* Gas surcharges apply!!!

[Rob LaMoy]

Well I had to do it. I had Richmeister set my rates flat and added a gas surcharge to my guide rates. I noticed that most other guides had gone this route since we can't tell what gas will cost from day to day let alone month to month.



You can thank the money grubbin politicians (yes BOTH Republican and Democrats) in DC, the greedy as hell oil companies and refineries, and OPEC for that.



Record profits quarterly for 3 years and running. $115,000,000,000 in PROFIT in just the first QUARTER of the year and the congressional hearings can find no wrongdoing on the part of the oil companies???? HUH????



Supply and demand they say? HOW did supply decrease that much and demand increase that much so that in less than 10 years prices have tripled? NOTHING; no other industry has tripled in one decade ever.



Do any of you remember the nekkid pontoon post if gas got below $1.00 per/gallon? That was NOT even 10 years ago, maybe 5 I think and it DID get below once.



I just can't shake this frustration, anger,:angry: fury,:angry: malcontent, hatred,:blink: etc, etc,:huh: etc:wacko: over the corporate greed. At WHAT point do you say, "OK, we've made enough. We've raped the world enough for profit, we're good."????



Anyway, I'm done now. Well, for now!

 

[Rich D]

 

[JR F]

I agree..It's criminal whats going on In this country.....JR Remember VOTE>>I Plan on voting aganst everyone who Is In Office I don't care who they are...

 

[Jeffrey Durham]

Let's vote for someone who does NOT own a oil company....!!!!

 

[TrepMan]

I wish someone could articulate "why" the prices have risen so much, and more importantly why it fluxuates so much in the short term - 20-30 cents per week some time. We were down to $1.99/gallon a few months ago and now its back over $2.50/gallon.

 

[Greg Meyer]

Three major factors of crude oil price increases... 1) China has doubled its purchases in the last three years, buildinga massive reserve... 2) India has become a major importer of oil.... 3) OPEC has no incentive to increase production and create lower prices



Our at the pump prices are to a great extent dictated by crude pricing... However, there is no question that the oil companies have done well... too well. But as far as it being in the hands of any political party or administartion... That I doubt. What would you do if you were the Emporer... Price controls are not really legal... Until supply, domestically, rises significantly or demand decreases significantly, we are where we are...



And, please while it feels bad... Remember 1980 was the first time we started to see $1.00 gas... It's now 2.5 to 3.0 that price... Wages are also up by about the same factor... Other costs are also in line with that ratio. We just got very accustomed to very cheap gas...

 

[TrepMan]

Greg - I had not thought of the 3 items you posed as factors. I personaly don't harbor any ill will towards the oil companies, while their profit is record - their profit margins are actualy lower then a lot of other industries. We live in a capitalistic free market economy, if a company can legaly sell a product/service and make a gazillion $$, more power to them.



Rob - I don't blame you for adding a gas surcharge, and it gets the issue out on the table for your customer. But, if gas goes back down (it never will, but if it would) to say 50 cents a gallon, your profit margins would increase, will you lower your rates to "give back" that extra gas $$ to your customers or keep the extra profit?

 

[JAMES MOORE]

Here's what they say on the commodities site:



UPDATE 4-Oil retreats to $68 after falling short of record

Tuesday, April 11, 2006 3:40:23 PM

http://www.reuters.com







(Updates prices)



By Janet McBride



LONDON, April 11 (Reuters) - Oil recoiled towards $68 on Tuesday in preparation for another attack on its $70 record, powered by supply threats in Iran, Nigeria and Iraq and strong demand in the United States and China.



Strong investment fund buying had earlier pushed London Brent crude <LCOc1> to an all-time high of $69.70. U.S. crude <CLc1> had swept to a session high of $69.45.



"It is pretty clear that we can break $70 without too much problem," said Deborah White, an analyst at SG CIB in Paris.



"We have been getting a massive injection (of investment fund money) in the energy markets. It is very clear from the price action that they haven't stopped."



At 1532 GMT U.S. crude was down 74 cents at $68.00 and London Brent was down 36 cents at $68.39.



Oil has climbed 13 percent since Jan 1, extending a rally that began at the start of 2002 with oil at $20 a barrel. Investment money has poured into commodities. Gold [GOL] hit a 25-year high and silver set a 23-year peak on Tuesday.



"The ultimate deterrent for the oil market is when the price becomes too expensive for people to fill their tanks," said Ian Henderson, fund manager at JP Morgan Fleming.



"I think they will continue to carry out their travel plans even with oil prices as high as $100 a barrel."



The world's economies are racing ahead despite energy costs at their highest in real terms for a quarter of a century. U.S. oil contracts for June onwards are already trading above $70, suggesting few traders expect the price to come off suddenly.



"With the U.S. and global economies still showing strong signs of resilience, expectations for oil demand growth in 2006 and 2007 remain robust," Deutsche Bank said in a research note.



