Gas

[jughead]

at the end of the month or year every gallon of fuel that a station sells is supposed to bring a profit. if it is bought at 3.00 and the profit of that tank of fuel doesnt bring in enough to replace the next tank of fuel that went up to 4.00 will some one tell me how a station can survive selling it at less than cost. it is the same with any business. if one cant sell for enough to replace stock and make a living one wont be there long.

[strickj]

You shortsighted people, who think that your neeeeed trumps others' rights of ownership and commerce, are little different from the Obama marxists

Indispensable,or nonessential

The difference here is that we are talking about gas.If left alone they could sell gas for 20 dollars a gallon,and since gas is an essential for living,everyone has to have it,then they can get that price for it.

Gas is a little more intricate then TVs,or whatever when speaking in terms of supply and demand.

[TripleDigitRide]

No, I don't own a gas station, but every time I hear a station owner talking about profit's, they claim to make only 5-10 cents profit, per gallon. They also claim to make more money on the items inside the store.

[Guest canynracer]

If I didn't hold back, I'd probably get kicked off the board. But GUTTERbOY and slothful1 are absolutely right.

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS "PRICE GOUGING!"

You shortsighted people, who think that your neeeeed trumps others' rights of ownership and commerce, are little different from the Obama marxists, aside from, perhaps, your support of gun rights, the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the unborn.

hmmm....you own a gas station?

[BrasilNuts]

Here is what I witnessed...

Friday morning I was working on the front door of a rental house with my mom. I went to the gas station across the street to get some water and as I walked past the pumps I noticed they had plastic bags on them. While paying for the water I asked the girl at the counter when they ran out of gas and when they expected to get more. She said "We ran out late last night and are expecting a shipmemt any time now."

Around noon I notice the owner out front and start changing the prices on the sign from $3.69 to $3.99 and then the bags came off, the pumps came on, and people started pulling in to fill up.

I was at the front of the house the entire time and a truck never came with a load.

I did see that they recieved a shipment of gas on Saturday morning.

Glad I have a diesel... hmmm wonder why it hasn't gone up if a supply shortage is the reason for all this madness? Diesel at the Pilot I normally go to is still $3.81 while gas is $4.99.

[PackinMama]

If I didn't hold back, I'd probably get kicked off the board. But GUTTERbOY and slothful1 are absolutely right.

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS "PRICE GOUGING!"

I'll let George Mason University Professor of Economics Walter E. Williams do that.

But aside from his explanation, the root of the matter is, IT'S THEIR F@(%ING GAS.

You know, I've always looked at the 2nd Amendment as our Founders' guarantee that we'd be able to protect our freedoms. And the right to buy stuff, and re-sell it for whatever price we can get for it is one of those freedoms.

You shortsighted people, who think that your neeeeed trumps others' rights of ownership and commerce, are little different from the Obama marxists, aside from, perhaps, your support of gun rights, the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the unborn.

Pleeeaaassse, Don't hold back.

Indispensable,or nonessential

The difference here is that we are talking about gas.If left alone they could sell gas for 20 dollars a gallon,and since gas is an essential for living,everyone has to have it,then they can get that price for it.

Gas is a little more intricate then TVs,or whatever when speaking in terms of supply and demand.

I'm all for making a profit. But gas is like electricity, we all HAVE to buy it. There has to be regulations (and they need to be enforced) on how much profit a gas station owner can make on it.

hmmm....you own a gas station? [/quote]

That's exactly what I was thinking when I read his response.

[Sheepdog]

hmmm....you own a gas station?

Soooo,who here owns a gas station to show proof of what who pays!?

How much profit they make is completely irrelevant. It's. Their. Gas.

Indispensable,or nonessential

The difference here is that we are talking about gas.If left alone they could sell gas for 20 dollars a gallon,and since gas is an essential for living,everyone has to have it,then they can get that price for it.

Gas is a little more intricate then TVs,or whatever when speaking in terms of supply and demand.

Or as John F. Kerry might say, "There's some nuance to pricing when it comes to gas."

Bull****.

The pricing of any "essential" item is no different than it is for any other item. The seller charges what the market will bear.

You think the market will tolerate $20 gas? Someday, it might. But it sure as hell won't right now. It's hard enough to get people to pay $3.50/gallon right now. Do they pay it? Yes...but what's happened?

Two things. 1) People have started changing their driving habits. You know gas prices are high when they get me to stop hitting 90 mph every day when I go to work. I also don't make those small single-item trips to the store anymore. And I've really had to cut down my trips out to the Prentice Cooper range. And millions of other people are making changes like this, too.

2) People have started cutting back on non-essential expenses. I don't know if anybody else has noticed, but restaurants aren't as full anymore, and the movie theaters aren't as busy. Even Starbucks is closing some of its coffee shops. Having to pay more for gas means that people are not going to be able to spend as much on luxury items and entertainment.

