I'm getting sorta pissed, what does the gov't have to do with gas prices?

[Inchworm]

'splain, complain or whatever.. but wtf does the officials we elect have to do with it?

:grr:

[ingac70]

1. Any number of things...

one being the value of the dollar... oil is traded in dollars, ya know, and the dollar is 50% lower against the euro since Pres. Chucklenuts invaded Iraq. Stupid economic and foreign policy come back to bite us all in the ass.

[Inchworm]

5. Guess I need to read up on it

but.. hey! Can a Prez drive the dollar by not being a doofus?

:)

[ingac70]

8. Not cutting taxes while spending like a ...

sailor in a whorehouse woulda sent the dollar in a better direction.

[Inchworm]

16. but that's just sense?

how does that play in fuels?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIPv9AtZ2zE

:P

[ingac70]

17. By effecting the value of the dollar...

remember, oil is traded in dollars. The more worthless the dollar becomes, the more expensive oil gets.

[Inchworm]

21. thx

:)

[fla nocount]

2. Without regulation and the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, nothing. n/t

[midnight]

3. They hold back the reserve I think. They keep production

down. Then they apply that law of capitalism-supply and demand.

[Inchworm]

6. Thats too simple..

I thought that too. Should we write our congressmen saying "release the reserves?"

:)

[fl410]

10. The reserve (you mean the 'strategic pet reserve' I imagine) is about a month's worth

of usage. It's a convenient political talking point but means less than shit in the real world.

[ingac70]

12. ....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Petroleum_Reserve

"According to the World Factbook<5>, the United States imports a net 12 million barrels (1,900,000 m³) of oil a day (MMbd), so the SPR holds about a 58-day supply. However, the maximum total withdrawal capability from the SPR is only 4.4 million barrels (700,000 m³) per day, making it a 160 + day supply."

[LostInAnomie]

4. The governement shapes the policies that help entrench fossil energy.

Through subsidies, tax breaks, military intervention, etc. the government has aided fossil energy, making it the dominant form of energy. This hasn't been done for our benefit. It has been done for the benefit of a select few. It is very anti-free market, but if it benefits big the people that write the big campaign checks, no one seems to care.

A lot of people, myself included, feel that if the government is going to play an active role in shaping the course of the free market it should be done for the benefit of the many instead of the few. They should have started setting up serious subsidies for alternative energy, raised the mileage standards dramatically, etc. Instead, they were happy to allow our country to become further and further entrenched in fossil energy, and now we are in some shit.

[Inchworm]

7. what you say is how I understand it too

so, why bithch about gas prices when it is the policies that are flawed? That may be what Gore was getting across?

:)

[fl410]

9. VERY little, -directly-. Think Butterfly Effect.

It's like that.
:-)

[Inchworm]

13. so is smoking in the boy's room

hehe

:P

[bigmoon]

11. They are in bed with the oil companies

They suck up to them

[Inchworm]

14. Sucking is one thing

butt...

:P

[Imagevision]

15. Simple, first and foremost bush & Cheney are oilmen, why do you think we invaded Iraq...!

[Inchworm]

19. The sand? glass production?

geesh...

[seabeyond]

18. it would be nice to know what cheney's energy policy was beginnning of first term when

he got all his oil buddies together to decide what the u.s. oil and energy policy would be for this nation. who knows how much me are actually getting fucked, considering their record profits at our expense. further i believe they were also allowed a cut in what they pay cause they cant "afford" what they were paying to govt. not remembering the specifics on that.

i do know i dont trust either cheney or bush when it comes between them making a buck or saving me a buck

[Inchworm]

20. Would you elect a sherriff based on his oil policy?