"The United States and China account for a substantial proportion of the total world oil growth in 2006 and 2007."





OPEC SUPPLY WORRIES



Concerns over supplies from OPEC producers Iran, Nigeria and Iraq have been a big factor in oil's rally in recent months.



Iran is at odds with the West over its atomic programme, rebels have knocked out nearly a quarter of Nigeria's output and Iraq's exports are at their lowest since the U.S.-led invasion.



Former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani told Kuwait's KUNA news agency on Tuesday that Iran had begun producing enriched uranium -- a direct challenge to the United States and the United Nations' nuclear agency.



U.S. President George W. Bush has dismissed reports of plans for military strikes on the world's fourth biggest oil exporter as "wild speculation" but the market remains nervous.



"The market is not really factoring in the true impact of military action but the mere mention of it sends prices higher," said Gerard Burg, economist at the National Australia Bank.



With the loss of gasoline-rich Nigerian oil set to encroach on the U.S. summer driving season, traders are nervously eyeing falling fuel supplies, hit by high demand and extensive refinery maintenance to comply with cleaner U.S. fuel standards.



Analysts polled by Reuters predict U.S. gasoline inventories fell last week by an average 2.2 million barrels, extending a 14.1 million-barrel fall in the previous five weeks to March 31, in U.S. government data to be released on Wednesday. (Additional reporting by Paul Marriott in Sydney and Randy Fabi in London)

 

[fatrap]

Why is China buying so much oil? Maybe to get ready to have a war with us? I don't know but we'd be in bad shape if they did. Let's see now........before you start a war can you get our Wal Marts filled up with merchandise and our electronics stuff too. Seeing we don't manufactuer anything here and you do most of it we need to get stocked up before we can fight you. Maybe we could throw the 24 million illegal aliens in our country out in front of the invasion to slow them down, so our politicians can empty they're offshore accounts and retreat to their private islands.(Sen. Harkin, Dem Iowa)

I know I know excuse my ramblings. I'll go take my meds.

fatrap

 

[Edward Lea.]

I think the higher prices suck also. However as in most things the consumer ultimately controls the price. Every market will set the price at the high end of what the consumer will pay. Nike gets 100 to 200 dollars a pair for basketball shoes because people will pay it. As soon as people who will pay that price for a particular model stop buying it you see it in the bargain bin for 19.99. Same shoe just all the people willing to fork out 200 dollars have bought them and don't need any more. Now the lower income get to buy the same shoe for a lot less just 6 months later.



That is the majority of price controls.



Now another point.



Did anyone see the report on tv a couple of weeks ago about Brazil, I think it was Brazil. The military controlled government 30 years ago decided they were going to make the switch to achohol based transportation. They spent the time and money and now in less than a year from now the country is going to be energy independent. Every car in the country can run on alcohol or gasoline. True, alcohol based vehicles get less MPG's but because they have made the comittment to growing the crops and the technolgy to convert it to alcohol the price for alcohol based fuel is lower than gasoline. LOWER THAN GASOLINE.............. When the consumers here are ready this country will make the switch to electric and alcohol based fuel. We are just starting where they have already finished. I drive 120 miles round trip everyday to work and don't care for the high price of gas either. Believe me I hate it. That is why the truck sits at home while I drive the little car to work. I will be so happy when we make the move that the Brazillians have already achieved. Then we can also cut ties with the oil producing countries and stop sending our money over there and send it to the agricultural parts of the USA. YEAH BABY.... imagine that keeping hundreds of billions of dollars right here state side every year OH YEAH.



Sorry about the rant. I don't like the oil companies getting all my money either. I would rather it go to the farmer here in the middle of the country.

 

[Edward Lea.]

Fatrap the chinese are buying more oil now bacause the population base over there is just starting to have the ability to buy cars. The chinese are reaching the point where they will be consuming more and more oil. they want to be like us. The price of oil is only going to continue up over time folks. We need to adapt and overcome.

 

[fatrap]

Thanks ED. I just needed to throw my pet peeves into the grinder here. Immigration, Oil, and loss of a manufacturing base. Oh and dirty politicians. #1 on my hit parade.



fatrap

 

[Bryan McDonough]

I can think of a few ag commodities that have tripled in price in the last 5 -10 years.



This is what happens when real risks are introduced into a commodities market. Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Venezuela, these 4 countries are major players in the Oil market, they are all have some kind of current threat to oil production. Add to that annual refinery shutdowns. These are risks in the market, kinda like the show "Deal or no Deal!" the more risks to the banker the more likely he is to give you more money. The future is not so clear right now, because there is a lot of bad news in the market.



In 2007 New production should be coming on line and many analyst believe that this will be a big boost in helping ease oil prices. New refinery capacity is coming in the next 5 years, there is good news in this market, just not enough of it to overcome the bad.

