Posted on 08/15/2005 6:06:24 AM PDT by BulletBobCo
CNN) -- Gas prices surged 20 cents over the past three weeks to an all-time high of $2.50 per gallon of self-serve regular, according to a national survey.
The price surge "does smash the all-time record high for the third time this year," Trilby Lundberg, publisher of the Lundberg Survey, said Sunday.
"Crude oil has caused this jump at the pump," she said of the survey, taken August 12 at about 7,000 gas stations in every state.
"And even at the current record-breaking pump prices, gasoline demand, while not galloping, is still growing."
Oil prices rose to record highs of $67 a barrel Friday, amid concerns that demand was straining the world's capacity to pump and refine crude oil. (Full story)
Lundberg noted that if the crude oil supply remains undisrupted, "the gasoline price surge itself will probably be ending soon, if it has not already."
"Our demand for gasoline is always highest for June, July and August," she said of the summer months, when families typically take vacations. She said gasoline demand is expected to taper off after August.
(SNIP)
Though a record in absolute terms, the price is still well shy of a record, if adjusted for inflation. The peak price would have been set during the Iranian revolution in March 1981, when a gallon of gas cost about $3 in today's dollars, Lundberg said.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
I tend to agree with you--it wouldn;t "solve" any problem, but it might do SOMETHING.
I can only dream of the good old days (a month ago) when I was paying $2.19 a gallon
I remember about 20 months ago, when the avg price around me was $1.45 or so but this one gas station was selling it for an outrageous $1.79. I remember telling my friend that people are insane for paying $1.79 a gallon!!
At no point should I have to support your choice of place to live. I have moved due to where I worked before, I didn't ask you to help pay my expenses, why should I pay yours?
Not sure how the Democrats will be able to capitalize on this, other than the standard "Everything is Bush's fault" line.
They are against drilling, against expanding refining capacity, against nuclear energy, against cutting gas taxes and for ridiculous blending mandates.
What are they going to propose that will do anything/be popular?
That gets my vote for stupidest post of the day. Everything you've listed there is a liberal's wet dream.
Psst. A "surcharge" IS a tax.
Occam's razor strikes again. I hope the problem is as simple as you state. Cause I'm sick of wondering.
They don't have to propose anything. They never do anyway. I believe they'll stay just as negative as usual.
But they can pin the entire problem on Bush and the Republicans. And this isn't a problem that the Republicans can just "spin". It's real, it hits every American in their dearest possession, the wallet.
All the Democrats have to do is insinuate that the Republicans' "Saudi connections" and ties to big business (they can point out the big tax break oil companies receive in the latest budget), are somehow connected to the rise in gas prices.
Even if those aren't the real reasons behind the increase, they sure sound plausible to a lot of people. And since Bush isn't SAYING anything (much less doing anything), it's real easy for people to believe the worst.
People deserve an explanation.
>>>At what point does the government step in and help out?
>>>That would be socialism.
Oh, I see. So the government can step in and create situations that allow the price of gas to be so high, but to do something about it would be 'socialism'. Take your pick, either in or out.
>>>Or, at least not until you do something about that 40-mile commute.>>
Do what about it? So now noone can live in rural areas and work too. Yeah, you got a brilliant solution there buddy.
You must live in California. The problem is refining capacity, not a shortage of oil. Get rid of the EPA and regulations restricting businesses and things will change dramatically. The last thing we need, is to put this in our tax return. I have encough crap with 3 in college and cannot pay those bills.
Yes, as newgeezer said earlier. That IS an example of their helping without it being socialism.
>>>I heard an oil company market report a couple of quarters ago. $680 million (don't quote me) in ONE oil company's profits and they can't afford to fix their refineries? Whos kidding who? (Whom).>>>
EXACTLY!! Record profits for oil companies, but whining excuses for gas prices.
Yeah, I don't know how much longer he can keep this approach up.
Free market and less gov't is the usual call from Conservatives.
>>>Not if the government help comes in the form of removing its restrictions on free enterprise.>>>
Thank you.
I can't make these people who want to defend the current admin to the point of stupidity that it's too late for the government to get out of it, they have been in it! You can't needle your finger in there for all these years and when it blows up go "Not my job, no need for government interferance". Too damn late.
Five years ago on Fathers Day it spiked in Cedar Rapids IA to a new high of 1.81. That was the most I'd ever paid. So I bought a new bicycle and I now have 10,000 miles on it! Now I just love bicycle commuting to work 3.5 miles each day.
Which thing did they do to create this problem?
That is witty. :-)
>>>He's looking pretty aloof about it right now.
He's looking a little aloof to me right now, and I campaigned for him. I'm not saying he controls the price of crude oil, but I would think he has SOMEthing he can do. Or at least act like he gives a damn.
Sorry, you'll never break even. Depreciation hasn't been figured into the mix, not to mention the additional maintainance cost yet to be attributed to these "hybrids" as they haven't been out there long. My engineering buds say new battery packs will be needed at the 50,000 to 75,000 mile range at a current cost of about $5500.
>>>My son quit his job last week because of the commute and gas prices. He can't be the only one.>>>
If I quit my job, I'll be back on welfare. If I just up and leave my house (for stupid gas prices?) I'll be paying more in mortgage and won't be able to afford daycare. I get so aggrivated at people on here who seem to think that I live 35-40 miles from my job is the problem. Jeez.
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