The High Price Of Fuel - The REAL Reasons...

SARASOTA, FL. (NS) -

The all-time record high prices for gas - oil - diesel are no longer just an 'issue' to be talked about. Fingers don't need to be blamed. This has become an AMERICAN issue that requires both Democrats and Republicans to come together and quit their bickering and PASS an Energy Bill that will allow the United States of America to become energy self sufficient and put America and American's FIRST!

Have you have been to the gas station today? You did know how high gas prices have gotten, right???

Well, don't expect to see them going down any time 'soon'...

Oil prices have been hitting new record high's everyday this week. One New York gas station was selling gas way over $4 a gallon...

Prices that high were reported to be rare, with most of the nation paying something closer to $3 per gallon...

However, one of my trucks sitting in Ontario, CA. reported seeing prices as high as $4.04 per gallon at the pump...

Magnifying the sense of alarm is the fact that a few states were suddenly hit with shortages of gas this week. And in some places, people cannot get gas at all...

The price of oil due to be delivered in June was already selling at a record high today – $75.00 a barrel – that is up several dollars from just a few days ago. Many analysts say $80 dollars a barrel could easily be the average coming this summer...

Adding to the high pump price pressure is a booming China and India putting a big new squeeze on the global oil supply where there was little pressure before. These two huge countries alone could soon use up as much oil as the entire rest of the world does now...

It also does not help that guerilla war in Nigeria has knocked out about 20 percent of that oil-giant's production. Oil traders are also worried about Iran's nuclear buildup...

Iran has threatened Israel, the United States and the World with 'serious' consequences should sanctions be placed against them by the UN Security Council...

And let's not forget that there still are 3 Oil Refineries not refining any oil along the Gulf Coast. It has been this way since Hurricane Katrina struck, and no new Oil Refineries have been built in over a decade, despite efforts last year by the Bush Administration to get an Energy Bill passed that was stalemated by Democrats...

But even without these overseas headaches, America is having its own oil production problems. Production usually goes down in the spring, but this year the problem's worse because a few refineries damaged in last year's hurricanes are still out...

And the addition of a cleaner additive to the nation's gas is causing problems because that additive -- ethanol -- is in short supply, making gas itself in shorter supply. This is also known an E85 across the Upper Midwest...

Democrats, like New York Sen. Charles Schumer, are trying to make political hay out of the pain at the pump, even as The New York Times points out that Democrats did little about high energy prices when they hit during the Clinton administration...

Schumer's calling for an investigation to see if the big oil companies might be taking advantage of the oil panic to gouge the public...

What a FARCE! We all know Oil Companies ARE making record profits and every time prices go UP, the U.S. - State & Local Government gets more TAX money in their coffers too...

And that is one thing that is driving many Democratic and Republican leaders absolutely nuts! They all want the public to see just how remarkably well the American economy is doing, but right now, most people are not seeing beyond these gas signs, and WHY should they???

High crude Oil and retail pump prices affect ALL of us. Sooner or later, EVERYTHING we buy is going to go UP as a result of what's happening right now with OIL...

Our Nation's Farmers are going to have an extremely tough time planting their first crop, let alone trying to get a second one in this year with fuel not being readily available to them and the higher cost of production causing many NOT to plant at all...

Companies that were 'hanging' on a fence, just trying to 'get by' will be GONE as a result of these higher energy costs...

Wait until your electric bills start going higher in a manner of a month or two when Utility Companies start asking for emergency rate hikes...

How many people won't be going on their vacations this summer because they can't AFFORD to buy gas for their vehicles???

INFLATION and what you have today WILL get worse! But WAIT there IS one possible solution!!!

CALL your Senator's and Congressional Representatives NOW and have them ask President Bush CONVENE Congress right NOW to enact WHATEVER Legislation is needed to get the USA more energy self sufficient and REDUCE our dependence on Foreign Oil...

I don't care how many Oil wells, Refineries, Off-Shore Drilling Platforms it takes! The time is NOW to do SOMETHING about this issue...

We need to drop the EPA regulations adding to the expense of production and slowing down our refineries!

It's way past TIME for the President to call the Congress into Emergency session and NOT be let to go ANYWHERE until they PASS an Energy Bill that INCLUDES getting our Oil from Alaska shipped TO our Refineries in the Western United States. Give Americans American Oil...

For NOW, That's Just 'OUR' Opinion...

Matt Bruce Managing Editor News Sarasota.com

Fingers don't need to be blamed.

That's right. Let's start blaming toes instead.

They know we have to pay whatever the price at the pump. Fuel IS America. Nothing moves without it. No crops planted, no food to the market, no customers at the market, no one able to go to work.

They know we have to pay whatever the price at the pump.>/i>

And nothing the govt says will impress me until they stop price-gouging by ending the gas tax.

