Senior Member
The straw in the cartoon, refers to the lack of refineries that we have...Originally Posted by Bulldog
And we seem to be stopped from building any,for one reason or another..
So, that causes our gas prices to go up, especially in the summer months..
"A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself."
Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC)
Member
Thanks Stephanie.
That's what I was referring to in my first post when I suggested a lack of infrastructure.
Yes. I do find it funny and I did laugh out loud. Not such a big cultural divide after all then. LOL
Bulldog.
Senior Member
Ah ha..Thanks Stephanie.
That's what I was referring to in my first post when I suggested a lack of infrastructure.
Yes. I do find it funny and I did laugh out loud. Not such a big cultural divide after all then. LOL
Bulldog.
I didn't equate...infrastructure as meaning..refinery...
Duh for me..
"A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself."
Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC)
Member
No probs.
Thanks for taking the time to explain it.
Bulldog.
Super Minion
Backing your cartoon up:Here's a pretty accurate demonstration of why gas is so expensive.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/o...erspective-hed
Editorial
The good thing about gas prices
Advertisement
May 20, 2007
No, we don't expect you to like that headline.
Gas prices in Chicago are among the highest in the nation -- on Friday they averaged $3.54 for a gallon of regular. That was up 54 cents in just the last month. The average price in the nation for a gallon of regular went up a little more than a quarter in the last month, to $3.13.
Yet even as prices have risen, drivers have consumed more gasoline. In the first three months of 2007, demand in Illinois rose 3 percent over the same period last year. Drivers may have been shocked when gas jumped above $3 a gallon after Hurricane Katrina disrupted supplies, but they adjusted. They weren't happy consumers, but they were robust consumers.
Now, finally, there are some signs that consumption may be starting to level off. The first week in May saw the first indications of that.
And that's the good thing about gas prices today. Talk all you want about the need for a national energy policy. Our personal energy policy has been use more of it. The key to reducing U.S. consumption of oil, to stop being held economic hostage to the writhing Middle East, is to have enough incentive to use less gas. Maybe $3.54 a gallon will finally provide the incentive. Maybe it will have to be $3.75 a gallon. Or $4.
There are local and global causes for Chicago's 54 cent-a-gallon price spike. Oil prices, now above $60 a barrel, swoon and soar over every rumble in the Middle East, Venezuela, Nigeria and other oil-producing hot spots. Chicago prices have spiked even higher because of disruptions in the processing of crude oil into gasoline, coupled with the relentless demand for more gas.
Environmental policy has a role. It takes more crude oil to make the summer blends of gasoline that are required in metropolitan areas by federal law in an effort to reduce air pollution.
Sellers have to produce three summer blends in Illinois: one for the Chicago/Milwaukee/Northwest Indiana area, one for the St. Louis area and one for the rest of Illinois. It used to be four blends, but the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency cut it to three for this summer. That helps some, but it still means three blends in three different octane grades -- nine kinds of gas -- vying for limited refining capacity.
There was a fire at BP's giant installation in Whiting, Ind., in March. That barely made the news, but that fire knocked out the biggest refinery in the Midwest, which is still closed for repairs and maintenance. Normally, the Whiting refinery turns more than 400,000 barrels of oil a day into gasoline and other fuel products. Until it comes back on line later this summer, supplies here will be tighter than normal. Other refineries also have reduced capacity because of accidents or scheduled maintenance.
Also, you're paying more in taxes. Sales taxes escalate with the price of gas in Illinois. When the base price is $2 a gallon, the 9 percent total sales tax on gas in Chicago adds 18 cents. When gas is $3, the sales tax adds 27 cents.
High gas prices hurt, particularly people (such as taxicab drivers) for whom gasoline is a major personal or business expense. High prices are going to ripple through the economy (perhaps starting in Chicago with a surcharge for cabs) and not in comfortable ways.
But on a larger level, prices that have the effect of curbing demand -- of finally enticing people to use mass transit, to buy more fuel-efficient cars, to ride a bike when they can -- will help.
Not that that will make you feel better this weekend when you fill up, and up, and up.
And the hard part of being me, I just filled up at the bargain price of $3.47 at Costco:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/l...,2182250.story
Chicago has highest gas prices in U.S.
The Associated Press
May 21, 2007, 5:50 AM CDT
Chicago now has the highest gasoline prices in the nation, according to a nationwide survey released Sunday.
The average price of self-serve regular gasoline hit a record high of $3.18, rising more than 11 cents over the past two weeks, according to the survey. But Chicago came out tops at $3.59 a gallon.
The latest national average figure topped the record of $3.07 set two weeks ago, which had been the highest price since the average cost of a gallon of gas hit $3.03 on Aug. 11, 2006, according to the Lundberg Survey of 7,000 gas stations across the country.
The latest price also beat the previous inflation-adjusted record of $3.15 per gallon in March 1981.
In the latest survey, a gallon of mid-grade gasoline averaged $3.29, and premium cost $3.40.
The lowest average price for regular fuel was $2.87 in Charleston, S.C.
In California, regular grade gasoline dropped 2 cents to $3.41.
Scoundrel
Ok, small miscommunication there. The 'bloated consumer' part of the post was what drew my attention (just remember, we Americans have 2000 miles to cover to get from one coast to the other, and that doesn't count Alaska).Thanks Stephanie.
That's what I was referring to in my first post when I suggested a lack of infrastructure.
Yes. I do find it funny and I did laugh out loud. Not such a big cultural divide after all then. LOL
Bulldog.
"Lighght"
- This 'poem' was bought and paid for with $2,250 of YOUR money.
Name one thing the government does better than the private sector and I'll show you something that requires the use of force to accomplish.
Senior Member
It is actually over 3000 miles from coast to coast.
There is something that we the public could do to show our power, make allies of numerous businesses and put a serious dent in the oil business and educate the asswipes on Wall Street......we could stay home this summer. Stay home this summer and spend the vacation money on your home. Build a pool, re-landscape, new carpets, do things that will last way beyond a vacation to an expensive distant place. If you have to do that crap, take a cruise, just don't drive. They count on us to do the same stupid things every year, surprise them. Redirect your spending to local economies doing something to better your own lives. Why don't people stay home anymore? Why go across the country to do basically the same you would do locally? Buy a couple of kayaks and take some family excursions around local bodies of water. Those vacation spots will be there next year once we have made a statement that gets some real attention. Take your vacation at home and go out every night.....movies, dinner, plays, games.....you will probably do basically the same thing on a vacation somewhere else so why not relax and do it at home?
Wait, how stupid of me that I could think that instead of bitching about gas prices we could do something that would not only save gas but also boost local economies...... the whole point of expensive vacations is to be able to brag to your friends about how much better your vacation was than theirs so of course nobody will do the logical thing, sorry for wasting your time. Go back to whining and being the ultimate in predictability
.
No matter where I've traveled or how great the trip was, it's always wonderful to return to my country, The United States of America......... me
Member
S'ok!
I didn't mean any offence by the 'bloated consumer' part either, so I hope it wasn't taken that way.
The guy in the comic is considerably larger than the average Brit (poor underfed race that we are, LOL), so that kinda grabbed my attention too.
The vehicle I drive for a living (roughly 80,000 miles per year) is also larger than the UK average, so I wouldn't be in any position to go finger-pointing anyway.
Bulldog.
Member
Bulldog.
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