So why is gas so expensive?

[Scooby 0]

Paid the most i have ever paid tonight..

 

This is freakin stupid

[IMMensaMind 459]

Paid the most i have ever paid tonight..

 

This is freakin stupid

 

 

:mad: ...BUSH!!!!!! ... :mad:

 

it always seemed to work for the libruhls...

[GettnHuge 1]

The gubmint makes it an expensive business. We don't have an oil supply problem, although it affects the cost. We have a

refining capacity problem. We need more refineries, but none have been built over the last few decades while the demand

has increased greatly. Gubmint enviro regulations are too steep and big oil doesn't even try to fight it. decades ago, refineries

only had to produce a few blends of gasoline nationwide, nowadays they have to produce many. Sanfrancisco politicos voted to

require their own special gas be sold there, states do the same thing. Can't sell that gas outside of sanfran, can't sell any other

blend of gas inside of sanfran. This is going on nationwide. It's like saying you are no longer allowed to buy regular coffee anymore,

you have to buy starbucks coffee. The same local and state politicians who vote on these gas blend regulations, are the first to

point at big oil and say they are the ones screwing the public.

 

everyone points at big oil for being corrupt, I wouldn't say that, what they do is not fight those regulations because those force the

price higher. They could build more refineries, but why put forth all that effort and cost against the gov't? the tax per gallon, the

price of oil, etc they play a part, but the expensive bottleneck in the system is the refining capacity.

[zmanzzzz 1]

i havent bought gas in over 7 years.

[redtodd 7]

Because you are willing to pay for it.

[nikki2200 4]

Because it's something no one can live without and they can charge whatever the fock they want for it.

[SUXBNME 1,335]

Because it's something no one can live without and they can charge whatever the fock they want for it.

You quack me up

[nikki2200 4]

You quack me up

 

Yea..... it's because some civil war in Ishkistanibibul that mysteriously made the price go up. They stopped even trying to fake that there is a reason for it. The price will go up until people cut down their driving again then it will start going down.

[Bishop82 61]

Towelheads

[NorthernVike 2,080]

It's still not that expensive.

 

 

In 1960 a candy bar was a nickle and gas was 31 cents. Today a candy bar is $1 and gas is $3.20. So a candy bar is 20 times more expensive and gas is only 10 times more expensive.

 

 

 

 

So quit your bitchin'

[Voice_Of_Reason 0]

It's still not that expensive.

 

 

In 1960 a candy bar was a nickle and gas was 31 cents. Today a candy bar is $1 and gas is $3.20. So a candy bar is 20 times more expensive and gas is only 10 times more expensive.

 

 

 

 

So quit your bitchin'

True, but in 1960 your mom charged $1.00 for a BJ and now chargers $.25 for a BJ. So she is 4 times cheaper. Or she's gone done 4 times.

[NorthernVike 2,080]

Or she's gone done 4 times.

[Voice_Of_Reason 0]

Sorry....

 

What's gas like where you're at? I just paid $3.89/gallon here.

[parrot 789]

We need more refineries, but none have been built over the last few decades while the demand

has increased greatly.

 

This it true, but misleading. While no new refineries have been built, refining capacity had steadily increased due to expansion of existing facilities.

[RLLD 3,455]

This it true, but misleading. While no new refineries have been built, refining capacity had steadily increased due to expansion of existing facilities.

 

:popcorn:

[Scooby 0]

Sorry....

 

What's gas like where you're at? I just paid $3.89/gallon here.

 

$3.34

[Voice_Of_Reason 0]

$3.34

[jocstrap 8]

It's not expensive YET. Bump this thread when you are paying a $1.50 more than today's price. This is only the beginning

[edjr 5,566]

It's not expensive YET. Bump this thread when you are paying a $1.50 more than today's price. This is only the beginning

 

TROOTH!

 

I fill up once a week, I'll live.

[RicemanX 20]

I saw $4 today. Definitely figuring out carpools now. Might as well do something about it rather than just whine about it.

[Mungwater 588]

I saw $4 today. Definitely figuring out carpools now. Might as well do something about it rather than just whine about it.

 

Give your roomates a rent increase

[Recliner Pilot 61]

Obama wants it that way. Or at least he says. He wants gas prices high so he can push the tarded idea of high speed rail and "green energy". That's why he has shut down new drilling in the United States.

 

 

No need to worry though. Obama to the rescue!!!!!!!!

 

[SUXBNME 1,335]

lolz

[Recliner Pilot 61]

lolz

[IMMensaMind 459]

This it true, but misleading. While no new refineries have been built, refining capacity had steadily increased due to expansion of existing facilities.

 

..but no where near the threshold needed to ensure that oil instability in foreign markets wouldn't substantially sway prices here. We are on the price roller coaster because lefties have been pushing for alternative energy. Part of that strategy has been suppressing domestic drilling, or other attempts to collect domestic resources. Since we haven't drilled here, we're paying through the nose every time some tinpot dictator decides to do something which threatens the world's oil markets.

