Gas Prices? Who's Fault?

[ludahai]

This is sound advice. On this, we agree completely!

My grandfather told me that he has already arranged for heating oil for the winter and it was over $2.00 a gallon. OUCH!!!

 

[ludahai]

Liberals won't let facts like these stop their blame Bush for everything mantra.

Contrary to what some unthinking, class-warfare conspiracy theorists on the left might speculate, there are real answers to the question of why gas prices are so high (and with Hurricane Katrina, why they are only going higher).

For those who do not understand the futures market, it is where companies who rely heavily on fuel prices can buy a contract to get their petrol at the fixed, current rate for so much time. When companies get worried about instability with oil distribution, they buy up futures, which is one of the things that drive up gas prices.

According to the Congressional Research Service (a branch of the Library of Congress which did the research from which the landmark 2005 energy bill was passed) these are the substantive issues behind the hikes:

-Decisions by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
cartel, after having reduced production quotas in 2002, to raise them only
slowly and reluctantly;

-Unexpected demand growth in China;

-Disruptions in oil production in major exporters, including Venezuela, Iraq
and Nigeria;

-Decline in the value of the U.S. dollar, the currency in which oil is traded in
the world market, compared to other major currencies, particularly the Euro.

-Uncertainty and fear of major disruptions in Iraq and Saudi Arabia, in the
context of the war in Iraq and the threat of terrorism.

-U.S. demand for gasoline has increased as economic growth has resumed.

-Domestic refining capacity has declined, both in number of refineries —
from 324 in 1981 to 153 in 2002 — and in total capacity — from 18.62
million barrels per day (mbd) in 1981 to 16.78 mbd in 2002.

-The structure of the refining industry has changed. In 1981 most refining
capacity was owned and operated by integrated oil companies that supplied their own crude oil, refined it, distributed it, and marketed the products.
Refining was only one part of the company’s profit-making operation, and
frequently was not an important profit maker. Now the refining industry is
characterized more by independently owned, nonintegrated firms. When
refineries are the sole source of revenue to the owners, it becomes more
important that the operation be profitable, leading to pressure to raise prices.

-The refining industry has been operating with lower inventories of both
crude oil and gasoline, as a means of cutting costs. The side effect has been
reduced ability to meet unanticipated demand, leading to greater price
pressure.

-Gasoline markets are fragmented regionally because air quality requirements
have led to numerous different formulations to meet varying standards. In
meeting demand for these regional formulations, called “boutique fuels,”
refiners lose flexibility to meet local variations in demand elsewhere,
leading to increased price pressure.

-With domestic refining capacity constraints, a greater proportion of gasoline
demand is being met with imported products. Foreign refiners typically
manufacture products designed to sell in the international market, not the
special product “boutique fuels” demanded by a significant share of the U.S.
market.

-Refiners have had increased costs in the past year to comply with new
requirements to limit sulfur content and to switch from the oxygenate
additive MTBE to ethanol.


This is what is actually going on. Let liberals swim in their baseless invective against Bush and his mythical, "oil buddy," Disney villain plot to plunder the world all they want. These are the facts.

 

[walrus]

Does everyone else know something I don't?

I just returned from getting lunch (Arbys, yum yum) and every gas station in my town has lines wrapped around it with people anxiously waiting to pay $2.89 to $3.09 for gasoline. Am I going to get up tomorrow and find out that there is no gasoline left in Georgia? According to one article I read, our two major pipelines bringing gas from the TX/LA area are out due to power loss. Maybe this is sparking a buying panic, as that is the only way I know to describe what I saw. If this is happening anywhere else I would be interested to know.

 

[shuamort]

Does everyone else know something I don't?

I just returned from getting lunch (Arbys, yum yum) and every gas station in my town has lines wrapped around it with people anxiously waiting to pay $2.89 to $3.09 for gasoline. Am I going to get up tomorrow and find out that there is no gasoline left in Georgia? According to one article I read, our two major pipelines bringing gas from the TX/LA area are out due to power loss. Maybe this is sparking a buying panic, as that is the only way I know to describe what I saw. If this is happening anywhere else I would be interested to know.

Yes and no....
Net Rumor Sparks Frantic Gas Grab

A bogus e-mail rumor sparked a run on South Florida gas stations Tuesday night that left at least one station dry. Local 10 News received numerous calls from viewers saying that the e-mail said gas stations would close at midnight and remained closed two to three days. Local 10 News confirmed that the rumor is false

 

[Busta]

Does everyone else know something I don't?

