[wallcrawlr]

who are all these nervous ninnies that are driving the $$$ up, up, up??

[appalachian_dweller]

>> who are all these nervous ninnies that are driving the $$$ up, up, up?? <<

They're not nervous. They're GREEDY! These companies are posting record profits. Now GWB is giving them a tax break, the flipping moron.

[Enterprise]

I don't think the "oil supply" is what is at work here. Not being an expert though, I will fearlessly attempt to portray what I think is happening.

For ease of convenience, I am going to use simple numbers. Suppose you have a gas account consisting of 100 gallons. You use 20 gallons, and 20 gallons is put back into the account. Next week, you use another 20, and 20 gallons is put back in. But the next week, you use 20 gallons, and 19 gallons is put into the account. You're account is now 99 gallons. The next week you use 20 gallons, and 18 gallons is put back. Your account is now 98 gallons.

Even though you aren't using "more" gas, your account is being drawn down. Your supplier uses this to "raise" the price at the pump. Meanwhile, there is no shortage of oil and huge amounts are coming in to the country. In fact, the stock of oil rises from week to week.

The problem, we are told, is one of "refining capacity." Any little old problem is refinery output causes the overall supply to diminish. Thus even if the same amount of gas is used from week to week, the "supply" is drawn down because less is put in. I am sure it is more "complex" than this.

[Perdogg]

Just think what would happen now if a port were to be hit by Al Qaeda. Makes you think.