 

Think of 11 people fighting for 10 chairs: the cost of chairs skyrockets, because one person in desperate need of a chair will be looking to outbid the others. It doesn't take much of an imbalance of demand over supply in order to really swing prices of goods (or services).

[parrot 789]

..but no where near the threshold needed to ensure that oil instability in foreign markets wouldn't substantially sway prices here. We are on the price roller coaster because lefties have been pushing for alternative energy. Part of that strategy has been suppressing domestic drilling, or other attempts to collect domestic resources. Since we haven't drilled here, we're paying through the nose every time some tinpot dictator decides to do something which threatens the world's oil markets.

 

Think of 11 people fighting for 10 chairs: the cost of chairs skyrockets, because one person in desperate need of a chair will be looking to outbid the others. It doesn't take much of an imbalance of demand over supply in order to really swing prices of goods (or services).

 

True enough, having a dependable oil supply at a relatively consistent price is our biggest problem, but even domestically produced oil is going to be subject to the ebbs and flows of the international market... and I wasn't talking about drilling, I was talking about refining.

 

I was merely pointing out that while it's true that there haven't been any new refineries built in the last 30 years, it's not as if our refining capacity has remained stagnant in that time frame, as that's the implication that oft quoted fact is meant to convey. I don't know that many of the bigs have much desire to build new refineries as they get better economies of scale by expanding the existing ones.

[tikigods 76]

I was in northern Vermont yesterday and paid $3.55. It's only $3.07 in my town. NH has low gas taxes.

[RLLD 3,455]

I was in northern Vermont yesterday and paid $3.55. It's only $3.07 in my town. NH has low gas taxes.

 

Because no one wants to live there...

[tikigods 76]

Because no one wants to live there...

 

Also we power our cars with methane.

[RLLD 3,455]

Also we power our cars with methane.

 

Wha..... I should slap the fock out of you....

[tikigods 76]

Wha..... I should slap the fock out of you....

 

Speeds up global warming. It's fvcking cold up here today...

[RLLD 3,455]

Speeds up global warming. It's fvcking cold up here today...

 

You wants daddy to warm you up pumpkin?

[tikigods 76]

You wants daddy to warm you up pumpkin?

 

[Drizzay 646]

$3.09 here in CO.

 

[TheNewGirl 1,031]

I paid $3.22 this AM.

 

I fill up maybe once a week or so, I work at home a lot.

 

My car is over 4 years old with less than 38K miles on it.

[SUXBNME 1,335]

I paid $3.22 this AM.

 

I fill up maybe once a week or so, I work at home a lot.

 

My car is over 4 years old with less than 38K miles on it.

Where the hell did you go to get it that cheap? It's around $3.69 in my hood.

[CantTouchThis 23]

Many experts predicted that gas production would peak in 2010. It's all downhill from here. 5 years from now you will kill for $4 a gallon.

[RLLD 3,455]

Many experts predicted that gas production would peak in 2010. It's all downhill from here. 5 years from now you will kill for $4 a gallon.

 

This kind of move will be all it really takes for people to start to move away from fossil fuels, it will be the greed of those involved in the oil industry that prematurely destroys their own market...

[sheadtoo 1]

There is a handful of refineries here in Delaware that have been shut down for ages, at least 5-6 years. One of which was built then shut down like 3 months later.

[DanXIII 8]

True enough, having a dependable oil supply at a relatively consistent price is our biggest problem, but even domestically produced oil is going to be subject to the ebbs and flows of the international market... and I wasn't talking about drilling, I was talking about refining.

 

I was merely pointing out that while it's true that there haven't been any new refineries built in the last 30 years, it's not as if our refining capacity has remained stagnant in that time frame, as that's the implication that oft quoted fact is meant to convey. I don't know that many of the bigs have much desire to build new refineries as they get better economies of scale by expanding the existing ones.

 

These are good points. In any event, the tired old "Gas-is-expensive-because-we-don't-have-enough-refining-capacity" argument simply doesn't mesh with the current crisis. These arguments are only valid if there is a supply squeeze. There isn't...in fact there is a glut of supply right now and demand is still moderately weak given the slow pace of economic recovery worldwide.

 

Blaming refining capacity, or even drilling for that matter, on the price of gas right now is like blaming high fried rice prices on the fact that there aren't enough farmers growing and processing rice, even though there are millions of tons of excess rice held in storage that nobody is buying.

 

We can quadruple refining capacity for all I care, it won't matter. Saudi Arabia is far and away the largest oil producer in the world, and any unrest in that region is going to cause a spike in oil prices. If oil companies really thought they needed additional refining capacity they could easily build new refineries in countries like Mexico, et al in the Carribean/Central America and avoid the ire of the "NIMBY" crowd here in the US. They haven't. That should tell us something.