Sign In Join 



Are gas prices fueling your pain? - READ ONLY

10042 messages,  Last post on Jul 12, 2008 at 3:07 PM

You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires

What is this discussion about? Fuel Efficiency (MPG)


Messages Page 588 of 1005
1
...
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
...
1005
Prev
Next
Last
Go To Msg #
Search This Discussion

#5867 of 10042
Re: Shoot... [gagrice] by lemko
Apr 17, 2008 (9:07 am)

Replying to: gagrice (Apr 17, 2008 7:45 am)

Betting on the future? Sounds a lot like those who thought real estate values would keep going up up up! Could oil speculators be as corrupt as housing speculators hence the big run-up in housing prices and subsequent crash? I think the oil game is going to be the next big scam following the dot.bomb, Enron, and housing debacles.
#5868 of 10042
Re: Shoot... [imidazol97] by coontie66
Apr 17, 2008 (9:19 am)

Replying to: imidazol97 (Apr 17, 2008 4:03 am)

Man you got that right. I listened to the debate last night (Democratic) neither Hllarious or BAMMER has a straight answer.. GEEEZE and giving US $0.18 a gallon break on gas this summer is really nothing. Diesel is over $4 a gallon now for 8 weeks.. Gas in NC $3.40+/-...
 
Where is that long promised energy policy promise?
#5869 of 10042
Re: A case against Mass Transit [larsb] by jae5
Apr 17, 2008 (10:03 am)

Replying to: larsb (Apr 16, 2008 10:35 am)

Sure, I agree. I've been on good RT and bad RT, in this city and in others. I agree, SF has a very good system. DC's is good as well. I have had good and bad on CTA / RTA, with most of the bad being CTA and good RTA and Metra. And with the latest multiple "doomsday" and cost run-ups happening with CTA I avoid it like the plague when I'm in the city.
 
I actually would like to take transit instead of driving, but for me it's a no-no for work route in terms only having the Metra train, the cost (pass, parking, time) and location. I car-pool as much as possible, get into work early and leave late to avoid as much traffic and hyper-mile (actually just doing the speed limit). And I can take multiple routes if one backs up to avoid the jam-ups.
#5870 of 10042
Re: Higher Price = Fewer Critics [1stpik] by kdhspyder
Apr 17, 2008 (10:26 am)

Replying to: 1stpik (Apr 17, 2008 5:01 am)

I'm in full agreement that $5 and $6 and $8 per gallon prices are just a matter of time for us the buying public. The prices will continue to escalate inexorably until we decide to stop using the product. That will drive down the price of fuel. However with an expanding country and and expanding economy there's little likelihood that we will ever be able to use less fuel. Therefore the prices are probably never coming down again. "What will you do when gas goes to $[ fill in number ]?" will probably be an annual thread, add one year, add $1 to the title.
 
The producers and the oil companies and the refiners are doing what's best for their shareholders and employees by keeping the prices as high as possible by limiting supply to match demand. We are not doing our part as a general rule. Certain like yourself are taking action. Most, meaning a majority, either can't react to the higher prices or they don't care or they are just hoping the nightmare ends and the 90's return again.
 
I don't see this as being Congress' problem or the oil producer's/marketer's problem or anyone's problem except ours. When we decide to buy less then the prices will come down.
 
Congrats on making a small difference.
#5871 of 10042
Re: Shoot... [lemko] by kernick
Apr 17, 2008 (10:38 am)

Replying to: lemko (Apr 17, 2008 9:07 am)

Betting on the future?
 
All business investment from the kid making lemonade, to the person opening a restaurant next month, to buying real estate, to stock and commodity trading is "betting on the future". It's unavoidable to most people. We need people who take risks.
 
Sounds a lot like those who thought real estate values would keep going up up up!
 
And they have historically and will. They just don't go up evenly year after year.
 
