HELP STOP Summer Price Gouging..

[rob chaw]

Hi,



Can you face another summer where a day trip to the lake or the beach costs you an arm and a leg? It's shaping up to be just that if we don't ask Congress to stand up to Big Oil now.



But there is a bill in the House this week that could make gas price gouging a federal crime, so we don't pay more while the oil companies rake in record profits. I signed a petition to urge my representative to pass this bill this week -- can you join me at the link below?



http://pol.moveon.org/stoppricegouging/?r_by=-8169362-jLLDy5&rc=mailto





Thanks!

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Oh dear....not the "price gouging" thread again.



Thanks Rob!

 

[Ray McIntireJr]

OH Rob, you are asking for it with that post.

 

[Rick Kent]

Will anyone really cancel or postpone a vacation this year because gas is $3.50-$4.00 a gallon instead of $2.79-$3.25?



Think aboutt this in rational terms. A $1 increase per gallon in gas on a trip that uses 100 galons of gas cost you $100 more. If you cancel a vacation over such a small amount, you could not afford to go in the first place.



Does it make sense to sell your ST, take a huge hit on depreciation and then put more money into a more fuel efficient car? When you annualize the costs, it will take years to recoupe the difference.



I am not saying I like to pay more for gas but I am seeing too many polls about "Will you change your plans this summer if gas goes to X.XX/gal?".

NO!!!



And to address the price gouging issue, Congress is the last entity on the planet capable of addressing this issue with any success.

 

[Rodger Tellefson]

The problem is that politicians are part of the problem; partners with big oil that is. So, unless they divest themsleves from their vested interest there will be no change. All they care about is lining their pockets any way they can.

 

[LoriMaury Kimbrough]

My problem with the bill is the vague language used. AZ already has price gouging laws and I can count on 1 hand the number of times they've been able to prove price gouging on fuel. I don't really see it doing any good. Besides, based on comments from the White House yesterday, I'm sure Bush will veto it anyway.



Will my summer plans change, yep....the boat will be in the yard more than it will be in the water.

 

[Todd Z]

Fkent, We had people not come to Louisville because gas prices went up $0.25 !!!!!!



I calculated it was an extra $40.00 in gas for my 2300 mile trip...



Todd Z

 

[user 62394]

Michigan has price gouging laws as well. The Michigan Attorney General prosecuted several gas stations that jacked up prices immediately following September 11.



A Federal law will change ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Why? Because what is going on now is not price gouging. It is free market trends.



I am sure that there are many who say the free market should be eliminated and that prices should be fixed. Ask California electrical customers how fixing electrical prices has worked out for them.



Rocks

 

[kil roy]

hang on while i climb on top of my soapbox





i don't think its that another $40 or another $100 will kill you

i believe that its the principal as in "where will it end"

if people continue to become complacent as the vast majority

has in this country with the attitude that nothing i can do will

stop it then the price will continue to rise.



if 1/3 of the people in this country would just stop driving for one week

that would gain attention from the oil companies, better yet if people would boycott

just one brand of gas instead of that stupid gasout that did absolutely nothing

on may 15th that would get their attention as in BOYCOTT EXXON/MOBIL

and once their gas starts backing up they wont have a choice but lower the

price to get it moving because they cant sell to one of the other major

brands because the have different chemicals that they add to

"drive your engine clean" so to speak.



i for one was against allowing the oil companies to merge back in 2000

and knew from previous history what would happen

"standard oil and john d Rockefeller"

once Exxon was allowed to merge with Mobil the floodgates were opened and

the other big oil companies started to ask the feds for permission and it was granted,

we went from about 15 distinct oil companies in this country to 7 and all one has to do

is look that their profits since they merged for the proof that they are in collusion with

one another and they can continue to get away with it because a lot of people

still want to blame the Arab's/OPEC for the higher prices because its easy to

blame them instead of throwing the blame where it belongs with BIG OIL.



you know i was listening to some economists speak at the end of last year on one of the Sunday morning news programs and they stated that oil would have to be $99 a barrel for gasoline to be $3 bucks a gallon so who is right?????



also i don't know if many of you have heard but supposedly this latest boost in prices they claim is because the refineries were pulled off line for maintenance causing the gasoline stockpiles in this country to drop, these same oil companies promised a couple of years ago that they were going to build some new refineries so they could increase gasoline output so things like this wouldn't happen, lets face it why increase output when you can cut back and drive prices through the roof thereby making twice as much profit on half the amount you

are selling. shrewd indeed............



now before i get off of my soapbox i can tell you that FINALLY after the last few years

of me badgering them it was announced this morning that one of our congressman here in NJ has recently begun investigating the oil companies and started looking in to how prices and profits have skyrocketed since the merges took place back in 2000.





ok "im off my soapbox now"

 

[Rick Kent]

Todd Z,



I know people do things that are irrational. I want people to start thinking for themselves and put it all in perspective.



High gas prices suck but it can be compensated for in other ways if you really need to make ends meet.



How about buying store brand cornflakes, bulk toilet paper and eat at home a little more instead of going out?



Put the Air Jordans down and buy a pair of cheap tennis shoes instead. Buy Little Debbie instead of Hostess.....



I can go on but I am using more electrons than I have budget for.

