BobD2009
Champion Author
Long Island
Posts:6,999
Points:1,241,735
Joined:Apr 2009
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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 2:27:50 AM
While all the choices on the list factor into fuel prices, supply and demand I still think has the biggest impact. As with any product if nobody buys it it's value diminishes.
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ORbiker
Rookie Author
Oregon
Posts:14
Points:114,655
Joined:Mar 2005
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 11:59:31 PM
The stock market needs to be regulated. They are destroying our country.
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jb107
Champion Author
New Jersey
Posts:9,559
Points:2,622,975
Joined:Sep 2005
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 10:32:44 PM
A combination of these factures.
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1ElPorkchop
Rookie Author
KW
Posts:5
Points:22,190
Joined:Feb 2010
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 10:12:42 PM
GREED & POWER........
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MinnesotaDJ
Champion Author
Minnesota
Posts:4,761
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Joined:Feb 2010
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 10:02:23 PM
Government for sure...
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LGStas
Veteran Author
Atlanta
Posts:323
Points:253,900
Joined:Jun 2008
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 9:36:46 PM
1 name= BILDERBERG...........look into it
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RxHugh
Champion Author
Greensboro
Posts:7,612
Points:1,575,910
Joined:Feb 2003
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 9:27:48 PM
Oil industry profit motives
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OKRifle
Champion Author
Oklahoma City
Posts:10,411
Points:1,811,260
Joined:Oct 2007
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 9:25:51 PM
Market speculation!
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SuperMoto
Champion Author
Connecticut
Posts:1,006
Points:1,579,440
Joined:Sep 2007
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 8:33:35 PM
The stock market needs to be regulated. They are destroying our country.
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shel1942
Rookie Author
Michigan
Posts:64
Points:371,855
Joined:Jun 2008
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 8:12:48 PM
We have been screwed by every entity in the transport industry. A functional, reliable, easily fueled electric car was available a while ago, but only as a lease. With several thousand people on the waiting list, GM said there was no interest and killed it. It wasn't as profitable as the Hummer, either. It didn't use gas, require an oil change or any of the other replacement parts that are required to keep a gas/diesel vehicle running, so it would negatively impact gas stations, oil companies, mechanics, spare parts suppliers, etc. Environmentalists helped kill it because electricity production and battery disposal hurt the environment, but once the car was available nationwide, working for clean energy becomes a priority so freight can be changed, (Wind and water don't pollute). And then there is the politics. The people we send to government should vote for good of the country first, their constituents second and their conscience if there is a conflict between the two.
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sumra
Rookie Author
Detroit
Posts:44
Points:14,430
Joined:Nov 2005
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 7:01:02 PM
A combination of what has been mentioned here, not one buy several.
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Muradia
Champion Author
Toronto
Posts:6,399
Points:1,383,405
Joined:Nov 2006
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 5:21:22 PM
Market speculation
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N9HVP
Champion Author
Indiana
Posts:11,718
Points:2,472,590
Joined:Sep 2004
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 4:51:57 PM
Supply and Depmand.
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julius1st4
Champion Author
Ontario
Posts:4,216
Points:1,191,575
Joined:Jul 2003
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 4:51:21 PM
I said "Market Speculation"..Of course, all of these answers are Correct.
We have no way of "Choking Off" the "Speculation"; so we have no way to determine if this is the major "Contributer"
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chui
Champion Author
Dallas
Posts:2,905
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Joined:Sep 2004
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 4:07:42 PM
the market.............
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CPGas1815
Champion Author
Michigan
Posts:6,027
Points:1,099,605
Joined:Apr 2008
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 2:39:46 PM
Today is truly one of the worst days in quite some time for those of us who reside in Michigan. The average price of gasoline in the State of Michigan increased 13 cents in one day. On top of that, my Congressional Representative, Bart Stupak has once again failed to legislate in the best interests of his constituents. Bart has announced he will not vote for the Health Care legislation.
