Posted on 09/22/2012 3:40:50 AM PDT by Kaslin
So there I am, pulling into a gas station in my town, and Tarek is smiling. He owns the station, and right now he's charging me $4.25 a gallon. American motorists may not be better off than they were four years ago, but Tarek certainly is.
When President Barack Obama took office, the average price for a gallon of regular gas was $1.84. That means gas prices have more than doubled on Obama's watch. But why?
The primary reason is that the system is rigged. Oil companies watch the worldwide speculation market, and if the traders are bidding the price of oil up because Iran misbehaves or something, up goes the pump price. When the speculators sell short, the price of gasoline drops, but not nearly so much as it jumped. That cycle is repeated a few times a year.
Then there's OPEC, which raises prices every time the United States pumps dollars in the economy. Last week, the Fed released $23 billion into the marketplace, hoping the cash would spur lending by the banks. The oil sheiks well understand that flooding the zone with currency devalues the worth of the dollar, so they raise their prices to get more greenbacks in the hope of keeping their staggering profits stable.
Another reason Americans are getting hosed at the pump is that President Obama loathes the fossil fuel industry and does everything he can to inhibit production. He stopped the oil pipeline from Canada, makes ocean drilling very difficult and taxes the hell out of traditional energy. Of course, the folks pay the taxes.
Obama is a green guy, and his administration has invested about $100 billion of taxpayer money in clean energy projects. In theory, that sounds good. Wind power, solar energy, electric cars -- all would make the planet cleaner and the sheiks poorer. The problem is that the technology is not developed yet. The president knows that but tilts at windmills anyway.
In truth, the USA does not have an energy policy. The Department of Energy apparently has a giant dartboard, and whatever alternative energy industry is hit that day gets money. The bankrupt Solyndra solar company cost the taxpayers more than $500 million. Other failed green enterprises have added to the incredible national debt, as well.
A few people are riding around in electric cars -- something that infuriates Tarek -- but not many. Those automobiles are generally expensive, and the plug-in stuff is complicated. American society is largely driven (sorry) by easy, convenient products. Risking electrocution in a rainstorm while firing up a Prius might hold some folks back.
Finally, there may be big trouble ahead at the gas station. If Israel attacks Iran over nukes, worldwide oil prices will explode, as well. $8 a gallon? Could happen.
There he goes on his evil oil companies thing again. Never mind the fact that oil is sold on the market in dollars and as long as the Fed is printing more money with no backing, those oil countries get to decide how much the dollar is worth to their commodity.
I filled up again yesterday... and for the second time this month... it took $100.00. Under Bush, this same truck took $35-$40.00 to fill it up.
LLS
No, station owners are most certainly NOT better off than they were four years ago. Rising gas prices do not lead to rising profit margins for station owners, and they do lead to lower sales.
So there I am, pulling into a gas station in my town, and Tarek is smiling. He owns the station, and right now he’s charging me $4.25 a gallon. American motorists may not be better off than they were four years ago, but Tarek certainly is.
The fault lies in Government and the Government we have is the fault of the people who voted the turds into power, and i might add that honest men rarely seek power.
When are people going to get it that the plan is to make America a third world nation.
The plan of some factors of Islam is to take over the power in Washington, a video tape to that affect was produced several years ago, did their plan work? well...
This nation was to be governed by the people, we are supposed to be responsible for our selves, but too many people do not want to be responsible for them selves.
So instead of voting in servants they vote in fast talking charlatans that become dictators and of course any one who would be a dictator is not some one you could trust not to get into bed with an enemy.
The saying is that people are too stupid to be free, that maybe true but there are always going to be those who will try and it will be a never ending fight until our lord comes.
Under Bush, the price of oil quadrupled and the price of gasolone increased proportionally. Gasoline price varies on where you live.
When Bush entered office the price of oil was $25/bbl and my local price of gas was $1.36/gal.
Those prices rose gradually until, on Sept 16, 2008, my price of gas was $3.95/gal. Under Bush
Then the economy/oil/gas prices collapsed and on Dec 2, 2008 I paid $1.63/ gal. By Jan 31, 2009 I paid $1.76
So since then the price has gradually increased and on June 19, 2012 I paid $3.27/gal. That is a little cheaper than it was during the summer driving season of 2011 when it was $3.88.
