Is there a legitimate reason for rising gas prices in US?

randycat99randycat99
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Is it because of Venunzuela? Is it just greedy oil merchants getting their "dig" in while there is a reason for unrest? Is it because we are about to go to war? If the latter, how does Iraq affect our gas prices if we supposedly are not relying on them for oil? Who's being the killjoy here, when there has been no real reason why oil supply should be in a shortage?



Oh yes, I forgot- it's $1.74-1.78 on the low end where I'm at. How about you?



...and also, what was that list of gas brands to boycott since they use some percentage of Iraq oil?



[ 02-23-2003: Message edited by: Randycat99 ]</p>
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 29
    naderfannaderfan Posts: 156member
    My guess is that it's a mix of all the things you mentioned. Venezuela still isn't back up to pre-strike production and they're one of our biggest suppliers. Plus, OPEC is probably edgy about the war and how it'll affect their countries. Finally, there's unrest here about how the war will affect both our country and our suppliers.
  • Reply 2 of 29
    brbr Posts: 8,395member
    It's gone from 1.40 to 1.93 for 87 in the last month here in Los Angeles.
  • Reply 3 of 29
    randycat99randycat99 Posts: 1,919member
    It's insane!!! For such big jumps, my mind demands a clear causal explanation.
  • Reply 4 of 29
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    Supply and demand baby. Capitalism at its best. The higher prices allocates the oil to where it is most useful.



    ...Unless of course you want to go the socialist way and intervene in the market.



    You wouldn´t want to do that would you? coughiraqcough



    Sorry. Had a bad day.



    [ 02-23-2003: Message edited by: Anders the White ]</p>
  • Reply 5 of 29
    fran441fran441 Posts: 3,715member
    I think there is a congressional panel looking into price gouging now as price of gasoline has gone up much faster than crude oil.



    Price for regular at the pump today? $1.65 a gallon.
  • Reply 6 of 29
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    Stop the whining. $1 per liter.
  • Reply 7 of 29
    ebbyebby Posts: 3,110member
    It's over $2.00 here in San Jose. It's all about supply/demand. If people here would stop driving their SUV's and start driving the smaller cars they already have,than demand will drop and therefore, also the price. <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[oyvey]" /> I'm sure you know this, but what makes me mad is that I am sure I'm the only one within 5 miles who will put the two together. Everyone I know has at least one SUV. I will never own one and I don't want to.
  • Reply 8 of 29
    argentoargento Posts: 483member
    1.75 in Minnesota. It's insane. Back to walking and biking when I can I suppose.
  • Reply 9 of 29
    bungebunge Posts: 7,329member
    It's called price fixing & monopolies.
  • Reply 10 of 29
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    I think it was unusually low for a while. No one bitchs and calls for congressional investigations when it's low ...
  • Reply 11 of 29
    thegeldingthegelding Posts: 3,230member
    if it is supply and demand, then every station wouldn't have the same exact price....some would be lower, some higher...some stations have lower overhead, some better connections...if every station in your town is exactly the same it smells of collusion....that is why there is investigation now...plus, crude has gone up some, but not like gas prices....g



    ps...there might be congressional investigations when the price is low if business are going under...when the price was low the stations still made money...the oil companies still made money...the only people that got hurt were the crooks at enron and the poor people who invested in them...



    [ 02-23-2003: Message edited by: thegelding ]</p>
  • Reply 12 of 29
    satchmosatchmo Posts: 2,699member
    Things will never change as long as people don't get's serious about alternative forms of energy.

    We go from oil crisis to oil crisis every decade or so burning fossil fuel like there's no tomorrow.

    But the car companies think short term and the government has no incentive with Georgy boy in bed with his Texas oil barons.
  • Reply 13 of 29
    torifiletorifile Posts: 4,024member
    It's price gouging, plain and simple. There's no reason for supply/demand to cause such a spike. Convienently around times when fears are high. It's complete BS. For one thing, crude oil prices are futures, so it's what they will be in about 3 months time. There's no reason for crude oil increase to affect the price at the pump immediately.



    And this stuff about SUV's causing the increase.... come on. There's no way that they would cause a 20¢ increase in 2 weeks. It's ridiculous, quite frankly.
  • Reply 14 of 29
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    [quote]Originally posted by thegelding:

    <strong>if it is supply and demand, then every station wouldn't have the same exact price....some would be lower, some higher...some stations have lower overhead, some better connections...if every station in your town is exactly the same it smells of collusion....that is why there is investigation now...plus, crude has gone up some, but not like gas prices....g</strong><hr></blockquote>





    That makes little sense. Why can't station A lower the price and station B across the street match it? Or the other way around. Duh. The one by the interstate charges more ...





    You all are starting to sound like Bill O'Rielly :eek:



    [ 02-23-2003: Message edited by: Scott ]</p>
  • Reply 15 of 29
    bungebunge Posts: 7,329member
    [quote]Originally posted by Scott:

    <strong>





    That makes little sense. Why can't station A lower the price and station B across the street match it? </strong><hr></blockquote>



    Continue with the analogy. If station A has lower overhead and station B across the street tries the match the price, then station A can lower the price again since it has lower overhead. Ultimately station A will be able to keep a profit and have a lower or same price as station B. Station B, if it's matched the price to the point where it's losing money, will go out of business OR they'll have to keep their price slightly higher.



    Gee, why doesn't that happen? Collusion.
  • Reply 16 of 29
    randycat99randycat99 Posts: 1,919member
    [quote]Originally posted by Fran441:

    <strong>I think there is a congressional panel looking into price gouging now as price of gasoline has gone up much faster than crude oil.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    I certainly hope some greedy bastards get their balls nailed to the wall pursuant to this. For as much pressures we are dealing with at the moment, illegitimately rising fuel costs is just not what we need right now just because some guy wants to rake in an extra million in salary bonuses this year.
  • Reply 17 of 29
    fellowshipfellowship Posts: 5,038member
    High in the US? Try Europe...



    For the record the average low for 87 here in Dallas Fort Worth is $1.57 but I can find it for $1.53



    Here in Texas between federal and local taxes more than 40c of every gal of gas is tax.



    Fellowship
  • Reply 18 of 29
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    You all didn't see the news did you? There's this stuff called "oil" that they make gas out of. It cost more now. Hence ...
  • Reply 19 of 29
    bungebunge Posts: 7,329member
    [quote]Originally posted by Scott:

    <strong>You all didn't see the news did you? </strong><hr></blockquote>



    You didn't read the thread, did you?
  • Reply 20 of 29
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    [quote]Originally posted by bunge:

    <strong>



    You didn't read the thread, did you?</strong><hr></blockquote>





    Ummmm? Yea I did. Reread it. Maybe I missed it twice? Which member mentioned that the price of oil is up?
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