Just heard on the radio this morning--trying to find the article right now--that the national avg gas price has dropped a few cents over the last week, and analysts expect it to drop another dime or so before spiking again in August, ultimately to settle around the $1.75/gal mark by Thanksgiving.

I'll post the link if I find it, I'm curious as to what they are citing to support the conclusions.

Edit: Here it is: http://www.usatoday.com/money/indust...ices-dip_x.htm

Actually says we should see 1.75 this summer before an August spike, down to 1.60 by turkey day.

If this is correct, we will have seen a classic example of American politics. A public outcry to fix a problem only to find it fixes itself if the government keeps their hands out of it. I think regardless of who we are talking about, a slow and measured response is best in this situation. Its hard not to act when people are bitching but also like Guion and I were talking about earlier in this thread there's not a great deal the Govt can do about it either.

 

Things were getting a little deep yesterday, and since I tend not to help matters, I took the rest of the day off to actually do some work.

But there are a few things I want to touch on, then hopefully we can get back to the thing we DO have in common... a love for fast cars.

THAT"S something that no political party or idealogy can claim as their own.... if they do, they're pretty dumb.

There is a HUGE difference between someone serving an active duty term in the Air Force and someone who didn't even finish his full reserve term in the National Guard. But someone who went on school deferments and says he had better things to do than enlist in the military during Vietnam (our Vice President) isn't even in the game. He has no right, no ground, and no business criticizing anybody, let alone anyone who actually volunteered to go to Vietnam when they also could have copped out on a deferment. I don't care if the guy married Jane Fonda, he already served his country in a war that was already unpopular.

If you don't like John Kerry's politics, then that's OK. That's what elections are all about, and it would be a very scarey place if we all thought lockstep and voted for the same people & had the same ideas. I have complete respect for different political views (though I wish more people would go below the surface more). The only issue I have here is that I find it repulsive every time Cheney opens his mouth about Kerry regarding "loyalty" to country knowing his own background. If Bush dumped him & put Colin Powell or Norman Schwarzkopf, and they brought up loyalty to country, or even Bush senior, then it's a different story.

Again, I'm NOT entering the political debate on this, I'm just taking a Veteran's standpoint on this. We're supposed to be talking about fuel prices.

If Gore was sitting in the White House right now with fuel prices this high, he'd be in the crosshairs. Bush isn't immune simply because he's Republican. And with the energy company the Vice President was CEO of running Iraq's recovery, and the fact I'm paying nearly $2.70 for fuel is more than a little suspicious.

Admittedly, from a historical perspective, even at $3 per gallon, fuel is still cheaper than it was in the 1980s in constant dollars, but who's getting this sudden windfall?

 

I sure hope the prediction's right & my $3 per gallon prediction is wrong (my cars run on gas too ).

There isn't much government can do short of investigating. But even if they do find wrong doing, what can be done? In Cali, Enron resorted to fraud, which is what's going to nail them. But ironically, if someone simply jacks up the price, it's supply & demand.

John Kennedy strong armed the steel industry to roll back prices (he made a tarriff agreement with them & they turned around and jacked up prices) by threatening to send the IRS to check them out, and Truman broke a coal strike by federalizing the work force.

Neither one a good political move today, but boy, if only....

 

Congressional investigations do not seem to go anywhere IMO. Remember when they investigated breakfast cereals because of price gouging? Or the Compact Disk pricing?, LOL.

We've pleaded for more production, and it seems perhaps just the thought of it is easing prices some. I have been struggling all day to think of what could actually be done to influence the oil co's to reduce their margins. A bluff of tough new regulations on the industry could work....hey if you guys don't get reasonable we'll seriously hurt your ability to make a profit with these new regs...maybe threaten to let the EPA run wild with their notions??

I dunno. I'm like you Guion, time to get back on topic after yesterday's meltdown. I love discussing this stuff but I regret when it gets personal, and sooner or later it always does because individual motivations get questioned at some point.

Like I said yesterday, ultimate good can come down the road from the higher prices as long as they are not so high as to ruin our econ. recovery. But does the American public have the foresight to see that far into the future, or is everyone only concerned about today and the next day?

 

Can I make a quick clarification on this political debate that isn't really a political debate?

You're taking YOUR veteran standpoint on the issue. MY veteran's standpoint is different. Not saying it is better or worse - but different. In other words, we all should speak for ourselves and not try to speak for a general group, which your statement implied - though I doubt it was intentional.

Thanks.

 

You and I are told we must choose between a left or right, but I suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There is only an up or down. Up to man's age-old dream-the maximum of individual freedom consistent with order or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism. Regardless of their sincerity, their humanitarian motives, those who would sacrifice freedom for security have embarked on this downward path. Plutarch warned, "The real destroyer of the liberties of the people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations and benefits."

http://www.nationalcenter.org/ReaganChoosing1964.html

It's strange how a nearly 40-year old quote is suddenly relevent again. Perhaps it's time to pay tribute to Ronald Reagan. Under Reagan's watch oil prices tumbled to record lows, largely breaking the unity of OPEC. Interestingly, the sub-$10/barrel oil prices nearly put a Midland, Texas oilman names George W. Bush into bankruptcy. George W. had to sell his company, take up religion, and go on the wagon.

