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Barney B. · 04-19-2006, 07:53 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Canuck:
...how about if we start pressuring the politicans to do somehting about the speed limits. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Leave the speed limits alone. Last time they tried regulating fuel usage with speed control it just made speeders out of millions of drivers.

My daily driver gets 25mpg at 75 and my MH gets 7mpg at 70. The real way for us to become "Part of the solution", is to park the MH.

If you can't afford the fuel, park the rig.

Canuck · 04-19-2006, 08:57 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Leave the speed limits alone. Last time they tried regulating fuel usage with speed control it just made speeders out of millions of drivers. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I was only trying to make the point that there is a direct correlation between speed and fuel consumption and that if fuel prices are driven by the supply and demand curve that we can significantly influence the demand through a reduction in speed as illustrated below.

Increasing your highway cruising speed from 55mph (90km/h) to 75mph (120km/h) can raise fuel consumption as much as 20%. You can improve your gas mileage 10 - 15% by driving at 55mph rather than 65mph (104km/h).
Note how quickly efficiency drops after 60 mph.

Canuck

jcarew · 04-25-2006, 06:36 AM

Should have bought exxon stock 5yrs ago, you would be smiling now. Everyone forgets one thing oil companies like any other business is in business to make money. Their C.E.O.,s are rewarded handsomly for their success.

Hitchhiker · 04-25-2006, 06:53 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">oil companies like any other business is in business to make money. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Fortunately, all business don't lack the integrity of the oil companies and gouge their excessive profits off the backs of the poor people and those working folks who barely are able to make it to the next paycheck. I doubt the rich oil executives care one iota that some people are going without the basic necessities of life such as medicine and food due to having to tap into their budgets for additional money at the pump.

I hope they rot in that fiery place with Satan for an eternity when their times come, paying penance for their greedy ways.

RustyJC · 04-25-2006, 07:09 AM

For those who believe that "big oil" sets world crude oil prices, I would ask why crude oil was selling for $10/bbl in the late 1990s and many of the oil field supply companies were closing down entirely, closing facilities and/or laying off many/most of their employees. The facts are that the anger I see here could be more accurately directed at OPEC (the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) and markets such as NYMEX (the New York Merchantile Exchange), where commodity traders establish the market prices of crude oil, natural gas and refined products just as the Chicago Board of Trade establishes prices for agricultural commodities.

Rusty

Teach · 04-25-2006, 08:00 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Hitchhiker:
I hope they rot in that fiery place with Satan for an eternity when their times come, paying penance for their greedy ways.

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Amen, Richard, Amen!

jcarew · 04-25-2006, 09:17 AM

HI hitchiker did not mean to upset any one,just stated some facts. If someone were truly upset at the conditions of the poor, they should be bringing down eternal wrath on The BIG Drug Co,s instead of the oil companies. If you have a prescription plan that hides the true cost of drugs you are lucky, But most people don,t have this luxury and frequently have to choose between medicine or food. This is much more serious than not having enough gasoline.

Hitchhiker · 04-25-2006, 10:17 AM

I think it'd be tough for anyone, from President Bush on down, to be able to convince the American public that the oil companies aren't gouging prices and reaping the benefits when we see oil execs retiring with a $400 million pension and when we see those same oil companies reporting higher profits than ever. It'd be a tough argument to say the least.

If the issue was only due to OPEC and the NYMEX market price of crude oil, why did the oil companies' profit margins skyrocket so much last summer shortly after Katrina? If oil companies were indeed only passing along higher crude costs, I'd think their profits would be the same or possibly a little less.

Regarding the drug companies, I suppose that would be a good subject for another thread in the "Just Conversation" forum considering this thread is a discussion about boycotting oil companies for their unscrupulous business practices.

RustyJC · 04-25-2006, 10:23 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Hitchhiker:
If the issue was only due to OPEC and the NYMEX market price of crude oil, why did the oil companies' profit margins skyrocket so much last summer shortly after Katrina? If oil companies were indeed only passing along higher crude costs, I'd think their profits would be the same or possibly a little less. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Profits were up because revenues were up because prices were up. IOW, they paid more for the crude but sold the refined products for more - the net result was that profit margin was relatively constant at around 10%.

Rusty

RustyJC · 04-25-2006, 10:54 AM

Economics 101 says that higher prices will result in efforts to increase supplies. Take a look HERE to see what's happening insofar as the number of active drilling rigs in North America are concerned. The worldwide active rig count changes are as follow:

2004 Full Year Average - 2395
2005 Full Year Average - 2746
2006 Year to Date Average - 3080

So, if "big oil" is trying to squeeze the supply side, why are they spending all the money required to punch more holes in the ground?

Rusty

04-25-2006, 02:19 PM

Right on RustyJC. The speculators on the stocks have a huge impact on energy prices and this is a run away.

Teach · 04-26-2006, 02:28 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Hitchhiker:...If the issue was only due to OPEC and the NYMEX market price of crude oil, why did the oil companies' profit margins skyrocket so much last summer shortly after Katrina?... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Good question, Richard. If you ask them they would tell us it was all due to an act of God. My humble opinion would have me say it was an act of greed. But let's not lose sight of the fact that while the oil companies made a profit of $36 Billion last year, the federal government collected $54 Billion in gas and oil taxes at the same time.

CyberVet65 · 04-26-2006, 03:21 PM

The only way for the price of fuel to cease rising is for it to have a soft market. That means that the cost of fuel for the ordinary consumer has maxxed and there is now a surplus of fuel.
When we stop buying it will stop rising.
Interesting side note. Love's just opened up a truck stop off the freeway. No change in price than every other staion in town. BUT fifteen miles outside of town there are 7 600,000 tanks being assembled. Some folks would call that a "tank farm". That is where the fuel goes when there is a soft maket. They sit on it until they buying of the fuel begins again.
Of course this is just my opinion. I have no inside info.
Chet

rebelsbeach · 04-26-2006, 04:02 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by PJRACER:
If you didn't know already----There is a BOYCOTT going on of all EXXON/MOBILE gas stations in the USA ----and it will continue until prices come down to the $1.30 per gallon range. NOW the big question is: Are you part of the SOLUTION or are you going to be part of the PROBLEM???? Don't tell us that this won't work-----if you have an e-mail list---pass it on to your list. In a matter or days there will be close to 300 million learning about this BOYCOTT. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

According to THIS WEBSITE the "boycott" is a hoax....