I'm glad that this fool put stuff in CAPS, otherwise I'd not have KNOWN that he was SERIOUS! Or CREDIBLE!

Prices go up, they'll come down. Just not as fast as anyone would like.

I would, however, like to see more refining capacity brought online. That's the bottleneck that the USA is currently facing.

Good post. My hubby is in the oil business, and believe me, for the last few years they have been doing everything in their power to get us more AMERICAN oil. However, it doesn't do much good to have more oil if we don't have the necessary refining capacity!

This is a multi-level problem and needs to be addressed as such. Refineries are a problem, yes, but property owners trying to make killings on oil leases to oil companies add to the problem as well. Enviro-nuts who don't want refineries, or wells, in their states are a HUGE problem.

It has been speculated that even if we drill ANWAR, it will be 10 years before it actually puts oil in the pipeline. I believe in our companies, though, and believe, if given the chance, they could achieve this much faster. Republicans have been trying to get a Comprehensive Energy Plan in place for years, but have been obstructed at every turn by Democrats who would, typically, rather have the "issue" as a "solution".

We probably have as much oil under and nearby us as any other country outside of Saudi Arabia. Yet we can't get in on the deal and become rich because idiots like Chuck Schumer won't allow us to go get the oil which is already under our own country. You could solve the deficit each year with the oil royalties if the Dem Senators could just back off this religious hysteria about oil drilling in FL/AK/CA/CO/TX/LA/MS/LA/OR/WA. There is enough oil already sitting under us to replace Venezuala and Iran both. Screw the rest of the world, we could get our own and cut the world price in half!!

This is just like the immigration debate. Until the Congress sees some retribution for their inaction they will favor special interest money over the people. Energy, social security, it goes on and on.

I live in Sarasota and did not know about this site.

Thanks.

Given that when the tankers pull up to each gas station to fill the tanks, the oil companies set the price for the gas station to sell the gas. If the gas station refuses and sets its own price, the oil company takes the owner to court. Right! Let's not point fingers!

Even if we just THREATENED to do just as you said, I'm betting oil prices would go down. Nearly all of the big international oil producers only export oil. They REALLY need those revenues. If we threatened to produce our own, they would have to lower their prices.

I believe we need to produce our own oil (for security reasons)while we look for alternative energy sources---and we really need to find viable alternate sources of energy. It would give us a little more time to find good, clean, reliable, cost efficient, alternate sources.

Capitalizing the OCCASIONAL word helps to add EMPHASIS, but when it is OVERDONE, it just displays POOR WRITING SKILLS!

Otherwise, it was an interesting article though rather biased--why weren't other energy sources mentioned? A successful energy bill will need to consider all the options. . .including nuclear power (gasp).

While Congress fails to act, there are things the individual can do. Like stop using SUVs as single-passenger commuter vehicles, or walking to the corner store.

Exactly! And just like what was touched on in the article, fuel additives are becoming a bigger part of this problem...especially during the summer months. Different states have different environmental restraints, thus they have different fuel mixtures. As a result, you just can't ship a surplus from one state to a shortage in another state.

Fingers don't need to be blamed.

That's right. Let's start blaming toes instead.

I'm with you. WTF was that?

Adding the Ethanol (E85), though, is a good thing. It will help reduce oil consumption. Since it is a corn based product, it is also renewable (until we have a drought in the corn belt!).

During the eighties, most of our domestic oil producers were driven out of business because they couldn't afford to operate for such low oil prices. Believe me, there are still places, in Oklahoma, where rigs are just sitting stacked. Many of the best people are still skittish about getting back into the business for fear they will get burned again. Texas has pretty much recovered, but I don't know if Oklahoma ever will.

It has been speculated that even if we drill ANWAR, it will be 10 years before it actually puts oil in the pipeline

Yes, but had the dems allowed us to start 10 years ago ...

As the risk of being chastised: AMEN!

Ethanol IS the reason we have high prices/shortages.
Ethanol cannot be shipped via pipeline..it damages the lines and eats through rubber/plastic.
Ethanol has to be shipped via truck/rail...higher costs than pipeline!
Ethanol has lower MPG produced than gasoline.

How long before Schumer is once again demanding the President release the oil from the reserves.

What an idjit. If the President had listened to Schumer, the reserves would be empty!

Prices go up, they'll come down. Just not as fast as anyone would like.

I would want some odds before betting on that this time. Yes, in the past your statement would have been accurate, but with world demand growing rapidly, especially in China and India, I doubt we'll ever see $2.00 gas again. That's just the way it is I'm afrade.

But that's not necessarily a bad thing either. If price stays high, it encourages alternatives. If the right combination of alternate fuels production and distribution network can be sheltered through it's startup period by high oil prices, we just may be able to break OPEC's spine and that's a very good thing.