Posted on 06/05/2006 8:43:21 AM PDT by thackney
ROFLOL. I'll remember that one!
Absolutely. I conserve whenever and wherever I can. But conservation is not an energy policy, and we are still all forced to buy fuel. I just think it makes more sense to be energy independent. It's a win-win. Gas will have competition. And I think that's what many people on this thread don't want to see happen.
Credit that to Mr. Eddie Chiles ("I'm mad, too, Eddie!") of The Western Company, circa late 1970s TV spots.
It may or may not be price gouging. However, I would really love to know how the BP station down the street from me can jack up the pump price SEVENTEEN CENTS overnight. That's the biggest jump I've seen since Katrina hit. Someone please tell me how that's not gouging. Compare that to the Exxon station across the street that raised it's price five cents. I'm having a real hard time understanding how that's not gouging.
Actually, I worked for a family-owned steel distribution service center for 15 years before I became a business analyst... Those pesky people who help private enterprises stay in business. Cost reduction, increased manufacturing efficiency ratios, and shortened cycle times from R&D to the market.
How about starting a new thread? Would the mods delete it? I don't know what their policies are.
I think he died shortly after the Wizard of Oz film was completed.
Why don't you ask them? One is probably an independent owner who has to buy from whichever supplier he can that day - may not have a long-term contract, or may have just had one for cheaper gasoline expire on him and was unable to re-negotiate a better price.
FWIW, oil did go up $2 a barrel within the past few days for July delivery, so the station owner has to factor that in, looking ahead. The Exxon dealer may have a company-owned station or may be able to make more profit on the convenience store inventory inside so he can advertise his gasoline price as a loss-leader.
There are a lot of different factors to consider. Ask them!
just start a new thread titled "goverment makes more from taxes than oil companies make in profits"
or something similar
In my opinion, he is using examples that most people can understand to explain the fundementals of pricing. Despite the differences in the use of gasoline and those products they are not strawmen intended to deceive. They are simply easy to understand examples.
In fact, your post seems more of a lament about gasoline prices and free maketeers than the structure of the argument. Is it possible that your complaint is a strawman itself?
All oil companies have stronger and weaker operational business units. Depending on their costs and operating efficiancy ratios in differing markets, prices rise and fall at different rates in different markets.
They were probably caught with short tanks. If their tanks are less than half full raising the price to be able to afford to refill them requires a larger hike than if the tanks are mostly full. If their costs go up 5 cents a gallon and they only have half the stock to get that money with, and not enough in the war chest to make up the other half, then they have to drive their sale price up 10 cents. Life in retail when the vast majority of your sales are 1 product can be stressful, everybody in the gas business fears price spikes when the ground tanks are low.
It is worse than that. I do not believe this takes into account taxes and royalties paid on crude oil. This appears to only be taxes on the finished product of gasoline. A lot more taxes were paid before that step.
And food, and shelter, and clothes...
I have no problem with stockbrokers or business analysts. I want our country to achieve energy independence and give the oil based economy some real competition. And I'm really tired of watching constitutionally-questionable laws being passed in the guise of preventing terror when a lot of our energy money is going to that area of the world and into the hands of those who would destroy us. Seems the best anti-terror move would be to stop importing energy from the Middle East. Or at least to come up with a viable alternative and cut into their bottom line with some good competition.
I am with you in support of nuclear energy. For us to be heating and lighting our houses off of natural gas is not the best way. Modern nuclear is efficient and safe. Of course, you are going to have to deal with the waste issue.
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