I just returned from getting lunch (Arbys, yum yum) and every gas station in my town has lines wrapped around it with people anxiously waiting to pay $2.89 to $3.09 for gasoline. Am I going to get up tomorrow and find out that there is no gasoline left in Georgia? According to one article I read, our two major pipelines bringing gas from the TX/LA area are out due to power loss. Maybe this is sparking a buying panic, as that is the only way I know to describe what I saw. If this is happening anywhere else I would be interested to know.

If you don't mind, I have a couple of questions for you:
1. Do you drive and own your own vehicle?
2. If so, how far do you travel with it on the average day?
3. Do you carry cargo (equipment, kids...etc...)?

 

[gordontravels]

Of all of the right wing propaganda talking points, the “The reason gas prices are so high is that the environmentalists have kept oil companies from building refineries” has got to be in the top 5 of the most ludicrous ones.

Environmentalist and Conservationist groups (The Good Guys) collectively spend at best 2 maybe 3 percent as much as Big Oil (The Bad Guys) spend lobbying Congress each year. They conduct a few letter and email campaigns a year while Big Oil spends hundred of millions of dollars each year buying votes.

If Exxon, which buy the way was the most profitable company in the history of civilization last year, wanted to build more refineries, it would find some nice poor depressed area and build them. Of course then if they did that, the price of gas might go down and they wouldn’t make as much money.

Refinery capacity is not the only reason for high prices but now that Katrina has effected that even more to ignore it is foolish. Regulation from the EPA has made it cost INeffective to build refineries for nearly 30 years and it is environmental, political and economics that play in that scenario.

You don't think with all the Left Wing and Right Wing in our political system that the Oil Companies wouldn't be held to task? So all an oil company has to do is pay a Right Winger? Wow, no wonder Kerry lost.

Right wing talking points? Me? What a weak argument. Come on, you tell me after reading my previous post, why high prices? :duel

 

[taxpayer]

Hummmmmmm! Lets see!
NO price gouging?
BONG! WRONG!
Back when oil was $30.00 a barrel gas was $2.25 a gallon. Then it went up to $50.00 a barrel and gas was again at $2.25 a gallon.
How many TRILLIONS did they make -===price gouging-===when oil was $30.00 a barrel and gas was $2.25 a gallon?

Yes in Clintons 8 years we had NO new refineries built.
Well its been "5" years of BUSH and like Clinton still NO new refineries.

Although: in Bushs defense, how can he concentrate on building new refineries when he is always on V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N???:roll:

Gas pumps all over America are being changed to a HIGHER PRICE hourly every time someone farts.
Well oil just went down from $70.00+ a barrel to $60.00 a barrel but I don't see the pump prices being dropped!!!
Its called -===PRICE GOUGING-==!

 

[Stoneripple]

Yes in Clintons 8 years we had NO new refineries built.
Well its been "5" years of BUSH and like Clinton still NO new refineries.

How long does it take to build a refinery?
Some posters in this thread have identified new licenses granted for construction of refineries. Were the permits granted under Bush or Clinton?

 

[Stoneripple]

Of all of the right wing propaganda talking points, the “The reason gas prices are so high is that the environmentalists have kept oil companies from building refineries” has got to be in the top 5 of the most ludicrous ones.

Yah. I tried to get people making this claim to support it, but all I got was talk-radio monologues with no specifics.


The fact is that if money is your sole purpose, building extra capacity, or expanding capacity to cover things like...uh..natural disasters...isn't in the stockholders plan. Its trickled down to so-called "lean manufacturing," which has been great for book publishers, but of little benefit to the rest of us.

 

[taxpayer]

How long does it take to build a refinery?
Some posters in this thread have identified new licenses granted for construction of refineries.

Were the permits granted under Bush or Clinton?

Tough questions! Let me guess.

How long does it take to build a refinery?

128 years?

Were the permits granted by Bush or Clinton?

I think this is a tricky question and your trying to mislead me about it being Bush or Clinton.

I think the permits were granted under President Ulysses Grant?
Am I right? I think i'm on the right path. They both have the word "grant" in them. "permits GRANTed">>>"Ulysses GRANT."
Did I win a prize or something?

 

[gregg729]

YE REAP WHAT YE SOW!!! So?

The Washington Post says that "Politicians Have Little to Offer To Ease Anguish of Gas Prices". Yep, that's the headline in today's Washington Post.