Basically, anybody who says that Americans have a right to cheap gas, and demands that the government enforce it, is saying that Americans have a right to affordable CDs, DVDs, video game consoles, televisions, cable/satellite programming, movie tickets, designer clothes, handbags and shoes, electronic gadgets, cool cars and motorcycles, ATVs and jet skis, guns and ammo, high-speed internet access, vacations to Dollywood, cigarettes, alcohol, hookers and any other personal indulgences that we no longer have as much money for.

You think I like high gas prices? Hell, no! But I do like having gas. And EVERY TIME the government imposes price controls, it creates shortages.

As bad as high prices are, they're a hell of a lot better than rationing.

[strickj]

The pricing of any "essential" item is no different than it is for any other item. The seller charges what the market will bear.

The difference is we must have it.Its not like going to WalMart and saying "oh,well this DVD player is to expensive for me to get this week"

Its gas!We must buy it!Thus we will pay what they want!

There is no market here!

Edited September 14, 2008 by strickj

[Guest tcampbell]

I agree with you...however...most items like cds, tvs, etc...do not jump in price the way gas does. If the government wants to help the economy get better, then gas prices must come down and folks will spend on other things. Folks spending money on things besides gas helps generate jobs. My wife and I don't go out to eat anymore, even though before, we only went out about once a week. We don't go out for entertainment at all. I used to go to the range once a week...now I may go twice a month...even though it is only 15 minutes away. As long as gas prices are high, people will keep losing jobs and the economy will go downhill. Thankfully, a tank full will get me back and forth to work for nearly 2 weeks. yeah...let them charge what they want and let it stockpile up, then they will have to lower the pice to get rid of it.

[NuTcAsE]

I hate high gas as much as anyone. But, GUTTERbOY, slothful1, and Sheepdog are absolutely right.

If anybody wants to do anything about it open a gas station and I'll buy your gas for .50 a gallon.

Edited September 14, 2008 by NuTcAsE

[Guest bkelm18]

The idiocy displayed in this thread makes me laugh. Does anyone remember why exactly you are arguing over this? Who cares? The fools bought into the panic and bought gas like it was going out of style, and the prices sky rocketed. Nothing you can do about it, no need to bicker and whine about it. Open a gas station and sell it for .50cents like Nutcase stated. I'll gladly drive to buy it. Otherwise, this has happened before, and it'll happen again.

[Guest nraforlife]

The idiocy displayed in this thread makes me laugh. Does anyone remember why exactly you are arguing over this? Who cares? The fools bought into the panic and bought gas like it was going out of style, and the prices sky rocketed. Nothing you can do about it, no need to bicker and whine about it. Open a gas station and sell it for .50cents like Nutcase stated. I'll gladly drive to buy it. Otherwise, this has happened before, and it'll happen again.

Unfortunately the people that get hurt are those that can least afford it. And why?, because some greedy SOB wants to top off their SUV, boat and motor home and some other greedy SOB sees the opportunity to turn a fast buck. Oh well, we don't have a perfect system and it works most of the time.

[Sheepdog]

The difference is we must have it.Its not like going to WalMart and saying "oh,well this DVD player is to expensive for me to get this week"

Its gas!We must buy it!Thus we will pay what they want!

There is no market here!

At the heart of communism lies the idea that one person's need creates an obligation in his fellow man to meet it.

I agree with you...however...most items like cds, tvs, etc...do not jump in price the way gas does. If the government wants to help the economy get better, then gas prices must come down and folks will spend on other things. Folks spending money on things besides gas helps generate jobs. My wife and I don't go out to eat anymore, even though before, we only went out about once a week. We don't go out for entertainment at all. I used to go to the range once a week...now I may go twice a month...even though it is only 15 minutes away. As long as gas prices are high, people will keep losing jobs and the economy will go downhill. Thankfully, a tank full will get me back and forth to work for nearly 2 weeks. yeah...let them charge what they want and let it stockpile up, then they will have to lower the pice to get rid of it.

You're both missing the point.

A dollar is a dollar is a dollar. The beauty of our economic system is that YOU get to choose what your dollar will be used for. If you choose to meet your needs, such as gas, you will have less money for other things.

Now, if you want somebody else to subsidize your gas, what you're saying is that you want to be able to use your dollars for other things. Things like the ones in the list I posted above.

It makes no sense at all to say, "I want the government to use my tax dollars to subsidize or enforce the sale of cheap gas, so I can use the money I save to buy Coldplay's Greatest Hits CD and help get this economy moving."

There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. And if the government says they can at least make your lunch cheaper, then Be. F***ing. Ware.

