Here's what they could do about the high cost of gas......

The free market only works if your not stepping on the common man.

Cartels that price fix oil is not a free market.
They are no different then drug cartels.

 

Oil prices should be controlled. Like water and electricity and national defense and road building and the post office. And health care should be nationalized too like it is in the rest of the civilized world...

I know what I'm in for... I'm ready: :laugh:

 

The mostly free market we have now has been overall successful, in it's one job: ensuring that there are no shortages to consumers. You are not entitled to cheap gasoline:Smarty:. If you think you could do better, then start your own oil company. The government's ridiculous environmental regulations have put a damper on US oil production, and so if you increase regulation, you will pay higher prices.:spank: Please explain why this is so hard to understand? Anybody?:Brow:

 

"The mostly free market we have now has been overall successful, in it's one job: ensuring that there are no shortages to consumers."

I thought the job of free market is to provide maximum (what the market will bear) profits to producers. Consumers have the job of buying, or providing profit. Allegedly, if consumers won't pay, prices drop. Sometimes the things to buy must be purchased, such as energy to heat a house, or gas to get to work. I can't stop buying high priced gas because I don't like it.

As of last night gas was $2.23 a gal. for regular in NE Kansas. Never thought I'd see that again. I think it will dip under (get manipulated under) $2.00 just before election day. That's one way to buy votes.

"The government's ridiculous environmental regulations have put a damper on US oil production, and so if you increase regulation, you will pay higher prices.:spank:"

You are right! Environemental regulations DO put a damper on US oil production! However, there are those that believe (myself included) that protecting the environment for ourselves and future generations is not "ridiculous". That, however, is not what regulation is all about. Regulation is setting standards for price levels, profit margins, rules for trading, etc. Oranges and apples for the most part. If anyone doesn't believe in environmental protection, look up Times Beach, Exxon Valdez, Chernoble, Chinese Olympic Games, etc. Would any of us choose to void all laws about protecting the place our families live in? In a nutshell, environmental laws and market regulation are two completely different things.

"Please explain why this is so hard to understand? Anybody?:Brow: "

I think it is easy to understand if a person has an open mind and has looked at the facts on all sides of an issue. The trouble comes in with dogmatic thinking. Straight ticket voting is an example of that thinking. It boggles my mind when I hear straight ticket voters express thier one issue thinking. "I believe in _____, so all my favorite party politicians are the people who I'm voting for!" Duhhhhh..... One of the most difficult things any human wrestles with is the feeling, "I think that's the way it is, so that's the way it is for everyone. Don't confuse me with any facts that contradict me, but please provide all the facts that make my case." Thinking can make a brain hurt, but it's a good hurt, like getting physically fit.

No intentions of getting anybody upset here, but maybe a bit of something to think about. Find out what is going on in the world. Don't listen to only one set of opinions when setting up your own opinions, you have a big chance of making the wrong choice if you leave out a huge part of the puzzle that is being figured out. Is that what happened at Creation World or whatever they call it, that shows people living with dinosaurs and presents it as a fact? I try to avoid Fred Flintstone science, but it seems to make some folks feel good.

Now, out to work on cleaning up the 455 engine that is destined for my '55 Chevy! <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

 

Yup that's what i've been saying too. it'll be on the way back up nov 5. I don't know how... but I'm not too blind to see.

 

Its ridiculous to assert that oil/gas prices are being manipulated lower to influence the election. Lower gas prices favor Obama, however I don't think he has much stroke or favor with those who could possibly be considered to have the ability to manipulate prices such as the oil companies.
The only senario I could imagine would be that the Oil companies dont want to increase oil supply, so they can charge more and neither does Obama so he can maintain favor with the militant environmental lobby. I never thought that the evil oil producers and Obama could be tied together so closely.ou:

 

"Its ridiculous to assert that oil/gas prices are being manipulated lower to influence the election."

An assertion is just an opinon. I assert that it is ridiculous to think that either party would not do any kind of manipulating it can get away with to influence the election. Just look at the ads running now. The supporters of the parties will often go way beyond what the actual political parties would dare to try.

"Lower gas prices favor Obama,..."

Nope, lower gas prices favor the incumbent that many feel wrecked the economy, not the challenger.

"The only senario I could imagine would be that the Oil companies dont want to increase oil supply, so they can charge more and neither does Obama so he can maintain favor with the militant environmental lobby."

In the prior paragraph you said Obama gains from lower oil $, then you say he will be favored by higher prices. I think oil companies always want to charge more. It is just the basic greed of most big business outfits. "militant environmental lobby", what is the other side of that coin, "militant trash the world lobby?" Either side that goes extreme is usually not thinking clearly. Moderate views from those that look at all the factors, not just favorite factors, usually is closest to the truth. Even Bush now admits there is a problem with the environment that is the result of human actions.