"But the prices are an economic and political problem for which Washington has few, if any, policy remedies that would be effective or practical in the near term, according to many energy experts and elected officials." so says the Post.

New York Senator Chuck Schumer is worried that soaring prices are "taking money out of the hands of working families." I don't use the word "duh" if that is a word. Senator Schumer wants to open up the U.S Strategic Petroleum Reserve. That reserve is specifically for National Security and not for price manipulation. Oh and, it wouldn't effect the price of gasoline anyway. WHY?

1. The federal tax on gasoline is 18.4 cents per gallon. Congress can't reduce that because they just passed the largest transportation bill in history. Gotta spend them Democrats and Republicans do. We eat it.

2. Some say the oil companies are gouging. Ok, go get the proof. There is none. Chuck Schumer would be the first to tell you if there was. You know they've been looking for this proof since 1976. Well come on guys, let's get the oil companies. Meanwhile, we eat it.

3. The Post says "Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and others say Bush should take a harder line with Saudi Arabia and other oil-producing nations, and demand that they release more oil and help push down the price of oil, which hit a record $66 per barrel this week." Hey!!! Is that a Democrat saying a Republican should be a "hard liner"? I'll get to Kerry in a minute while we continue to eat it.

4. Rep. Anne M. Northup (R-Ky.) says, "Pressure Washington to allow drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The energy policy recently passed by Congress and signed into law by Bush does not permit drilling in the refuge, but Republicans hope to open this area to drilling as part of this year's budget agreement." This won't do any better than John Kerry's idea and while we eat it, I'll explain in a minute.

5. The U.S. Congress and the President could increase the CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) Standards. That would force auto makers to make more fuel effficient cars. Like those with SUV's will park em and buy another car. It would take years to help the situation if it did and meanwhile, hungry?

HERE'S THE BOTTOM LINES: If we open up the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as Senator Schumer with the bandaid wants to do or if we MAKE Saudi Arabia pump more oil or if we drill all over the place and get more of our own oil or if we catch the oil companies with their hands in our pockets or if we make cars that get 75 miles to the gallon when they're going uphill - IT WON'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

WHY? Because Venezuela or Iran will pump less oil? Maybe. Because as we use less of Saudi Arabia's oil they will raise the price? Maybe. But there is one actual reason for high prices while the world's oil supply is providing all we need - yep, no shortage of oil. THE REASON GAS IS SO EXPENSIVE? We don't have enough gas. It's a gas shortage.

In the last 25 years the environmentalists and those they support for political office have stopped any new refineries from being built. Not one new refinery has been proposed, started or built in the last 25 years by the oil companies. The environmentalists along with their political friends who get their money from those environmentalists have made it LEGALLY impossible for our country to have the manufacturing base that creates gasoline in the first place.

So - if you have 3 barrels of oil and the capacity to make gasoline from 3 barrels of oil you make gasoline from 3 barrels of oil. If you have 6 barrels of oil and the capacity to make gasoline from 3 barrels of oil you make gasoline from 3 barrels of oil. Then a hurricane comes along or there is a fire at the refinery or someone blows up an oil pipeline or there is protest in Venezuela (which there is right now) that cuts over 60% of production from that source and what do you get? LESS MONEY IN YOUR POCKET!!!

Wonder what Senator Schumer, the Democrats, the Republicans, the ACLU or the Sierra Club thinks about Exxon building a few more refineries? Anybody know? :duel lil weird

Ok, first... I'm new to this site, and am about sick of it already - you have to click on each an every post to read it, that's f'ed up. ADMIN - go check out uscho.com, their forum isn't a hassle to use, like this one is... You click on a thread, you read what everyone has to say, without needing another 10000 clicks, how hard is that? :roll:

Anyway....

gordon's hit the nail on the head. There is NOTHING that can be done in the short term to ease gas prices. China can divert their crude oil imports to us, and Saudi Arabia can airlift crude oil over here, but with our refineries out of action, it just doesn't matter - don't be fooled into thinking foreign suppliers can bail us out till this Katrina-related crisis is over.

Almost a third of our refineries our out of business for a while - our refineries supplies the gas for our cars, not Saudi Arabia or Iraq.

I would hope that Congress might temporarily bite the bullet and suspend the gas tax for a few months - it's not like they have qualms with deficit spending.... but gordon's probably right there, too - Congress has no problems with overspending, but is very reluctant to ease any tax revenues they've already enacted...

The best that can come from this is more responsible long-term planning...

