$2.29 a Gallon!!

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by Brucelee

"Meanwhile the top dogs of the oil and gas industry are picking out the latest offerings from Maranello. Ha!!"

Sounds to me like you simply jealous!

Ha! I now plenty of folks who have more money than I could ever begin to know what do with and I have never wished I was in there place. That amount money seems to only have complicated their lives.

There's nothing wrong with getting paid, it's the American way. People just seem indiferent to how so many our enriching themselves at the cost of our future healthcare, clean air/water, fiscal outlook and manufacturing base. It used to be that these folks got rich but everone in AMERICA benefited in the long term and the government rewarded that way of doing business. Nowadays those special interests get rich and the benefits go overseas while messing up everything at home (while our current government makes it as easy as possible). and who the hell is going to pay for all these debts when the clowns in Washington have departed this Earth??

anyhoo, I've previously worked with/in federal law enforcement/investigation both in public and private sector capacities. I've encountered/befriended all manner of prosecutors. My doubts about our ability/desire to go after corporate cheats in all sectors of trade and finance is not limited to what I read on judicial watch or see on tv. I've heard plenty straight from the horses mouth. The list of one time idealists fighting for the little guy turned-fed-up-cynic, is a very very long one. "we were trained to go after corruption/collusion and then told to back off and concentrate on something else" is a refrain I've heard too many times.


anyhoo...Karl Rove secretely running the world ? That guy couldn't lead a conspiracy out of paper brown bag. The gang that couldn't shoot straight. I laugh when I hear they are responsible for orchestrating this and that. The nutters give them too much credit. Karl Rove and his bunch are merely door mats for coporate wealth. Rove's Pretty good at getting out the vote though, I'll give him that.

[Brucelee]

Perfect,

You can't have it both ways.

One minute, it is a massive govt/industry conspiracy that has our prices moving.

The next minute, the govt can't find its way out of a paper bag.

Ditto, the spot traders. One minute they are pulling all the strings, the next, well, what's a 6B loss?

The fact is, the prices go up, and then they go down.

It is the history of commodities, throughout all time.

The funny thing is that G. Soros, that great liberal windbag, rode the commodities gravy train to Billionaire status.

Now, once he got there, well, time to have the REST of us fund the govt to do everything.

What a hypocrite! He almost took down the British economy while getting rich but now he has a heart!

PS-The bottom of the US economic scale still has it better than it ever did and better than most of the rest of the world.

Not bad for paying no taxes, huh?


PPS-the lastest data on taxes is that the bottom 50% of wage earners pay on average 3% their income in federal taxes. That is down 50% from 2000, when they paid just 4.5%.

This does not count refundable tax credits, which makes the number even lower.

Makes you proud to be an American.

[jeffsquire]

Avg. Fuel Economy (MPG)

1987 - 22.1
2006 - 21.0

Avg. Weight (Lbs.)

1987 - 3320
2006 - 4142

Avg. Horsepower

1987 - 118
2006 - 219

Avg. 0-60 MPH (Sec.)

1987 - 13.1
2006 - 9.7

% Cars/Trucks

1987 - 72/28
2006 - 50/50
_______________________

According to these figures from MNboxster if correct, we've been able to make 20% of the cars heavier (i.e. larger, smoother riding, safer, roomier), 30% faster, almost 50% more powerful with only a 1mpg sacrifice for fuel economy. Is this bad? If only the goverment could be so effective. . . .

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by jeffsquire

Is this bad? If only the goverment could be so effective. . . .

Hi,

You just don't get it. After 20 years of trying to improve the situation, we've slipped backwards, and not because of need, but because of want...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[jeffsquire]

Originally Posted by MNBoxster

Hi,

You just don't get it. After 20 years of trying to improve the situation, we've slipped backwards, and not because of need, but because of want...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

_______________________________________________

Errr, actually I do get it. My point is in your definition of "bad." There are plenty of people who think bigger, faster, stronger, roomier, smoother, safer vehicles at the cost of 1 mpg over 20 years is a damn fine improvement indeed. Many people believe that this is progress, not regression. After all, nobody really "needs" a car when there's public transportation, horses, shoes, bicycles, rollerblades, skateboards. In fact, I've seen an increase of at least %1000 of people using non-fossil fuel modes of transportation at rush hour every day. They''re everywhere. They don't want to pay high gas prices so they dont.

I "want" my cars and motorcyles and I'm willing to pay the gas to drive them. Which is why I drive my motorcyle 10 months out of the year (IN MICHIGAN!!) to save on gas.

[Brucelee]

Originally Posted by jeffsquire

_______________________________________________

Errr, actually I do get it. My point is in your definition of "bad." There are plenty of people who think bigger, faster, stronger, roomier, smoother, safer vehicles at the cost of 1 mpg over 20 years is a damn fine improvement indeed. Many people believe that this is progress, not regression. After all, nobody really "needs" a car when there's public transportation, horses, shoes, bicycles, rollerblades, skateboards. In fact, I've seen an increase of at least %1000 of people using non-fossil fuel modes of transportation at rush hour every day. They''re everywhere. They don't want to pay high gas prices so they dont.

I "want" my cars and motorcyles and I'm willing to pay the gas to drive them. Which is why I drive my motorcyle 10 months out of the year (IN MICHIGAN!!) to save on gas.

God bless the free capital markets!

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by jeffsquire

_______________________________________________

Errr, actually I do get it. My point is in your definition of "bad." There are plenty of people who think bigger, faster, stronger, roomier, smoother, safer vehicles at the cost of 1 mpg over 20 years is a damn fine improvement indeed. Many people believe that this is progress, not regression. After all, nobody really "needs" a car when there's public transportation, horses, shoes, bicycles, rollerblades, skateboards. In fact, I've seen an increase of at least %1000 of people using non-fossil fuel modes of transportation at rush hour every day. They''re everywhere. They don't want to pay high gas prices so they dont.

I "want" my cars and motorcyles and I'm willing to pay the gas to drive them. Which is why I drive my motorcyle 10 months out of the year (IN MICHIGAN!!) to save on gas.

Hi,

Nowhere did I say anything was bad, just what is. Also, while people using alternative means may be more noticeable, their numbers aren't currently accounting for much at all. Look at any Major Municipality and Urban Crawl is an increasing, not a declining issue.

But, you do raise an interesting point. If significant numbers do move away from fossil fuel dependence for personal transportation, that would leave fewer of us to support the Oil & Gas Industry infrastructure, and of course margins. Seems to me that this will, at least in a short term micro-economic sense, have a negative effect on prices for the consumer as well. Sounds like there's just no winning...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[Brucelee]

Over time, Supply and demand adjust to the equilibrium price.

As demand drops, price drops, then supply, then prices increase etc.

Magic!