I am trying real hard to be non-partisan here. That's easy, because I have always been independent. I will admit I think human actions are screwing the world over, the overwhelming scientific evidence points to it. There is lots of non-scientific proof that says otherwise. I choose to go with repeatable proofs that stand up to rigid review by numerous folks trying to find fault with the results. Not negative opinions, but actual faults in the methodology.

On the other hand, I like my 455 in a '55 Chevy idea, even though it is probably a stupid thing to do, is more difficult than a BBC, and will likely decrease the value of my car a little. In this case I reject reality and go for my feelings!:TU:

 

I believe that it should be obvious to any "non partisan" person who is paying attention that meddling by politicians and government is what has caused energy shortages and the banking meltdown. To think that more government regulation and involvement will resolve those problems is even more ridiculous.

 

Oddball, your assertion that lower gas prices favor McCain is false. Obamas real weekness was shown while prices were high because of the fact that he was against tapping our oil reserves when the high gas prices were hurting americans. Now that they have dropped, the heat is off Obama.
McCain was getting traction with the voters when they were more concerned about gas prices. Now that issue has faded in importance. Simple political fact.

 

Hi, Steven, I bet we could have a fun discussion in person. The net sucks for knowing how things are being received by the other party. Meddling by politicians and government is not what caused energy shortages. It is complex. I don't get all of it, and I am sure few if any do. Some of it is big business with its virtual monopolies in many areas. Some is the growing world market for the same things we take for granted. Some of it is surely meddling by government. By that I mean clueless folks making decisions that are beyond their scope of understanding. Another factor is corruption. Etc. You get the drift. We could make on huge list by thinking and researching it. Ridiculous is a word I won't use again. It is an inflammatory word that is intended to belittle another person's views. My apologies for using it one time. Using "quotations" is another way to belittle a viewpoint, it implies the viewholder is an idiot. There are a lot of ways to use innocent words to twist meaning. The phrase (so called) is another good attack. Trashing a view a person doesn't agree with tends to push them deeper into whatever view they hold. One of the many troubles our country suffers from is the way the constitution has been interpreted by so many folks. It isn't used the same way it was intended in many ways. Too many laws where common (uncommon, actually) sense should be able to deal with the issues. I wonder what it would be like if we came up with something like 1,000 laws instead of millions of laws and exceptions? Life would possibly become more sensible and easier in many ways. Have a great day.

 

Hi again, Steven, I don't agree. Low gas favors McCain because the majority of the general public is anti-republican party at this time. Fair or not, GW gets the blame. McCain gains when the prices are lower during the current republican term. The fact that Obama is against drilling (and drill now!) is an environmental stance he has. The heat is off McCain due to the cheaper prices in my opinion. Obama is still against drilling in some areas, so he still has the heat on him from the republican viewpoint because they see that as a major failing on his part. I guess I don't see it as a simple political fact, but a simple political opinion. The same could be said about my words, too. Who is right? That'd take some cooperative work and research to support the varied opinions.

Hey! You are from Alaska/Washington! Beautiful country, I have traveled it by motorcycle. Are you by chance a Palin supporter?

 

thank you.

 

I just wish the people who are so adamant about keeping the government out of a womans womb, and the USA out of Iraq were just as vocal about keeping them out of our wallets and bank accounts.

 

There was never a energy shortage around here. We could buy all the gas we wanted to. The shortage was finding the money to pay for it.

 

Actually, some huge percentage of the entire national debt since 1776 (90% or some such large number) happened during the republican administrations of the last three republican presidents. The GOP loves to holler about >tax and spend democrats< but the reality is that the ones that claim that are responsible for most of the national debt incurred since the founding of our country. Odd, eh?

 

HA HA, you really sound like a non partisan...........lol

You cant blame my party for anything. Im a libertarian. The Democrats and the Republicans are jointly flushing this country down the tube..... and racing each other to do it. In my opinion.

 

Perhaps you assume too much. Reporting on something does not make a person in favor of anything. For those so inclined, here is one of many things available about who spends what, when they did it, and various ways of looking at it. There are many more like it. I just looked it up, but it seems to be in line with what has happened so far in the last couple hundred years. For poliitcal crap, it isn't too bad a read.

http://bunkinthewest.wordpress.com/...rats-national-debt-and-fiscal-responsibility/

Where did you get the idea I was blaming your party? It does appear you adhere to many conservative beliefs, though. How 'bout this: we both are in district 1. I totally agree with your next to last sentence...."The Democrats and the Republicans are jointly flushing this country down the tube..... " Trying to vote for a Libertarian in KS is pretty hard. Now I'm bored with this...:boring: Have a great rest of the weekend.

 

So the big oil candidate lost a week ago. How come the price of oil and gasoline are still down? Can someone tell me why they haven't jacked them back up to increase their profit since they can no longer effect the election with lower gas prices?o No:

 

maybee back to the future was right.......i need to install a flux capacitor and a Mr. fusion