I think you are lumping illegal economics with perfectly legal actions of people to make money, when you use the "corrupt" examples. Wanting to make a lot of money on business transactions is not corrupt.
#5872 of 10042
Re: Shoot... [gagrice] by kdhspyder
Apr 17, 2008 (10:40 am)

Replying to: gagrice (Apr 17, 2008 7:45 am)

I think if you take a look at the last two energy bills pushed through Congress you will find the reason oil is so high. They are not well thought out when you are dealing with a World oil market. There is NO reason for $115 oil except that traders are betting on the future. They did it before and the oil market went all the way down to $9 per barrel. That was from an adjusted high in the $70 range.
 
Sorry Gary this is just an error in economics. There is a very real reason why fuel is $115 per bbl. Simply put, we are willing to pay that price. We haven't said "STOP, that's enough!!" It doesn't matter what the level of price is, as long as we are willing to pay it then it's the right price. There's a seller and there's a buyer.
 
The world is in perfect balance. If the producers said 'Hey we've decided that the price of oil should be $130 /bbl." If we pay it then that too is the fair market price.
 
There are a huge numbers of fuel users who just don't care what the price is. These users have certain wants / needs and they aren't willing to change anything, the price of fuel is of little concern and is not going to force them to change.
#5873 of 10042
Re: $4 is almost here! [imidazol97] by kdhspyder
Apr 17, 2008 (10:48 am)

Replying to: imidazol97 (Apr 17, 2008 8:38 am)

If they are doing this then it's just good business. It's keeping supply and demand in balance. When you go to a station and find it empty and dry then there's a real supply problem.
 
BTW there is no right of the buying public to purchase vehicles at less than MSRP or by using discounted rates or rebates. It's only a supply imbalance that has caused this. If the auto companies were smart enough they too would limit the supply to match demand and raise prices. But they have other issues which must be addressed first.
 
The steel companies are currently in exactly the same position as the oil companies. With the growth of China and India there is too much demand chasing a limited supply. Wholesale prices have jumped 50-100%.
#5874 of 10042
Re: Shoot... [kernick] by bpizzuti
Apr 17, 2008 (10:56 am)

Replying to: kernick (Apr 17, 2008 10:38 am)

Wanting to make a lot of money on business transactions is not corrupt.
 
No, but manipulating the markets so you're guaranteed to make a lot of money on business transactions is corrupt. In some situations, it's also illegal.
#5875 of 10042
Re: Shoot... [bpizzuti] by kdhspyder
Apr 17, 2008 (12:51 pm)

Replying to: bpizzuti (Apr 17, 2008 10:56 am)

If it's a matter of just holding back supply, if that's even possible in this day and age, or controlling the throughput of refineries to match seasonal demand then that's not corrupt it's just good business practices.
 
If in turn this control/matching drives up prices for a while, well then that's our decision to buy the product at those prices or not. You're viewing this from the perspective that you must have fuel. But that's not a given. None of us 'need' fuel. We 'want' fuel. That's a huge difference. We've come to expect that fuel is readily available at almost no cost.
 
That paradigm has changed. It may become a luxury.
#5876 of 10042
Re: Shoot... [kdhspyder] by bpizzuti
Apr 17, 2008 (1:04 pm)

Replying to: kdhspyder (Apr 17, 2008 12:51 pm)

Here's the deal. Yes, it makes sense for oil companies to lower the supply to increase their profits. But that only works if ALL of them do it. If even one oil company decides to halve it's profits by cutting prices and increasing supplies, then THEY make a bunch of money while the other oil companies get the shaft, because they pick up sales, increasing their income (and hence their profits).
 
Which means it's entirely possible that there is collaboration going on regarding keeping the supply low. Which is illegal (check the statutes on monopolism and abuse).

Messages Page 588 of 1005
1
...
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
...
1005
Prev
Next
Last
Go To Msg #
Search This Discussion

New? Join Now!

Forum Tools

Please sign in.
Email Address:

Password:

Forgot Password?

Search Forums

Enter Keyword(s)

Advanced Search

Browse by Vehicle



View All Vehicles
Advertisement
Ask the Community
See What People Are Asking

Browse by Board

Browse by Topic


View All Topics

Today's Chats

Advertisement