Bart has long been nothing but an elephant who wears a donkey's clothing. Fortunately, many have stepped up to the plate to challenge Bart's long time stranglehold over his constituents. His constituents have suffered more greatly than perhaps all who do not reside in every other Congressional District across the nation. Those of us who reside in Bart's congressional district have experience double-digit unemployment for much of the past decade. While Bart parties with his "Family" friends, his constituents are poor, starving, and becoming increasing enraged. Without question, Bart has been the least most effective elected representative during all of my 50+ year lifetime.
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KCK8
Champion Author
Kansas
Posts:6,565
Points:219,225
Joined:Oct 2009
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 1:34:23 PM
Itz em dang Spekalaters.
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bobbyd28
Champion Author
Virginia
Posts:1,042
Points:131,835
Joined:Apr 2008
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 1:23:56 PM
there is truth to speculation but the goverment has also the effect on what ever decission they have just like the plan to hike the tax and apply the cap and trade
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bja0030
Champion Author
New Mexico
Posts:3,194
Points:535,930
Joined:Jan 2010
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 11:46:43 AM
GREED
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zacksnanny
Champion Author
New Brunswick
Posts:1,636
Points:2,203,535
Joined:Aug 2005
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 10:28:22 AM
Market speculation
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oobloob
Champion Author
Baltimore
Posts:1,502
Points:1,449,685
Joined:Aug 2008
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 9:53:16 AM
Speculation.
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Pucked
Champion Author
Fort Worth
Posts:1,091
Points:210,780
Joined:Jun 2009
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 9:38:16 AM
The greatest factor in the cost of anything here is the value of the dollar. As the debt rises the value of the dollar dips farther and farther down. If we don't get control of the run away debt prices on everything will sky rocket.
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investmentdr
Champion Author
Cleveland
Posts:4,034
Points:1,456,025
Joined:Sep 2008
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 9:01:34 AM
I realize this will never sink in, but I have posted this many times:
1.) If you consume it, own it (then prices are less troublesome).
2.) Speculation cuts both ways (up and down) and the end result is no impact on price (only a price that reflects supply and demand).
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investmentdr
Champion Author
Cleveland
Posts:4,034
Points:1,456,025
Joined:Sep 2008
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 8:57:47 AM
CPGas1815, the reason why there is less volatility in the price of a box of corn flakes is that the grocers have bigger (but still not big) markups built into the price. Also if corn flakes' prices were prominently displayed outside every grocery, convenience, etc. store like gas prices are it would be obvious the vastly varying prices that are charged. The fact that gas prices vary like they do is proof that markets are efficient and that prices reflect supply and demad forces and minimal profit margins. If one believes oil companies make too much money, stop buying so much of their product or own their stock.
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investmentdr
Champion Author
Cleveland
Posts:4,034
Points:1,456,025
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 8:46:41 AM
TJM3, good point, but that is not a "fashionable" excuse.
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investmentdr
Champion Author
Cleveland
Posts:4,034
Points:1,456,025
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 8:41:00 AM
wilbur34208, AMEN!!!!!
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investmentdr
Champion Author
Cleveland
Posts:4,034
Points:1,456,025
Joined:Sep 2008
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 8:39:16 AM
CaliberMan71, I totally agree with your call for conservation and your dislike of oil companies. Like kdhloretto alluded, the math that you were missing is that there is a fixed amount of taxes cooked into the price of gas. It's roughly $0.50 a gallon in Ohio (or nearly 20% of the cost). Without taxes, gas prices would be roughly consistent across the country. I was disappointed that gasbuddy did not explicitly list taxes as a price impactor.
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DougtheEconMan
Champion Author
Akron
Posts:1,903
Points:268,690
Joined:Feb 2008
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 8:36:59 AM
In the long-run, prices of almost everything, including oil and gasoline, are mostly determined by supply and demand. Basic econ!
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kimberly55
Veteran Author
Allentown
Posts:418
Points:654,675
Joined:Sep 2005
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 8:18:37 AM
Suppy
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keo
Champion Author
Colorado
Posts:10,261
Points:2,035,815
Joined:May 2004
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 8:00:28 AM
Market speculation
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pulpwood
Champion Author
Mississippi
Posts:7,379
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Joined:Sep 2006
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 7:57:14 AM
Profit motives!
