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The Price Of Oil

The Price Of Oil

I'm just curious what others pay for gas. Here in Southern California around the San Bernardino area we are at $2.45p.g. for premium (91 Oct.). I normally run 89 Oct which is at $2.35 p.g.

If reports are true we will see as high as $3.00p.g. by travel time this summer.
That means it will now cost me as much as $60.00 on a fill-up(I have a 4 cyl. engine)this is up from $27.50 a year and a half ago.Ten years ago I paid a mere $22.00 for a fill up. Sometimes it is necessary for 2 fill-ups per week.The numbers don't lie,someone is making allot more money on this than they should. This kind of increase in a commodity does nothing but hurt the working man,we couldn't afford to fill up before the price skyrocketed.

Every time I hear something on the news about it,they (the news any channel)always have a new reason for the increase.This reason alone has led me to wonder just what is going on.

Message Edited... JB: Changed title and made the topic more generalized rather than a specific area.

Oil Price The

America has been very spoiled by low gas prices, compared to most of the world. I'm in Southern California also, and prices just went up last week. They had been around 1.87 or so for a while, and suddenly it's 2.25! That's a big jump. I also heard that OPEC is REDUCING production. So the squeeze is on. I'm lucky that I don't have to commute, I'm only 3 miles from my office and my daughter's school is a block from the house. So I only have to fill up once every two weeks or so.

Roz

Offtopic but, I'm in Riverside county, Dio, we're neighbors!

The Price Of Oil History & Civil Business Politics

I dont know if I would use the word spoiled,for this reason,we consume more fuel than any country in the world(in some cases more than 50 countries in the world)and we are also the most economically dependant on that fuel than most other places. I did not choose to have a vehicle,society decided that for me(here in cali you must have transportation).
In some countries gas could be as high as $10.00 P.g. but to that I have to ask: How much does their country as a whole consume?,probably not very much,so they pay more. This follows standard supply and demand rules,However,here we consume an amount that if the standard rule applied we should only be paying $1.25 P.g. (and that is probably too high). Per gallons used per capita we pay more to get our gas than anyone. If the working man cannot get to work,(which will happen if things do'nt change)this state will shut down.
I also have to wonder if this increase is do to all the gas guzzeling SUV's that are on the road today,and we are all paying for it whether we drive one or not.
OFFTOPIC: I knew that farseer,your reply was one I knew I would get,thanx for responding.

Oil Price The

Hmm, well, that's why I say we're spoiled. We have had easy access to relatively cheap fuel for so long that we take it as our due. We can't find a job locally? Hop in the car and drive for 20 or 50 miles and there's one. Commuting? No problem. Society does not decide that you must have a car, you decide by your lifestyle. Yes, it's indoctrinated into our culture, but that doesn't mean you HAVE TO have a vehicle. There are plenty of people in Cali and elsewhere who don't have vehicles (many by choice) and ride the bus, or ride a bike, or even walk to where they have to go. I choose to live as close as possible to my job so that I don't have to be so dependent on my car, especially if it should break down -- I can still get to work and back without it if I had to, which I couldn't do if I lived 20 or 30 or 50 miles from my job like many people do. Which they do because GAS IS CHEAP. If we were paying $10 a gallon, there would be a sea change in this culture. Even at $3 a gallon that might come this summer, this will affect a wide spectrum of people and businesses. Telecommuting, anyone?

IMO
Roz

Oil Price The

Well alot of people do'nt have the choice of working close to home. Like me, I'm in construction and the closest I work to home is 15 miles away,but sometimes the work is as far as 100 miles one way. I'm not the only one either. And there really is no such thing as company gas,wish there was though. Not to mention all the tools of the trade that I must carry as well(which are also owned by me.).

I realize that alot of people could change where they live, to be closer to work, but how many could change their careers to accomidate an over inflated gas hike?

There is a solution that was floating around a few years ago that could work if the people would just band together. Boycott one company at a time starting with Exxon/Mobil (because they are the largest),if no one is buying their gas they cant make any money, when were done with one we move on to the next. Eventually the price will fall.

The 2nd part of the solution would be for the upper class of americans that take a summer vacation every year(something I would love to experiance,my last vacation was 11 years ago) to not travel as much. part of the reason prices go up in the summer(along with the infinite list the media hands out) is because of the travel. But since these americans can easily afford to do whatever they want no matter the cost, we will most likely never win. :sigh: the little man loses again.

The Price Of Oil

True, choice isn't always a factor, but I believe many people *could* make changes if it became necessary.

I have a different opinion on this one. Ever hear of "Hubbert's Peak"? Oil supply is diminishing even as we speak. It won't be long before the beginning of the end of abundant, cheap gas. This is just a "head's up" for us.

Getting people to boycott a big corporation doesn't even put a dent in the problem, and in my opinion the second option of that "solution" is just absurd. Wealthy people don't juice the economy in this country -- it's the "little man" who does. "Mr. & Mrs. Joe Six-Pack" they call us. "Summer travel" is generally the "little man" driving somewhere when the kids are out of school -- wealthy people fly.

Here's a link to more information about the future of oil production, if your're interested:

https://www.globalpublicmedia.com/SECTIONS/...l.depletion.php
I recommend the article "The End of Cheap Oil" -- it's very detailed, gives sources, graphs and charts, and is easy to read.

It's just the beginning of a shift in how we'll do things in the future.

In my opinion, of course.
Roz

The Price Oil

That 'solution' was a hoax. See: https://hoaxinfo.com/gasout.htm It has been passed around since 1999!

Here where I am I commute about 8 miles to work. If I had to I would commute 20 miles. We are rural, so the towns are a bit apart. I would shop locally(here in my own town) if the store prices weren't so much higher than the Safeway, Fred Meyer and Thriftway in the town 20 miles from me.

For some odd reason our gas prices have stayed the same for the last two weeks. They were jumping around, up 4 cents, down 2 then up 6 cents down 3. The price has stayed at $1.799 now. Oh, the Chevron in town is alway the highest at $1.849.There is even a station in the other town that sells gas for $1.729; but I won't buy that gas ~ my van always drives awful after I do. Sputtering and choking!

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Our cheapest in town was $2.06 yesterday, at the "tank-full-of-knocks" station. Highest so far is $2.37. It's really annoying to me how it comes and goes, up and down, yada yada. But I just have to be grateful for what we have and do the best we can.

Roz