I still have fond memories of 1998 when the price of oil collapsed to $13/bbl and gasoline was 65 cents per gallon
Always seems to be “speculators” that drive up the price. So who drives the price back down? “Anti-Speculators”?
Consider this when I was 18 I was paying 19 cents/gal in my 1957 Chevy.
When Bush started up his deficit spending and shoved it into hyper-drive... ending with tarp... things started to go down hill and then reid and pelosi took over the checkbook... followed by the first communist muslim president... well the figures below tell the story. I have NEVER paid as much for gas as I am paying today and I have been buying gas since the mid sixties. My pay hasn't gone up in the last 5 years... but the price of everything that I buy has.
LLS
Jan 2000 25.22 -1.02 %
Feb 2000 27.63 9.56 %
Mar 2000 27.47 -0.58 %
Apr 2000 22.54 -17.95 %
May 2000 27.40 21.56 %
Jun 2000 29.68 8.32 %
Jul 2000 28.51 -3.94 %
Aug 2000 29.89 4.84 %
Sep 2000 32.62 9.13 %
Oct 2000 30.93 -5.18 %
Nov 2000 32.52 5.14 %
Dec 2000 25.28 -22.26 %
Jan 2001 25.64 1.42 %
Feb 2001 27.41 6.90 %
Mar 2001 24.40 -10.98 %
Apr 2001 25.55 4.71 %
May 2001 28.45 11.35 %
Jun 2001 27.72 -2.57 %
Jul 2001 24.54 -11.47 %
Aug 2001 25.67 4.60 %
Sep 2001 25.54 -0.51 %
Oct 2001 20.48 -19.81 %
Nov 2001 18.94 -7.52 %
Dec 2001 18.60 -1.80 %
Jan 2002 19.48 4.73 %
Feb 2002 20.29 4.16 %
Mar 2002 23.69 16.76 %
Apr 2002 25.65 8.27 %
May 2002 25.43 -0.86 %
Jun 2002 24.13 -5.11 %
Jul 2002 25.77 6.80 %
Aug 2002 26.63 3.34 %
Sep 2002 28.34 6.42 %
Oct 2002 27.55 -2.79 %
Nov 2002 24.50 -11.07 %
Dec 2002 28.52 16.41 %
Jan 2003 31.29 9.71 %
Feb 2003 32.65 4.35 %
Mar 2003 30.34 -7.08 %
Apr 2003 25.02 -17.53 %
May 2003 25.81 3.16 %
Jun 2003 27.55 6.74 %
Jul 2003 28.40 3.09 %
Aug 2003 29.83 5.04 %
Sep 2003 27.10 -9.15 %
Oct 2003 29.59 9.19 %
Nov 2003 28.77 -2.77 %
Dec 2003 29.88 3.86 %
Jan 2004 31.18 4.35 %
Feb 2004 30.87 -0.99 %
Mar 2004 33.80 9.49 %
Apr 2004 33.36 -1.30 %
May 2004 37.92 13.67 %
Jun 2004 35.19 -7.20 %
Jul 2004 38.37 9.04 %
Aug 2004 43.03 12.14 %
Sep 2004 43.38 0.81 %
Oct 2004 49.77 14.73 %
Nov 2004 43.05 -13.50 %
Dec 2004 39.65 -7.90 %
Jan 2005 44.28 11.68 %
Feb 2005 45.56 2.89 %
Mar 2005 53.08 16.51 %
Apr 2005 51.86 -2.30 %
May 2005 48.67 -6.15 %
Jun 2005 54.31 11.59 %
Jul 2005 57.58 6.02 %
Aug 2005 64.09 11.31 %
Sep 2005 62.98 -1.73 %
Oct 2005 58.52 -7.08 %
Nov 2005 55.53 -5.11 %
Dec 2005 56.75 2.20 %
Jan 2006 63.57 12.02 %
Feb 2006 59.92 -5.74 %
Mar 2006 62.25 3.89 %
Apr 2006 70.44 13.16 %
May 2006 70.19 -0.35 %
Jun 2006 68.86 -1.89 %
Jul 2006 73.90 7.32 %
Aug 2006 73.61 -0.39 %
Sep 2006 62.77 -14.73 %
Oct 2006 58.38 -6.99 %
Nov 2006 58.48 0.17 %
Dec 2006 62.31 6.55 %
Jan 2007 54.30 -12.86 %
Feb 2007 57.76 6.37 %
Mar 2007 62.14 7.58 %
Apr 2007 67.40 8.46 %
May 2007 67.48 0.12 %
Jun 2007 71.32 5.69 %
Jul 2007 77.20 8.24 %
Aug 2007 70.80 -8.29 %
Sep 2007 77.13 8.94 %
Oct 2007 83.04 7.66 %
Nov 2007 92.53 11.43 %
Dec 2007 91.45 -1.17 %