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Lengas
Champion Author
Gary
Posts:13,555
Points:2,718,750
Joined:Nov 2004
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 7:19:25 AM
OPEC, Speculators, Oil Industry
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pkhdonovan
Champion Author
Maine
Posts:12,011
Points:2,705,805
Joined:Sep 2005
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 6:32:57 AM
speculations and regional unrest
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Bonanza
Champion Author
Boston
Posts:12,093
Points:2,551,980
Joined:Jun 2004
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 5:26:43 AM
Market speculation
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ryder755
Rookie Author
St. Louis
Posts:57
Points:115,695
Joined:Jul 2006
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 2:24:52 AM
I always thought that gas prices were controlled by the government and the rich investors but could never really prove it until one day watching the news they actually admitted the investors were controlling the prices and making a killing off of commodities/gas! Couldn't believe it was made public...
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Z51Corvette
Champion Author
Austin
Posts:8,490
Points:1,672,170
Joined:Jan 2008
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 12:43:12 AM
Amazing... almost 47 percent... that should send a message to Congress, if they would get off their butts and do something about it. Shoot, this is a bigger economic problem than health care because it affects more people in a negative way.
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wilbur34208
Champion Author
Florida
Posts:5,449
Points:1,050,525
Joined:Aug 2006
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 12:07:26 AM
Are people delusional? Gasoline prices in the U.S. would PLUMMET if every one of us cut our consumption by 10% in the next month... but too many people would rather drive like jackrabbits on a solo trip and then whine about some evil speculator drove up the price of oil. Getting an addict to admit the addiction, instead of denying it, is the first step to conquering the addiction. Even slowing down 10 mph would be a good first step toward cutting demand, but heaven help the politician that suggests enacting a law to that effect.
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GasitupJB
Champion Author
Columbia
Posts:3,772
Points:573,775
Joined:Sep 2005
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Message Posted: Mar 17, 2010 12:02:33 AM
Think of it, folks.: If government policy allowed us to harvest domestic U.S. oil, prices would be low low low.
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phurburger
Champion Author
Atlanta
Posts:2,555
Points:530,670
Joined:Oct 2005
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Message Posted: Mar 16, 2010 10:52:45 PM
There is no question that there are no free market forces at play in oil & gas.
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pictureman
Champion Author
Miami
Posts:1,218
Points:1,346,505
Joined:Feb 2003
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Message Posted: Mar 16, 2010 6:57:04 PM
Supply and Demand.
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Cadillac05CTS
Rookie Author
Illinois
Posts:20
Points:39,950
Joined:Jul 2008
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Message Posted: Mar 16, 2010 6:14:59 PM
Well as the dollar looses ground another currancy is gaining it... Eventual OPEC will base the cost of oil off of the euro.. and then we still would be paying more for gas.... right
?
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TJM3
Rookie Author
Austin
Posts:1
Points:199,570
Joined:Oct 2004
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Message Posted: Mar 16, 2010 5:59:40 PM
All of the factors listed contribute in one way or another, but a very strong factor that is not even listed is the value of the United States dollar. International petroleum prices are valued in US dollars so when the dollar is week petroleum and hence fuel cost more. Hope this helps.
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CaliberMan71
All-Star Author
Ohio
Posts:519
Points:188,225
Joined:Mar 2007
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Message Posted: Mar 16, 2010 5:58:59 PM
kdhloretto, without oil companies, no oil. Well that would be great, we would not be in this shape. Alternative fuels MUST come forward, yesterday.
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CaliberMan71
All-Star Author
Ohio
Posts:519
Points:188,225
Joined:Mar 2007
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Message Posted: Mar 16, 2010 5:55:58 PM
At 147 dollars per barrel for oil, gas was 4.119 per gallon. At half the 147=73.50 per barrel, gas should be 4.119= 2.069 per gallon. And yet it is 83 dollars per barrel and gas is 2.759 per gallon. Where are they getting their math from?
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CaliberMan71
All-Star Author
Ohio
Posts:519
Points:188,225
Joined:Mar 2007
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Message Posted: Mar 16, 2010 5:52:07 PM
kdhloretto, when free market starts yo take over for the oil industry,let me know. Unless you are referring to the free market letting speculation control the price of oil. We have our oil reserves filled, we have oil sitting around without being processed into gas, etc. Yet gas is near 3 dollars per gallon,why?