First and foremost should be alternative energy sources. Crap, it's 2005, the technology must be around somewhere to make an affordable car that doesn't run on fossil fuels that we need to import.

But also - this week has shown the shortsightness of allowing our economy to be handcuffed by the eco-freak minority. They've successfully prevented any new refinery construction in the country for over 2 decades now. The lack of refinery capacity due to these eco-freaks is the PRIMARY cause of the crazy rise in gas prices over the past 5 days. If you're ever on a college campus, make sure you pat one of them on the back and thank them for our most recent hardships at the gas pumps. Anway, sarcasm aside, screw the rantings of the eco-freak minority and build some new refineries!

The eco-freaks also have successfully prevented accessing oil reserves known to exist right here in America, up in Alaska. The small minority of the population of us that are eco-freaks have somehow successfully convinced Congress that it is much more important than the elks and reindeer should not have to see a few oil wells in the middle of our nation's largest wilderness than it is to reduce our dependency on foreign oil. (Don't ask them about how their anti-domestic oil lobbying affected the "war for oil in Iraq" as they put it though, they get really pissed when their hippocracies are pointed out to them.) So anyway, let's get that oil in Alaska.

And finally, and redundantly - let's make it a national priority to develop alternative-energy vehicles. That would make threads like these an almost nonissue. We could export the vehicles to help the trade balance. We could leave the eco-freaks with nothing to bitch about when they were passing around their bongs. We just need to apply the money to develop it to the level of economic feasability. Heck the oil companies might even have the money to make the first breakthrough and corner the market on the next wave of transportation, ya know?

Anyway, blaming Bush (or any of the politicians, for that matter) on the rise in gas prices this week is just plain dumb. Katrina hit our Achilles' heel - and although we can fix that in a matter of months, if not weeks - the fact of the matter is that for years we've been too slack to act on several long-term options that could have helped us out in this situation.

 

[taxpayer]

Ok, first... I'm new to this site, and am about sick of it already - you have to click on each an every post to read it, that's f'ed up. ADMIN - go check out uscho.com, their forum isn't a hassle to use, like this one is.
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They have to make things easy to use on that site because the 10 people per year that visit that site can't read.
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Almost a third of our refineries our out of business for a while - our refineries supplies the gas for our cars, not Saudi Arabia or Iraq.

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YA! And STILL NO SHORTAGES! Wake UP!!! Its called "PRICE GOUGING"
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I would hope that Congress might temporarily bite the bullet and suspend the gas tax for a few months - it's not like they have qualms with deficit spending.... but gordon's probably right there, too - Congress has no problems with overspending, but is very reluctant to ease any tax revenues they've already enacted...

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Don't expect that with a Repub controlled congress.
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The best that can come from this is more responsible long-term planning...

First and foremost should be alternative energy sources. Crap, it's 2005, the technology must be around somewhere to make an affordable car that doesn't run on fossil fuels that we need to import.

But also - this week has shown the shortsightness of allowing our economy to be handcuffed by the eco-freak minority. They've successfully prevented any new refinery construction in the country for over 2 decades now. The lack of refinery capacity due to these eco-freaks is the PRIMARY cause of the crazy rise in gas prices over the past 5 days. If you're ever on a college campus, make sure you pat one of them on the back and thank them for our most recent hardships at the gas pumps. Anway, sarcasm aside, screw the rantings of the eco-freak minority and build some new refineries!

The eco-freaks also have successfully prevented accessing oil reserves known to exist right here in America, up in Alaska. The small minority of the population of us that are eco-freaks have somehow successfully convinced Congress that it is much more important than the elks and reindeer should not have to see a few oil wells in the middle of our nation's largest wilderness.


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The reason you are still able to breath and drink water is because of those you call>>>eco-freaks.
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And finally, and redundantly - let's make it a national priority to develop alternative-energy vehicles.

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Tell that to Bush and the Repub controlled congress!
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That would make threads like these an almost nonissue. We could export the vehicles to help the trade balance. We could leave the eco-freaks with nothing to bitch about when they were passing around their bongs. We just need to apply the money to develop it to the level of economic feasability. Heck the oil companies might even have the money to make the first breakthrough and corner the market on the next wave of transportation, ya know?

Anyway, blaming Bush (or any of the politicians, for that matter) on the rise in gas prices this week is just plain dumb. Katrina hit our Achilles' heel - and although we can fix that in a matter of months, if not weeks - the fact of the matter is that for years we've been too slack to act on several long-term options that could have helped us out in this situation.