 

From CNN.com money section

Still higher than I would like, but at least it is going down and not up

 

I salute you Sir - and agree 100%. I'm saddened to see some differentiating between the supposed 'relative value' of an active duty service member vs. them being Guard/Reserve. Regardless of their type, it hurts equally bad taking a round in the gut

Two things being awkwardly mixed in the above statement. If what you are concerned about is someone not finishing their commitment, yes I agree that's questionable (if this is a reference to our President... it's sadly off the mark however). The rest of it though... sounds a little silly. If you are a Guard/Reserve pilot over Iraq, does the RPG rocketing toward your helicopter know any difference? Proportions of those in combat have changed since the Nam years... but many of the other dangers of military service (training accidents for example) also do not discriminate between member types.

Incorrect. He has EVERY right to criticize anyone he wants due to the First Amendment. If some see his opinions as hypocritical, that's their right too. Does an American have to show off shrapnel scars now to qualify for the Bill of Rights?

Agreed. I think our 'canary in a cage' indicator - in the remote possibility Americans start letting these relatively trivial fuel prices affect real aspects of their lifestyle - will be SUV and big pickup sales as well as Congressional CAFE action. Until I see some SUSTAINED trends in these indicators, I'll be calm and casual waiting for that fire-breathing, Mustang-crunching 5Gen Camaro

 

Correct!

To suggest that those that have not served cannot speak negatively about anyone who has is absurd. Many sports analysts never played the sport they cover, but they write about it? Should only ex-players be commentators?

Oh and if you've never been addicted to drugs you can't discuss drug abuse. If you've never had an abortion you can't talk about the issue, etc. etc. etc.

That is specious logic.

 

Gas has went down on about 8 cents around here this week and is running around $1.80 gal. and premium is an even $2.00 gal.


From a post way back about the GTO and gas guzzler tax. The GTO with the auto trans. does have gas guzzler tax. The 6-speed GTO however gets 29 mpg on the highway. '05 GTO with the 400hp LS2 will get the same gas mileage as the LS1, maybe even a little better. Same goes for the C6, I think that is very impressive for a car to be one of the top performance cars in the world and take it out on the highway and get nearly 30 mpg. I don't think anything else on the market could compare to that.

LS1, LS2 OHV V8s

The best I've gotten with my LT1 is 27 mpg on the highway. My dads Eldorado with 300hp Northstar get 28-29 mpg on the highway all the time.

 

Oh man, oh man....I've tried so hard not to post in this thread.

You don't honestly believe that, do you? And also, please explain to me how exactly "his *** is gettin rich off the oil industry", by invading Iraq?

I'm sure you understand, of course, that this nation has a policy of pre-emption in the global war on terrorism. How easy it would have been, for the leadership of our country to wilt from this horrendous responsibility. I don't think that I would have had the strength not to take the easy way out, if I were put in their position.

I'd doubt that the President has such perverse personal issues with his father...that he would send our nation to war in order to impress him.

Our goal is to reshape the mid-east into a more progressive, open, enlightened, democratic culture.
Why?
Terrorism thrives in ignorant societies.

Regarding oil. Don't you think that Saddam would have given us ALL the cheap oil we wanted? How about free oil? UN individuals recieved 10 Billion dollars in "oil for food" bribes.

The French were given 100 billion dollars in oil contracts from Saddam to sabotage (is that a French word?) this country's efforts in the UN.

You don't think that we could have cut a better deal with Saddam than the French did?

But we're not French, (or Germans or Russians)....we are Americans, and we have the courage to do the hard things.

I personally grieve for every single American killed or wounded in Iraq. But I strongly believe that decades from now, people will look back and characterize this as a defining positive moment in the 21st century.

 

AMEN to that.

 

It is my hope that gas prices stay high enough, long enough, to squeeze the lemmings out of their "H2 as commuter" vehicles. Perhaps then, we can stop subsidizing oil prices via the DoD budget.

 

I second that vote!

I think it's OK to want/have a vehicle like the H2, but I also think it's economically irresonsible to use a vehicle like that for everyday uses like kids/school/soccer practice and the trip to Starbucks for a cup of coffee.

I have a "huge" truck that is 20 feet long and weighs almost 7000-lbs empty... but I don't drive it to work every day or to the grocery store. I use it for HAULING LOADS (what it was designed to do best). I have put less than 20,000 miles on my truck in 4 years. I simply have vehicles that are better suited and more resonsible to use for commuting and errands.

 

I agree - maybe 70% of the time no charges or legislative action ever seems to come of an investigation, so the end result is a lot of wasted time and money that could have been better spent elsewhere.

But at times, just the impending threat can cause the accused parties to change their practice - and that can be worth something. It's sort of like the check-and-balance system with a twist to apply to any aspect of domestic business instead of governmental affairs.

I guess I am a little more concerned about the issues with gas/oil prices because in all honesty they are energy sources. Maybe they should/maybe they shouldn't be monitored as commodities and regulated as other energy sources here in the states are. I personally don't think regulating gas prices is the right solution, but the impending thought of it happening might make all the oil companies (that are enjoying record profits lately) take a second look at what they are charging at the pumps (whether they change the price or not).

As for the Compact Disc ruling... I myself got a check for $13.84 from the settlement. Most of the industry reps plead "no contest" to the actual charges levied. Must have been something to that one anyways.

As for the breakfast cereal deal... well... no comment from me. But have you bought a gallon of milk lately!
I have concluded that milk must be 50% comprised of gas the way it's been going up lately.

So, do we send out a congressional committee to interrogate the cows...