Jan 2008 91.92 0.51 %
Feb 2008 94.82 3.15 %
Mar 2008 103.28 8.92 %
Apr 2008 110.44 6.93 %
May 2008 123.94 12.22 %
Jun 2008 133.05 7.35 %
Jul 2008 133.90 0.64 %
Aug 2008 113.85 -14.97 %
Sep 2008 99.06 -12.99 %
Oct 2008 72.84 -26.47 %
Nov 2008 53.24 -26.91 %
Dec 2008 41.58 -21.90 %
Jan 2009 44.86 7.89 %
Feb 2009 43.24 -3.61 %
Mar 2009 46.84 8.33 %
Apr 2009 50.85 8.56 %
May 2009 57.94 13.94 %
Jun 2009 68.59 18.38 %
Jul 2009 64.92 -5.35 %
Aug 2009 72.50 11.68 %
Sep 2009 67.69 -6.63 %
Oct 2009 73.19 8.13 %
Nov 2009 77.04 5.26 %
Dec 2009 74.67 -3.08 %
Jan 2010 76.37 2.28 %
Feb 2010 74.31 -2.70 %
Mar 2010 79.27 6.67 %
Apr 2010 84.93 7.14 %
May 2010 76.25 -10.22 %
Jun 2010 74.84 -1.85 %
Jul 2010 74.74 -0.13 %
Aug 2010 76.69 2.61 %
Sep 2010 77.79 1.43 %
Oct 2010 82.92 6.59 %
Nov 2010 85.67 3.32 %
Dec 2010 91.80 7.16 %
Jan 2011 96.29 4.89 %
Feb 2011 103.96 7.97 %
Mar 2011 114.44 10.08 %
Apr 2011 123.15 7.61 %
May 2011 114.46 -7.06 %
Jun 2011 113.76 -0.61 %
Jul 2011 116.46 2.37 %
Aug 2011 110.08 -5.48 %
Sep 2011 110.88 0.73 %
Oct 2011 109.47 -1.27 %
Nov 2011 110.50 0.94 %
Dec 2011 107.97 -2.29 %
Jan 2012 110.99 2.80 %
Feb 2012 119.70 7.85 %
Mar 2012 124.93 4.37 %
Apr 2012 120.59 -3.47 %
May 2012 110.52 -8.35 %
Jun 2012 95.59 -13.51 %
Jul 2012 103.14 7.90 %
Aug 2012 113.34 9.89 %
In the US, the price of gas or the pain at the pump is relatively low. If you measure the price of gas versus average income our gas prices are low.
That is of course measured on average income and your income may be below average. I'm retired and my income is way below average but don't drive much plus I bought a 4 cyl 8 years ago because I knew gas would be going up. I'm one of those people who spend more money on auto insurance than I do on fuel.
As the value ofr the dollar rises... it takes less of them to buy oil.
LLS
He makes the station owner out to be like a robber baron cashing in on driver pain, but the reality is the station owner is at the mercy of those prices as much as everyone else is, but he also gets the wrath of drivers for charging so much, as if he has a choice.
Not only that but it’s practically impossible to buy 100% gasoline.
We are more or less forced to purchase the ethanol crap that passes for fuel nowadays.
Man.... don’t get me started.
I’ll be spooled up quicker than a turbo.
LLS
Must be nice.
Closest one to me is over an hour away and I’m in Texas.
Go figure.
Thought I had found one locally as the pumps were missing the “This fuel may contain blah, blah, blah”. Tested the fuel in a Snap-On fuel tester I have access to and it showed 8% squeezins on two separate occasions. Better than 10%... but still.
Finally went to the local fuel depots and asked about the availability of 100% pure gas. Was more or less told tough luck.
Wish I knew more about chemistry as there should be something to counteract that crap other than a stabilizer.
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