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All I keep hearing is that gas prices keep going UP because our refineries are down or shut down because of Katrana and they need repairs and maintaintance.
FACT is that there are no gas shortages so that theory is foolish. Guess after all there are enough refineries up and running.

Bush has been in office for 5 years now. Its time for you cons to OPEN UP your EYES and see just how much Bush has screwed up our country.
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[gordontravels]

Ok, first... I'm new to this site, and am about sick of it already - you have to click on each an every post to read it, that's f'ed up. ADMIN - go check out uscho.com, their forum isn't a hassle to use, like this one is... You click on a thread, you read what everyone has to say, without needing another 10000 clicks, how hard is that? :roll:

Anyway....

gordon's hit the nail on the head. There is NOTHING that can be done in the short term to ease gas prices. China can divert their crude oil imports to us, and Saudi Arabia can airlift crude oil over here, but with our refineries out of action, it just doesn't matter - don't be fooled into thinking foreign suppliers can bail us out till this Katrina-related crisis is over.

Almost a third of our refineries our out of business for a while - our refineries supplies the gas for our cars, not Saudi Arabia or Iraq.

I would hope that Congress might temporarily bite the bullet and suspend the gas tax for a few months - it's not like they have qualms with deficit spending.... but gordon's probably right there, too - Congress has no problems with overspending, but is very reluctant to ease any tax revenues they've already enacted...

The best that can come from this is more responsible long-term planning...

First and foremost should be alternative energy sources. Crap, it's 2005, the technology must be around somewhere to make an affordable car that doesn't run on fossil fuels that we need to import.

But also - this week has shown the shortsightness of allowing our economy to be handcuffed by the eco-freak minority. They've successfully prevented any new refinery construction in the country for over 2 decades now. The lack of refinery capacity due to these eco-freaks is the PRIMARY cause of the crazy rise in gas prices over the past 5 days. If you're ever on a college campus, make sure you pat one of them on the back and thank them for our most recent hardships at the gas pumps. Anway, sarcasm aside, screw the rantings of the eco-freak minority and build some new refineries!

The eco-freaks also have successfully prevented accessing oil reserves known to exist right here in America, up in Alaska. The small minority of the population of us that are eco-freaks have somehow successfully convinced Congress that it is much more important than the elks and reindeer should not have to see a few oil wells in the middle of our nation's largest wilderness than it is to reduce our dependency on foreign oil. (Don't ask them about how their anti-domestic oil lobbying affected the "war for oil in Iraq" as they put it though, they get really pissed when their hippocracies are pointed out to them.) So anyway, let's get that oil in Alaska.

And finally, and redundantly - let's make it a national priority to develop alternative-energy vehicles. That would make threads like these an almost nonissue. We could export the vehicles to help the trade balance. We could leave the eco-freaks with nothing to bitch about when they were passing around their bongs. We just need to apply the money to develop it to the level of economic feasability. Heck the oil companies might even have the money to make the first breakthrough and corner the market on the next wave of transportation, ya know?

Anyway, blaming Bush (or any of the politicians, for that matter) on the rise in gas prices this week is just plain dumb. Katrina hit our Achilles' heel - and although we can fix that in a matter of months, if not weeks - the fact of the matter is that for years we've been too slack to act on several long-term options that could have helped us out in this situation.

Wow, another fool that thinks I can handle a hammer. Sorry, I should say, "fooled another one".

Still it is refreshing to think that there are those with minds open enough to know that Bush and Clinton and Republicans or Democrats are the same thing:

BAD FOR OUR COUNTRY.:duel

 

[gregg729]

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All I keep hearing is that gas prices keep going UP because our refineries are down or shut down because of Katrana and they need repairs and maintaintance.
FACT is that there are no gas shortages so that theory is foolish. Guess after all there are enough refineries up and running.

Bush has been in office for 5 years now. Its time for you cons to OPEN UP your EYES and see just how much Bush has screwed up our country.
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I will legitimize your rantings, this one time, my friend. The fact that you have mentioned "Bush" and/or "Republicans" but no one from the opposite side of the aisle displays your blind allegiance - or blind hatred, depending on how your rants are viewed.

I breath air because that's what us human beings do - I'm not interested in what non-air breathers think in the slightest, I just chuckle at the fiction section of "Mother Earth Jones" or whatever that rag, is called - I could reasonably expect that none of the eco-freaks try to use non-airbreathing people or whatever sci-fi stories they might read as evidence to slam only the political party they disagree with in the wake of a huge national disaster... come on, hippies, even you know that's tactless. I drink clean water because it's readily available. If you need clean water, you can contact FEMA, or you can call me - if you are willing to drive (if you posess a car, that is), I might be able to respond faster, if you're really that thirsty. But I do require that hippies use one third of the water I give them to wash their stinky feet before they enter my pad....

