I find it hard to believe that after being raped by OPEC and our own gas companies for the past couple years, we now find our own gas companies taking advantage of a national disaster. Within hours of Katrina hitting gas prices jumped. I realize that some refineries were hit and that New Orleans is a major port for importing oil but all fuel in stations and storage yards around the country had no effective change in cost.
In some parts of the country gas prices doubled in 2 days, here in Phoenix it went up $.70 in 2 days. They are saying it could hit $4 a gal within a month. This will effect the cost of everything you buy as well and you will see the price of everything go up because of the costs to transport it to the stores you shop in.
Check it out the oil companies have been producing record profits for the past couple years, with profits up 800 to 1,000%.
What can we do?
1 Write you Congressman
As much as I hate seeing the government involved in anything write a note to your U.S. Congressman to let them know that you are very concerned about the price of gas in our Country and you would like them to start work on legislation that would help control the cost of gas and prevent the gouging by our own oil companies. An easy way to contact your Congressman is to click here: http://mygov.governmentguide.com/mygov/dbq/officials/ Just type in your zip code and put your State in the drop down box. Select your Congressman and in the contact information you can write a note right there. If you don't know who your congressman is, you can go to this site to find out http://www.house.gov/writerep/.
2. Affect the gas companies sales. Most experts agree to affect price we need to cut consumption.
A couple of ways I think would be affective are:
We as bikers can do that easier than others.... Ride your bike to work at least one day per week. If you drive 40 per day round trip and get 15 MPG in your car and 40 on your bike you will cut your weekly gas consumption by 12 1/2% each day you ride your bike to work. Multiply that by the millions of bikers across the country and you are making an impact.
There are several ways that have been around the internet for years if only people would do them, the one I think would have an impact is to NOT buy from the majors only buy from the independents, even if they buy their gas from the majors you will affect the stations and stores of the majors. If all of a sudden sales drop in Mobile Oil's stations 20,30 or 40% both in gas and retail sales they will have to do something to bring people back in. The retail end is big dollars to them and they will fight to get it back. The one problem with this is that it requires us the consumer to make a change and people don't like change so while a few of us have done this in the past the majority of the sheep have kept buying at the same place they always have. Well with gas now becoming a major budget item in most households and people looking at cutting other expenses to cover gas costs maybe a few sheep will become wolves and start predatory tactics like this to help bring the cost down.
Hardbite
Hot deals on leather http://www.k9az.com/HD
I heard yesterday that the oil companys posted a 33 billion $$ profit for the last quarter...HMMMM!
But, buying from independnts wont hurt the biggies. The indpendants get their gas from the same storage tanks as the big ones do...depends on the best price they can get. I have actually seen a line of different 'name' brand trucks all lined up at the same storage tank.
The government likes to see high gas prices. More money in the pockets of their election contributors. Plus they get more fuel taxes to go in their slush fund. The sad part is this will put a lot of people out of work and cause the elderly to pay fuel bills instead of eat. The gap between the rich and poor groes wider every day. It will take more than writing letters to make a change "actions speak louder than words".
Blog on, Cowboy,
Park the Hummer for awhile, Ride the bike and bite the bullet. (Or hop on the bus, Gus).
Bottom line is: Even with the price gouging, gas prices are only 8 times higher than they were in 1950. Shell Premium was 38 cents a gallon then, including Federal and State taxes (Oregon). What other consumer product has maintained that low of an inflation rate?
The market controls the prices. No demand, no inflation.
When the retail locations either company owned or franchise are hit hard in both gas sales and retail sales the company will take a hit to the retail side of thier bottom line. And believe me the franchises will start raising hell with the company to do something.
Hardbite
Someone said the COST or a barrel of oil is 7 dollars and now they are going for 70 bucks. Also the profits PROFITS! of the oil companies is soaring into the billions! PROFITS....after expenses...yes, PROFITS...No doubt we are being ripped off.
Yup, their profits were 33 billion $$ last quarter...not bad for an industry that has said the need to raise prices to keep alive.
one CEO made 68 million last year.
poor oil people!!
When you hold your hand over your heart at the ball game, you get teary eyed about Democracy. That's what we're wacking the Iraqies over the head with, right?
Well, America is about Capitalism first. It's what this country is and why people in other countries want to come here. The Buck is at the base of our politics and society in general.
Uncle Please Pass the Gravy Ernie
Claude,
Before OPEC, oil was selling for $2.00 for a 42 Gallon barrel. $70.00 on the supply end? Now that's inflation. With the bidding on oil futures on Wall Street going the way it is, the high prices are a self fulfilling prophecy. It ain't just the oil companies. They're all out to get us.
Oh, Well! As the saying goes: If you got a guy by the "Nads" you're a damn fool if you don't squeeze just a little.
Lonnie
I'm doing my part. I rode every day this week. My rig is getting 34 MPG which is twice as much as my pickup so that is half as much that I'm giving to the oil companies.
