com/oilcrisis/o...

http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/31790

http://geologyecology.suite101.com/artic...

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/bu...

http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petro...

I am not making this up...it is just what truths I have been exsposed to. We should not make the poor suffer because of paranoia and greed!

-- Posted by america on Fri, May 16, 2008, at 3:35 PM

http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/internationa...

interesting link there.....

-- Posted by america on Fri, May 16, 2008, at 2:38 PM

In most cases, oil refers to conventional oil and excludes oil from coal and oil shale.

Depending on the source, bitumen and extra-heavy oil (tar sands) may also be excluded. The exact definition varies from country to country and national statistics are not always comparable.

The numbers disclosed by national governments are also often manipulated for political reasons.

I will agree that it is a finite resource but the amount of oil would be comparable more to the finite lifespan of the sun. I would wager that there is more oil than usable topsoil on this planet.

So lets proceed to the numbers I have found pertaining to the amount of oil we have left.

Saudi Arabia 81 years

canada 182 years

uae 107 years

kuwait 108 years

I dont think I need to list them all. These numbers are based on todays usage with todays production technology with the oil that people are willing to tell you they have.

Value is based on scarcity somewhat and it would not behoove these individuals to tell us all that there is pretty close to an endless supply of "black gold".

I was a Bush supporter. He was supposed to eliminate the restrtictions on energy production that have been placed apon our society by the green socialists. Thats why these republicans have failed. They act just like the enviro-nazis and have bought into the lies (at least publicly).

The news media that surrounds the beltway community has convinced our representatives that all voters think the way of the modern day "liberal". Our people have been innondated with the propaganda of the chicken little crowd and do not understand the truth of how free markets work and how the manipulation of these, with fear mongering and percieved shortages, is driving up prices and making peope rich beyond our ability comprehend.

My advise would be to invest here:

http://finance.google.com/finance?q=dbo&...

and also here..

http://finance.google.com/finance?q=AMEX...

I can forsee no positve developement in the near future that will relieve us of our tremendous energy burden. These funds should be bullish for at least the next 6mon. We will see what the next administration plans on doing, but for now I would say a shortage is a sure bet.

We do have a responsibility to our children. That is to provide the next generation with what they need to prosper and to leave our country in better shape than how we got it.

I can not wait for the brown outs this summer......rofl. Those city folk get exactly what they ask for. Stupid liberals. The energy company and oil companies execs will all be sitting in the air conditioning and swimming in money.

While everyone else begs for the power to be cut off.

Someone slap us please!

-- Posted by america on Fri, May 16, 2008, at 8:21 AM

Aha, america, Sounds like you'd like 4 more years of living in the Bush.

Only a fool would assume that you could continue to pay billions for a war that can't be won, year in and year out and think that your economy is going to flourish.

Sure you can drill more oil, but keep in mind oil is a finite natural resource that we have been depleting for years. It won't last forever, unless you are living in a fairy tale.

You can replenish our supply for awhile, that's a given, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. So you can enjoy a few more years of low gas prices, how foolish, how selfish can you be? Your kids and your grandkids, if you have any, will reap what you sow.

The definitive word in this short essay is finite. It basically means that the resource won't last forever.

Development of alternative energy sources is the critical solution to the future of our succeeding generations. If we really cared enough about them or at least care more about them than ourselves, we would be investing arduously to make sure their future doesn't portend such doom and dispair.

The Chinese use of oil in the last 5 years has doubled and predictions are that it will triple in the next 5 years, so what you do, what I do, or what our government does to decrease our demand or increase our supply, will not amount to a pimple on an elephant's ass.

Finite, just remember that word the next time you fill up.

-- Posted by simmons on Fri, May 16, 2008, at 4:19 AM

It is the environmental movements fault and now we must pay the price for letting them make legislation.

Global Warming is fraud!!!

Drill more oil. Increase our capacity to produce energy.

If our country would go on a mission, like sending a man to the moon in the 50's and 60's, to increase domestic fossil fuel production our problems would be over.

Just the speculation of increased supply would knock the price of oil on its butt..

Conservation will not work..its a joke. Its going to have us living like a third world country.

-- Posted by america on Thu, May 15, 2008, at 3:34 PM

Per,

Good points. The sad thing is that $30-40 of the price of a barrel of oil is speculation. But, when you are dealing with a product that is part of a market,you are also dealing with some greed. The oil price is not all supply and demand related, though much of it is. I am a little disturbed that some people are more concerned about the price of gas than they are bringing our troops home or providing health care to the less fortunate.

-- Posted by buck on Thu, May 15, 2008, at 9:19 AM

Per,

-- Posted by buck on Thu, May 15, 2008, at 9:10 AM

What are the politicians supposed to do about it? Nothing.

It's not their job to artificially reduce market prices.

The best we can hope for would be tax-free gas. That will help a small amount...with problems.

Tax money doesn't just go to hundred dollar hammers, ya know. If we cut gas tax money, we will lose a lot.

For starters, our road will enter into disrepair, because gasoline tax is hypothecated to roads and maintenance.

If we don't have money to maintain roads, what else might we lose? Jobs!!!

PEOPLE repair roads.

I'm sorry everyone, but it's just got to come down to the consumers to change the supply/demand for gas prices to go down.

They charge it because we pay it.