alamocdc
Member
It's been said that the oil companies have targetted bringing fuel prices comparable to those around the world. This got me to thinking and such "illogic" doesn't even make good nonsense. Bear with me for a moment while I explain. Outside the US most folks get to work in one of three ways. They walk, rid a bicycle, or they use the city's public transit system. But then most cities outside the US are fairly compact. More often than not, they only drive if they are traveling between cities, on holiday, etc. Here we like our space and our cities are sprawled out, often over significant distances. And many of us choose to live in the "burbs" away from the hustle and bustle (and crime) of "downtown". And downtown is where about 50% of the job market is. Public transit would be a good option, but with few exceptions, it isn't really practical. Yes, NYC has the subway and Chicago has the "L" and if I lived in either of those places, that's how I'd go to work. Even the DC area has a fair train system for those who choose to live south in places like Woodbridge. But those are the exception rather than the rule. Public transit in places like Dayton and San Antonio are good only if you happen to live close to a bus stop. In both places I'd have to drive to a transit lot (10 minute commute) and leave my auto to take the bus. Both systems have stops just inside the fringes of the suburbs, but does most of us little good. If I'm going to drive my auto 10 minutes to get to a bus stop, I'd just as soon stay in it 5 or 10 more minutes and go to work.
And while I'm at it, let's examine diesel cost. Not so very long ago, the oil companies were wondering what they were going to do with a particular by-product of the refining process. This by-product was generated in very large quantities and they needed to try to market it. This by-product is the diesel/kerosene line and they discovered that it had a use in lamps, heating etc. and it didn't take long before an engine was created that would burn it. The oil companies were delighted. They had an avenue for dumping this stuff and offered it to the public for pennies so they could get rid of it. Then they discovered that it made an excellent fuel for jet engines and that helped even more. But in the early 1980's greed began to take over. With increasing gas prices due to the "lie" in the mid 1970's public outcry caused some of the US auto makers to put diesel engines in passenger vehicles. Mercedes and Volkswagen had already been doing it for years, but they didn't pose a very big threat to oil company revenue. But when GM stepped in with their diesel converted V-8 failures the oil companies got worried. "Oh my, what if everyone buys a diesel powered vehicle and only spends half as much for fuel? We have to do something!" And these conversions never posed a threat b/c they were crap. A few people bought them, but I don't know anyone who had one for more than a year or so and you won't see one on the road today. In fact, I know several people who had gas powered V-8s dropped in them. But enter "lie 2", "We're running out of diesel." nonetheless. Let's see, we're buying and using more gas than ever before (meaning more diesel production) and there has been a slight increase on diesel demand (meaning they can get rid of it), but we're afraid this may trigger a trend so we have to intervene. And with that diesel prices began to soar. Especially since the major three (GM, Mopar and Ford) decided to offer "real" diesel engines in their trucks. And diesel prices now significantly exceed gasoline as a result. Greed, pure and simple.
And the sad part is that many truckers can't make a living bringing us all the stuff we want when it costs them $1,000 to fill their tanks. A scale close by on I-71 reported mid-week that traffic across the scales was down 1,500 trucks per day! And this weeks gouge will only make things worse. The truckers are talking and we'd better pay attention. Many of them are talking about parking them and looking for work elswhere. The result, significantly higher prices for ALL of our consumables. Anyone out there getting a raise to offset ALL of these costs? I know I'm not.
So the "bringing the fuel costs in line with the rest of the world" argument is just more BS rhetoric to justify greed. I know, some of you may think this sounds like Chicken Little, but I've seen it all before (and so have you). With our already strained economy (yes, due largerly to folks over extending themselves, but still...) the resulting inflation will not be a good thing.
Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now. I just had to get that off my chest.
And while I'm at it, let's examine diesel cost. Not so very long ago, the oil companies were wondering what they were going to do with a particular by-product of the refining process. This by-product was generated in very large quantities and they needed to try to market it. This by-product is the diesel/kerosene line and they discovered that it had a use in lamps, heating etc. and it didn't take long before an engine was created that would burn it. The oil companies were delighted. They had an avenue for dumping this stuff and offered it to the public for pennies so they could get rid of it. Then they discovered that it made an excellent fuel for jet engines and that helped even more. But in the early 1980's greed began to take over. With increasing gas prices due to the "lie" in the mid 1970's public outcry caused some of the US auto makers to put diesel engines in passenger vehicles. Mercedes and Volkswagen had already been doing it for years, but they didn't pose a very big threat to oil company revenue. But when GM stepped in with their diesel converted V-8 failures the oil companies got worried. "Oh my, what if everyone buys a diesel powered vehicle and only spends half as much for fuel? We have to do something!" And these conversions never posed a threat b/c they were crap. A few people bought them, but I don't know anyone who had one for more than a year or so and you won't see one on the road today. In fact, I know several people who had gas powered V-8s dropped in them. But enter "lie 2", "We're running out of diesel." nonetheless. Let's see, we're buying and using more gas than ever before (meaning more diesel production) and there has been a slight increase on diesel demand (meaning they can get rid of it), but we're afraid this may trigger a trend so we have to intervene. And with that diesel prices began to soar. Especially since the major three (GM, Mopar and Ford) decided to offer "real" diesel engines in their trucks. And diesel prices now significantly exceed gasoline as a result. Greed, pure and simple.
And the sad part is that many truckers can't make a living bringing us all the stuff we want when it costs them $1,000 to fill their tanks. A scale close by on I-71 reported mid-week that traffic across the scales was down 1,500 trucks per day! And this weeks gouge will only make things worse. The truckers are talking and we'd better pay attention. Many of them are talking about parking them and looking for work elswhere. The result, significantly higher prices for ALL of our consumables. Anyone out there getting a raise to offset ALL of these costs? I know I'm not.
So the "bringing the fuel costs in line with the rest of the world" argument is just more BS rhetoric to justify greed. I know, some of you may think this sounds like Chicken Little, but I've seen it all before (and so have you). With our already strained economy (yes, due largerly to folks over extending themselves, but still...) the resulting inflation will not be a good thing.
Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now. I just had to get that off my chest.