Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Common Interests wtf Gas price keep going up

xxx
#$^^%&^$*&*&*$*^%&^%*^%& bush need to go765868 * * ^*^* &**&*&&*)(&(*OY*)*)()()()*()*()*))*)*(*))&()()*()*)(*)*4444444444

Can you clarify?

I think we should tax it so people drive less and use less gas. Then the price will go down.

He means tax the hell out of it.

As I said in another Forum, I'd be happy to pay a 25 cent tax on gasoline, as long as the money went straight into State Highway Fund coffers.

Our roads are turning to [censored] so fast in this country it's not even funny. We better invent Star Trek-like Transporters soon because within 20 years interstate commerce will cease to function.

At this point in time, a 25 cent gas tax would increase my gas bill for some 15% -- like $15/month. That's a small price to pay for what would be a HUGE increase in state highway funds and the ability to actually drive on decent roads in a few years.

Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of construction jobs that would be created.

Its because we're fighting the war in Iraq for oil.

Just to add a little bit of level-set here in terms of why prices are going up. It all boils down to traditional supply and demand, but here's a blurb from my humble and imperfect perspective on the details of the question, "WHY?"...

1) High-Use Season: Peak petroleum use season is here, folks. Prices reflect this increased demand. Almost always has.

2) Refining Capability: US refining capability is lower than ever. Gas doesn't convert itself from oil; it takes a refinery to seperate that particular product from crude oil. Given that refineries are extraordinarily capital-intensive, I don't see the private sector stepping forward (just yet) to start building new ones here stateside...

...in short, you can be sitting on a mountain of oil but it doesn't mean squat unless you can convert that into gas.

3) RFG (Reformulated gas): Thank EPA mandates for this additional bump in price in certain areas of the country. Certain "blends" of gas are much more expensive to create; this additional expense certainly gets passed on to the customer

4) OPEC Supply Reduction: The OPEC cartel has reduced supply, thereby affecting crude oil prices and sending the raw material price (crude oil) up. This also gets passed on to the customer paying at the pump.

5) Global Increase in Oil Consumption: Even though it's a larger issue than this, I like to sum it one up in one word: CHINA.

Their exploding economy is going to cause the US no ENDS of grief, as they will be aggressively competing with us in terms of petroleum demand as the Chinese population keeps climbing the stairs of prosperity.



Increased demand with a supply that is staying steady (if you're optimistic) or starting to fail and drop off (my view) is basic math.

Enjoy $1.70-1.80 gas while you can. My guess is the next 5 years will bring prices up to the $2.75-3.00 range and it will only go up from there.

Yeah, no [censored]. Gas prices are going up, and they will continue to go up, and they SHOULD continue to go up because THERE IS NOT AN ENDLESS SUPPLY OF GASOLINE!!!

It doesn't matter if we're in the Middle East for oil or not because the amount of oil is still finite. No matter what, a shrinking supply combined with ever increasing demand (especially from a country with little oil to begin with) will cause prices to go up.

It's not anyone's fault, and it probably isn't price gouging, it's that we use HUGE amounts of petroleum for everything from making plastic hearts to powering the lights at the hydrogen fuel cell research lab, and there isn't anywhere we can get more to replenish the shrinking supply.