Gas prices

[fudgejerkin1188]

Fuel duty works out around 60% and its pretty similar throughout most of Europe. Fuel my be costly but there are other benefits so I'm staying put (good to have a moan every now and then though).

[Klavdy]

Nov 6, 2012

2008,
who was in charge in June 2008?

[andyb]

For comparison, tax on fuel in the states (for typical road use, farm diesel is different, for example) is around $0.50/gal.  Drop the taxes from the equation, and fuel prices start looking a little closer, though still not anywhere near each other.

Then again, I'm one of very few people who's hoping gas prices skyrocket this summer.  I'm wanting to buy a car that actually has some damned horsepower, and high gas price always kills the market on them   Seeing as I drive all of 300mi per month, it doesn't hurt very much.

[simi_ed]

Lets see, in June 2008 ...  That would be GW Bush.  So Mr K, you got me thinking, I wonder Just how high gas prices are today, in the LA area, where I live?  So I did a quick search of Gasbuddy, and voilá, Gas prices are just as high today as your picture!  Hmmmmm...


IIRC, GW Bush is living in retirement in Dallas, and BHO is president.  Oh, BTW, this is February 25.  A good portion of the US is still frozen inside their winter lair, and this well before the summer driving season, when gas spikes.  Hang on, you may see $6/gal by rally time.  I hope I'm wrong, but I think not.

[Dan Filetti]

Lets see, in June 2008 ...  That would be GW Bush.  So Mr K, you got me thinking, I wonder Just how high gas prices are today, in the LA area, where I live?  So I did a quick search of Gasbuddy, and voilá, Gas prices are just as high today as your picture!  Hmmmmm...


IIRC, GW Bush is living in retirement in Dallas, and BHO is president.  Oh, BTW, this is February 25.  A good portion of the US is still frozen inside their winter lair, and this well before the summer driving season, when gas spikes.  Hang on, you may see $6/gal by rally time.  I hope I'm wrong, but I think not.

Further to Ed's point, if you will recall, back in 2008, the refineries (2 of them) were damaged significantly enough from Katrina to be off line back then.  Seems to me, this fact more than anything else, lead to the high fuel prices back then.  Note, there were speculators driving the prices up as well, but that was 'normal' seasonal speculation.

Who's in charge now, and what is HIS excuse?  Maybe He wants it that way?


Obama Wanted High Gas Prices...Gradually (2008 Election Campaign)

Just sayin

Dan

[Klavdy]

More to the point, who sets the fuel prices?
Do you think it is the various Govts or the free market?
Is fuel tied to the benchmark spot market weighted average for,say, Texas Light Sweet Crude(WTI) in NYMEX or Singapore or do other factors determine what the pump price is?

[terryk]

More to the point, who sets the fuel prices?
Do you think it is the various Govts or the free market?
Is fuel tied to the benchmark spot market weighted average for,say, Texas Light Sweet Crude(WTI) in NYMEX or Singapore or do other factors determine what the pump price is?

Fucking evil thieves who care for nothing but money and their own enrichment. You know, "capitalists".

[simi_ed]

I dunno, who does set the prices?  By your last post, I got that you were pointing the finger at GWB.  So if that's the case, I'd say BHO is responsible now. 

I think that the president is responsible for the price, even if he's a victim to external forces or his own bad policy.  I also think we're getting ripped off by speculating folks bidding the prices up, and the oil companies selling fuel to overseas customers while the US is paying near record high prices.

[Klavdy]

Not quite pointing fingers, Ed.
Merely pointing out that whoever is POTUS doesn't really seem to matter when it comes to gas prices.
Or was that lost on you?

[simi_ed]

Well, my non-finger pointing friend, I guess your subtlety was lost on me.  Over here, a great deal of blame was assigned to GWB by the "news media" and the political Left over the 2008 spike in gas prices.  There were even accusation that GWB & VP Dick Cheny were personally profiting due to the high gas prices.

Fast forward to 2012:  We're again seeing near record gas prices and there had been nary a peep in the media.  I believe that is because the press here is over 90 in same party as POTUS.  As Dan Filetti pointed out, candidate 0bama hoped for higher gas prices, "as long as they don't rise too fast".   That is unacceptable rhetoric from POTUS, IMHO.

If gas prices continue to spike, it will stall the anemic recovery that is taking a toe-hold in the US.  We still have about 15% unemployment here http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t15.htm.  We have MILLIONS of folks that have given up looking fora job, or are working part time because that's what they can find!  Again, unacceptable! 

We also have a POTUS that derailed a pipeline that would have employed thousands in construction, and would have brought Canadian oil to the US for refinement & sale, or even export.  A poor choice, I believe.

So, while 0bama or Bush don't or didn't set the prices, they still have influence over the price of oil & gasoline, and the price of gas IS one of the yard-sticks that folks use to determine who to vote for.  Me, I don't care if it is $1/gal or $10/gal, I'm voting to throw him out in November!

[Klavdy]

Sorry Ed, you are my mate.
I've got to stop messing with you on these political subjects.
You do know I've been deliberately doing it, yeah?
It's just so tempting and you get so vexed.
Dick move on my part, apologies.