[Matt Bruce]

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

[American Quilter]

Fingers don't need to be blamed.

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

[mtbopfuyn]

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.

[wbill]

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.

[singfreedom]

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".

[ryan71]

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

Thanks.

[lilylangtree]

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!

[Celebur]

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.

[OldFriend]

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!

[backhoe]

Allow me to drop out of Lurk and Link Mode for a brief bit of commentary- we all need to get serious about our dependency on foreign sources of energy, and use our own resources.

Our consumer-based economy is driven by and dependent on readily-available, reliable energy-- choke that off, and we'll all be back to using one rotary dial phone in the dining room, watching one TV, and driving one car per family-- probably a Hudson Hornet or a Rambler...

We need to

1) end the nonsensical ban on offshore drilling off California and Florida--read & weep:
Castro Plans to Drill 45 Miles from US Shores, But We Can't

2) build a lot of next-generation nuclear power plants, not just for electricity, but for any process requiring heat, power, or steam.
And if we replaced our existing nuclear plants with this one there would be significant benefits.

3) end Jimmy Carter's idiotic ban on recycling nuclear waste, and reprocess the stuff rather than fighting over where to bury it. Europe has done this for decades.-- what to do with spent nuclear fuel? Answer here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1468321/posts?page=50#50 hattip:  Mike (former Navy Nuclear Engineer)

4) use the 300-500 years worth of coal we have on our own land, using the new clean-coal technology.
-Clean Coal Centre--

5) and finally, there's nothing wrong with conservation, we should all practice it- but you can't conserve your way out of a shortage. Nor is there anything wrong with "alternative" energy sources- except they don't supply the vast ( not to mention readily-available ) amounts of power we need at a price competitive to more conventional sources.

We do need to get serious about this before we get strangled by a bunch of petty thieves and dictators who don't like us much.

My tongue-in-cheek collection of energy-related links:

Sticker Shock-$3 a gallon gas? Click the picture:

And kindly note, and note well-- the first reply to this post ( when gas was $1.45 a gallon ) was derisive... so, who's laughing now? Drudge reports $4.04 a gallon gas in CA today...

[BallparkBoys]

bookmarking

[GOPJ]

And Jeb Bush needs to let our guys look for oil off the Florida coast. The Mexicans will find it if we don't get out there... and soon.

[Jackie]

.
As I have stated over and over in the past, the REAL reasons for unstable oil prices are:

Manipulation
Fraud
Corruption

All driven by the markets.
.

[OKIEDOC]

Why should the price of electricity go way up?

The power plants use natural gas and coal and that should not be affected by the price of gasoline or premium crude oil.

[BJungNan]

Here is a big reason why gas prices are on the rise.

This road is like this every day, all day. Shanghai. That's me in the gold newer model Santana behind the older model red Santana. Shanghai.

[Big Horn]

Sell all your vehicles and buy oil stock. If God would have put the oil in big lakes to be dipped out , we would have used it all by now. The more we use the more difficult it is to produce.

[shield]

This is the blow back from wacky envirnomentist for the past 30 yrs. I'm surprised it's taken this long for these kinda gas prices. It's too bad the republicans are going to get the blame...when in fact it's the dems past legislation that's created this mess.......

[engrpat]

Why isn't Pres. Bush on the TV right now saying that this reformulation will stop until the transportation and refineries are in place to meet demand. Why isn't he on TV demanding that Congress get in gear and allow drilling in the US, ANWAR, off shore, etc? By his silence he is coming across as what he is...arrogant and totally out of touch with the man on the street. His silence here and his pushing amnesty for illegals is really turning off a lot of people in the country. Sure I will get flamed but talk to your neighbors to see how they feel about what is going on.

[MarkL]

Sorry Matt... E85 is not ethanol... It's a fuel blend that is primarily ethanol, but it's not the same. The shortages are of the actual alcohol, used as an oxygenator in the gasoline mandated by the government.

Mark

[Sam Cree]

*

[Fledermaus]

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...

That's not actually true because gas taxes are charged on a per gallon basis and not a percentage of the price. As the price for a gallon of gas increases the percent paid to taxes actually goes down.

The Feds get 18.5 cents per gallon. At $1.00 per gallon the tax rate is 18.5%; at $2.00 per gallon it's 9.25%, etc.

Now, if demand goes up, i.e. consumpiton, then yes, more taxes get paid.