To claim, hmm, what did you say... oh wait, you don't dispute that refineries in our nation have taken a huge hit, you just blow that fact off and blame it on the sitting President. Nuff said about the intelligence of that argument. :roll:

P.S. I doubt you pay a significant amount in taxes, if anything at all.

I wanted to not associate democrats with eco-freaks, but like a bloodsucking leach, you won't let go of a legitimate political party until you've sucked them dry, apparently.... damn, eco-freaks... :roll:

 

[taxpayer]

I will legitimize your rantings, this one time, my friend. The fact that you have mentioned "Bush" and/or "Republicans" but no one from the opposite side of the aisle displays your blind allegiance - or blind hatred, depending on how your rants are viewed.

I breath air because that's what us human beings do - I'm not interested in what non-air breathers think in the slightest, I just chuckle at the fiction section of "Mother Earth Jones" or whatever that rag, is called - I could reasonably expect that none of the eco-freaks try to use non-airbreathing people or whatever sci-fi stories they might read as evidence to slam only the political party they disagree with in the wake of a huge national disaster... come on, hippies, even you know that's tactless. I drink clean water because it's readily available. If you need clean water, you can contact FEMA, or you can call me - if you are willing to drive (if you posess a car, that is), I might be able to respond faster, if you're really that thirsty. But I do require that hippies use one third of the water I give them to wash their stinky feet before they enter my pad....
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Hey its ok with me if your a hippie. I have a car. Do you? I have clean water. Do you? My feet are clean. Are yours?
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To claim, hmm, what did you say... oh wait, you don't dispute that refineries in our nation have taken a huge hit, you just blow that fact off and blame it on the sitting President. Nuff said about the intelligence of that argument. :roll:
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Bush is president now so its all on his watch. I'm getting to see your intelligence now.
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P.S. I doubt you pay a significant amount in taxes, if anything at all.
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P.S. I don't care what you think. Your opinion means as much to me as the blank spaces I leave in the threads.
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I wanted to not associate democrats with eco-freaks, but like a bloodsucking leach, you won't let go of a legitimate political party until you've sucked them dry, apparently.... damn, eco-freaks... :roll:

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Like you are doing to Bush and the Republican party?:doh

 

[Mixed View]

Katrina and Bush's fault.

 

[walrus]

If you don't mind, I have a couple of questions for you:

Sorry it took me so long to get back on this.

1. Do you drive and own your own vehicle?

Yes, a 1997 Saturn SL2 4-door - 4 cylinder.

2. If so, how far do you travel with it on the average day?

I cover a large, rural area and make a great deal of house calls to people that are unable to get out. Therefore, I often drive 150-200 miles a day. 100 miles is probably a good average.

3. Do you carry cargo (equipment, kids...etc...)?

Just my professional equipment which is probably 50-70 pound total.

 

[gordontravels]

There are those here that have not agreed that refinery capacity and the lack of new refineries being built since 1976 has anything to do with petrol prices.

I watched C-span yesterday and in the House of Representatives there is a bill being debated that will relax some environmental regulations to allow the enormous cost of building a new refinery to become cost effective for the oil companies. Now these were Democrats and Republicans, most of who were in favor of this new legislation. Those against were wholly Democrats. In all fairness they are concerned about lowering environmental regulations but then that is one if not (listening to the debate from both sides) the biggest reason for the spike in gasoline prices.

Even if these regulations are relaxed and, even if any of the oil companies do build new refineries it is estimated it could be 7 to 11 years before any new facilities come on line.

The real problem in gasoline price spikes is the number 13 (seems unlucky). Depending on the region of the country you live in, there are 13 different formulas of gasoline that are mandated by these environmental regulations. If your region has a shortage of fuel and another region has an abundance, you can't take advantage of their supply because environmental regulation prevents them from shipping to you and you distributing that fuel. Our government regulations have consistently built in more costs that are passed on to you. AGAIN - Republicans and Democrats are in your pocket.

I say, "If this fuel is good for Los Angeles it's good for Denver, Kansas City, Miami, Houston, Flagstaff, Seattle, Chicago and Buffalo. Republicans and Democrats seem to only see one side and it's not ours. :duel