 

[TomT]

Your better off trying to get the government to stop taxing gas and making more profit on gasoline as the oil companies.

Oil companies make about 6% profit per sale. Around 20% of each sale is taxes!

 

[Rick Kent]

RichM,



Good luck with the boycott. See you at $5/gallon...



Gas is still cheap on an inflation adjusted basis. I can't say the same for the price of new housing, medical care or college tuition. All of which has far outpaced inflation.



The latest "stat" I heard on gas prices was that gas is now more expensive on a real dollar/inflation adjusted basis then it was in 1981, 26 years ago when it was on average $1.35/gal.



What else in our everyday consumer lives has gone up slower than the price of gas?



The outrage comes when it goes up suddenly and sometimes for reasons that are suspect. If it went up 1 penny a month for the last 26 years no one would notice.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Fkent, others,



I think we ALL underestimate the impact that a 50% increase (or more) in one's monthly auto fuel bill over a short period of time has on their budget and the overall economy.



Yes, families and individuals can and most do trim some spending here or there to make ends meet, and you gave examples: cutting back on premium brand products; buying in bulk; less convenience items; etc.



However, all of those things, and more impact retailers. By stealing from Peter the retailer to pay Paul the Quickie-Mart attendant, the average consumer reduces the profits of the retailers, considerably, because those lower cost, lesser brand items have lower profit margins. And when you lower the profits of retailers what do they do to compensate? Answer - they raise their prices across the board. So as gas prices go up, so do prices for everything else as retailers try to chase profits.



Of course, as fuel costs go up, durable goods and services go up as well, because they have to be hauled, provided, etc, and that takes energy.



Food, hotel and tourism industries are hit hard because those are typically luxury items that people cut back on first in times of penny-pinching.



So, yes, the average consumer can and will still be able to make ends meet...but it will cost us all as they do so, and have a compounding effect on everyone's bottom line.



TJR

 

[Rick Kent]

TJR,



I agree 100% with the downstream effects of gas price increases. Next year I will pay more for consumer goods.



That will not stop me from going on vacation this year and spending an extra $30-$50 on gas.



The economy will compensate for higher gas prices in the form of higher inflation. Higher inflation results in the cost of labor going up. When labor prices go up my wages go up (hopefully at a faster pace). LIke the instructions on shampoo, lather, rinse, repeat, so goes the economy.



The bottom of the food chain will get left behind as they always do.



I will ponder the deeper meaing of higher gas next week while sitting in the outer banks drinking a beer and listening to the surf crash up on the beach.....

 

[Tom Schindler]

We are our own worst enemy when it comes to gas prices. We have to buy imported goods, be it cars, tools, clothing, etc. to "save money".



It takes oil to get those items shipped to us from China, Japan, Korea, etc. They money we are saving by having Chang make those cheap tools, we are giving it back in the price of fuel.



It is only going to get worse as time goes on and more and more goods are coming into our borders.



Also, as we help countries like China "develop", they are not in the market for oil, again bringing the price of fuel to rise. I have been called names for living with the belief of "charity starts at home" and by not buying these imported cars and goods when I have options to buy them built here by American companies with American men and women. Even if it costs me a little more, I try to buy domestic goods whenever I reasonably can.



Americans do not want to use public trasnsportation unless it is absolutly necessary.



I spent 3 months working in Mannheim, Germany. I could travel around the city for less money and less hassle using the public trasnportation verses driving our van. I traveled to visit my grandmother in Hannover, Germany for 1/2 the price it would have been for me to drive the same distance here in the USA. Best part was I could enjoy the ride. The train was clean, well taken care of, and went fast....very fast. Sometimes over 120 MPH.



People say government involvement in things is always in bad news, but from what I have seen, government involvement can be good.



The public transportation in Germany is simply awesome.



While over there, I took another trip to Hannover, three to Frankfurt, one to Wiesbaden, and one to Munich to go to the Oktoberfest. Every trip I took on their train system has been nothing short of steller.



What options do we have here? Lame public transportation in the majority of areas in the USA. We want to travel on vacation and don't want to drive. We got Amtrack and Greyhound.



Both leave alot to desire and many times, it is cheaper to drive ourself.





Tom

 

[Johnny O]

If you put price controls on gas then all you will end up with is gas shortages and we'll be back to lines and odd and even days. I'm old and I remember that.

Best to just write your Senators and Congressmen and tell them to allow drilling for the stuff wherever it is found, build more refnineries, and that one blend of gas for the whole country is fine.

Also remember that the government takes way more money from each gallon than the oil companies do.

 

[TomT]

I agree with you about public transportation. It's a joke in America.



Now excuse me while I drive my gas guzzling SUV to the mega mall so I can pick up some compact fluorescent lightbulbs and a copy of "An Inconvenient Truth" on DVD.

 

[Nelson Atwell]

Good luck with the boycott. See you at $5/gallon...

I wish...over $6.00/gal here.

 

[A K]

I spent 3 months working in Mannheim, Germany. I could travel around the city for less money and less hassle using the public trasnportation verses driving our van.

The Trac went to Long Island, but it does not move more than once per week. I'm spending $25 or so a week using the train to Philly. Suburban Station is one block from my building. Mileage + parking would be about $150/week. I'm loving it.

 

[Dre L]

I moved to another state for lower gas prices. Screw NYC.