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CaliberMan71
All-Star Author
Ohio
Posts:519
Points:188,225
Joined:Mar 2007
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Message Posted: Mar 16, 2010 5:48:15 PM
So,in essence, we are being taxed at the very least twice. Our tax dollars are used to buy the oil, then we have to pay to put gas in our tanks
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01DodgeRam1500
Rookie Author
Portland
Posts:18
Points:315,885
Joined:Jan 2007
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Message Posted: Mar 16, 2010 3:15:08 PM
My two bits is this. Back in the early 70's we had over 170 refinery and now with the tree hugging liberal environmentlests we have lost refining capacity look when hurricane katrina hit they "the oil company" shut down all the refineries in the gulf coast and the price here in the portland oregon went up to over $4.00 a gallon.
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kdhloretto
All-Star Author
Twin Cities
Posts:600
Points:1,172,070
Joined:Apr 2006
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Message Posted: Mar 16, 2010 2:58:15 PM
to CPGas1815:
No, I'm not a cheerleader for the "Greedy" oil companies. I am a cheerleader for free market capitalism. I suppose you would rather have everything under the control of some government agency? Did you know that government taxes on each gallon of gas we buy are far more than any profit that anyone else makes? We could have a Hugo Chavez style system in place, that ignores "supply & demand" cycles, and everything will be constant. (Until it all collapses)
I'm not saying that there should not be any regulations in place, but they should be limited to contract enforcement, anti-monolopy, and reasonable environmental protection.
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kirbykid
Rookie Author
San Antonio
Posts:10
Points:49,065
Joined:Aug 2005
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Message Posted: Mar 16, 2010 2:43:05 PM
Plain and simple the whole price issue is dependent on money hungry ceo's and gas &oil companies. They will charge as much as we are willing to pay.It has nothing to do with economics,supply&demand,speculation or oil industry profit (after all at times oil prices have been very low and gas prices very high). The bottom line is the goverment officials line their pockets with gas money, therefore no regulation. the gas companies charge whatever they want. Gas coul sell for $1 a gallon and there would still be plenty of profit but no one cares and we continue to pay what they want and the product & the customer service get worse. There is no true regulation (octane levels are a joke detergents claims are a joke). All the gas is delivered from the same trucks. One week you get great mileage out of a tank and the next week from the same station you get lousey mileage. there ripping us off every chance they get and it will never change.The only thing I can say is they cant take the money with them when their life is over
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CPGas1815
Champion Author
Michigan
Posts:6,027
Points:1,099,605
Joined:Apr 2008
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Message Posted: Mar 16, 2010 1:48:09 PM
kghlorreto and investmentdr must be cheer leaders for the greedy oil industry. By claiming there would be no oil market if there wasn't any market speculation is pure lunacy. Speculation can and should be regulated to protect consumers from the rampant price increases both in the markets as well as at the pump. Are the commodities that we purchase at the grocery store priced according to a daily speculatively derived price? NO! Are the wages that are paid to those who are fortunate to have a job determined by a daily speculatively derived price. NO!
While there are many products for which the shelf price is determined by market forces, the greatest price volatility occurs in the energy markets. We have all been challenged to live within our means and to budget our finances. But the rabid speculation that is occurring precludes us from establishing a budget due to both the volatility of the speculative markets as well as manipulative tactics employed by the lustfully greedy oil industry.
Significant market reform is needed to end the abuses that the oil industry inflicts upon their very own customers each and every day of every week of the every year. And we certainly do not cheer leaders for the oil industry such as kghlorreto and investmentdr promoting their propaganda in this forum.
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24541
Champion Author
Virginia
Posts:1,109
Points:1,793,715
Joined:Mar 2004
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Message Posted: Mar 16, 2010 1:29:24 PM
Speculation may contribute to rapid price rise or fall, but supply and demand and government regulation are the biggest factors. Everybody must keep in mind that when you buy a gallon, the government gets more money that the oil company or the gas station.
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