 

[Edward Lea.]

Take a look at the population of China. lots of people. New consumers. Gonna want lots of oil. Gotta convert from oil to renewable resources here at home folks..... Keep the money at home.

 

[Texas Transplant]

If everyone keeps buying it, versus using less oil/gas, the price will stay high or go up.



Lambast the law of supply and demand all you want. If the demand is there, the price will remain high.



Have you tried to get a discount on an Ipod lately?I can buy a complete home computer system for less money than it cost to buy an Ipod.



If you think the current President made his money in oil, you are sadly mistaken. His money came from baseball - not oil.



Yes, the big folks are making record profits, but it's the 'middle guy' that is jacking around the fluctuating prices.



Tex

 

[Steve Rizza]

What Really makes me laugh is when people say we should switch over to Ethanol..That we should support our own country by making fuel out of corn grown right here in the US.



I have read estimates that the amount of corn needed to run the country would cover 97% of the land is the US.(and Alaska). That doesn't leave much room for everything else.





We have this argument at work on a semi-daily basis.

If you think the price of gas is too high,,simply cut back.

I "need" about a tank full every two weeks to drive to work. I could drive a small car and stretch that out alot farther,but I "choose" to drive a truck. I could also carpool,but I "choose" not to. I drive a truck so I can tow my boat, which I "choose" to own. The boat could just have an electric motor only,,there are alot of small lakes within a couple of miles of my house. But I "choose" to have a bigger outboard motor because I like to fish some bigger lakes. The bigger lakes are farther away,30,50,60 miles away,but I "choose" to fish them instead.



I guess what I'm trying to say is if you "choose" to burn up gallons of gas, quit complaining about how expensive it is. Exxon made a gazillion dollars profit, so what, that's why they are in business to begin with.



OK,,done with my lunitic rant now.. I need a beer,,,,which costs about $5.00 a gal.:angry:

 

[TrepMan]

Steve - Pass a beer down this way, tonite's my last Beer for a week, Passover starts at sun-down tomorrow, 7 days no bread, beer or bagels!!! AARGGGHHHHHH!!!

 

[JR F]

Darn Trep I have been on that for 5 weeks now..But I can feel the depression leaving so the beer will start to flow again..Lost 30 pounds to...JR

 

[Steve Rizza]

No bread ,beer or bagels !!! Would bread include Pasta ??????



I could easily do the bread and bagels,,,,,the beer would be rough,,,,,,but if Spaghetti is included,,,, oy vey, I'd be in trouble.

 

[TrepMan]

No pasta!!! basicaly no booze unless its Kosher wine, which typicaly is VERY sweet, so we make wine coolers with sprite!!

 

[Edward Lea.]

Who said a word about using corn for Ethanol. I believe down south they use a type of cane that blows corn sugar away. Steve I could move closer to work but don't choose to. I like the quality of life out here in the country.



Now, is it reasonable to maybe look for a better and cheaper way to get around, I think so. You think it is wrong to look for a better way to transport ourselves around? You can choose, and should, to spend your money the way you want. Nothing wrong with that.



I do not understand why you would prefer the country not look for an alternative to being dependant on a completely unreliable source of fuel from the middle east.:unsure:

 

[Steve Rizza]

Nothing wrong with looking for a better way Ed. Nothing wrong with it at all.



I agree that there are cheaper and better ways. That's my point, that people don't choose the better cheaper ways, don't choose to limit the amount of gas they use, then complain about gas prices.



I just hear it all day long at work from guys that drive around in big old hopped up, 4x4 trucks, with 454 engines,duel carbs, and monster tires,,,,complaining how it costs them $50 a day to drive to work.





Not trying to bust your chops Ed, just doing a little venting of my own. Feel free to ignore me,most people do. I'm just tired of hearing how much Exxon made,and how G.W.B. apparently owns every oil well in the world.

 

[TrepMan]

Steve - Speaking of gas, you got soft water up your way yet this year?? You break the Tracker in for spring???



I'm thinking of sneaking out Fri am for a few hours ,been a LONG week and its only TUESDAY!!!

 

[Edward Lea.]

Ok then. I can handle that. I agree the consumer controls the price. They just don't or won't do it. I still think it is very cool that in less than a year Brazil will be independent of outside energy requirements. We are way behind on this and really need to get going. We have a model to follow so it would seem that we could shave a lot of time off the 30 years it took them to get there. What do you all think, wouldn't that be way cool!!!!!!!!

 

[Al Greco]

Ed, I was in Brazil for a while last month and indeed most of the cars there run on Alcohol and/or gas. The Alcohol is cheaper but burns quicker. I think it was 1.39 Reals per litre. Gas was 2.39 Reals per litre. So gas it was about $5 USD a gallon. I guess that is why so many people there drive mopeds and motorcycles.