[Rightwinger]

So now your greedy if you own an SUV or run a oil/gas distributorship.....

Sorry NRA but your sheeple is showing. The market did just what its supposed to do in this case. Demand high, prices get driven up.

The big issue is the return to lower prices. Modern communications means they can issue the price increases based on knowledge of production time, transport time, etc. They also know when they start meeting their production goals but the prices don't fall into line with these. They drop much slower. There is your gouge! Hold it over a couple of cents of what your quotas show you can handle. Don't drop it 8 cents a gallon this week, just go 4, the sheeple can handle it. They are happy to see a gentle decrease.

Even with that said, the market is holding up to it so they do not feel forced to lower prices any quicker. The only way to drive prices down is not purchase the gas or as much. Market will react quickly to that. I did my part and went from 80.00 a week in gas to 18.00 with the motorcycle. Now, vote McCain/Palin and lets get OUR gas out of the ANWAR sites.

[G27]

Hopefully more people will start to stock away 'rainy day reserves'. My wife and I will be unaffected for up to a month even if the supply runs completely out, and that's with normal driving - we could restrict it and last longer.

Having a bit of food/water/fuel set aside isn't just for Rambo-survival types - preparing for the worst while working/hoping for the best is smart, imo.

[strickj]

No,I dont want someone to pay my gas.

It just pisses me off that they feel the need to rise prices simply because there is now a line at the pumps.

Has nothing to do with supply.Diesel hasn't risen,and neither has the various of other gas products.

You say its not price gouging,then what is it?

[Sheepdog]

Hopefully more people will start to stock away 'rainy day reserves'. My wife and I will be unaffected for up to a month even if the supply runs completely out, and that's with normal driving - we could restrict it and last longer.

Having a bit of food/water/fuel set aside isn't just for Rambo-survival types - preparing for the worst while working/hoping for the best is smart, imo.

No, disaster preparation and storage of essentials is for suckers.

You see, when the Schumer hits the fan, there are people out there who are going to say, "You've got food! You've got water! You've got medicines! You've got fuel! We've got nothing! That means you must help us!"

That's the real zombie threat.

And that sad thing is, a lot of them are going to be gun owners who will justify murdering you and your family by saying, "Well, hell, it was an emergency, and we neeeeeeded that s***." Then they're going sit their asses down in front of their big-screen plasma TVs, and eat your MREs while waiting for the power to come back on.

[Im Neero]

Price gouging is a pejorative term for a seller pricing much higher than is considered reasonable or fair. In precise, legal usage, it is the name of a felony that applies in some of the United States only during civil emergencies. In less precise usage, it can refer either to prices obtained by practices inconsistent with a competitive free market, or to windfall profits. Non-pejorative uses are generally in reaction to what the writer believes is an unjustified restraint on the market.[citation needed]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Price_gouging

There is such a thing as price gouging. It's a term for a practice that happens often. There can be some debate as to exactly what qualifies as price gouging, but it happens.

You guys should argue about whether or not it is right or wrong, but like it or not, there is a thing called price gouging.

That is all.

[G27]

No, disaster preparation and storage of essentials is for suckers.

You see, when the Schumer hits the fan, there are people out there who are going to say, "You've got food! You've got water! You've got medicines! You've got fuel! We've got nothing! That means you must help us!"

That's the real zombie threat.

And that sad thing is, a lot of them are going to be gun owners who will justify murdering you and your family by saying, "Well, hell, it was an emergency, and we neeeeeeded that s***." Then they're going sit their asses down in front of their big-screen plasma TVs, and eat your MREs while waiting for the power to come back on.

Haha, no, we keep it on the down-low locally. No one around here knows that we have anything...

[strickj]

Haha, no, we keep it on the down-low locally. No one around here knows that we have anything...

You still live in the house with the red door

[G27]

You still live in the house with the red door

DANGIT!

How did you know?

[Im Neero]

I've always wanted to paint that door black.

[Guest nraforlife]

Ok everybody, tomorrow is another government school day. Lets all see how many cars and other vehicles are lined up dropping off their little darlings cause the folks don't want their angels to ride the bus.

[PackinMama]

No, disaster preparation and storage of essentials is for suckers.

You see, when the Schumer hits the fan, there are people out there who are going to say, "You've got food! You've got water! You've got medicines! You've got fuel! We've got nothing! That means you must help us!"

That's the real zombie threat.

And that sad thing is, a lot of them are going to be gun owners who will justify murdering you and your family by saying, "Well, hell, it was an emergency, and we neeeeeeded that s***." Then they're going sit their asses down in front of their big-screen plasma TVs, and eat your MREs while waiting for the power to come back on.

Well, I guess if you think the "suckers" that stock up on at least a small supply of water/food/gas/medicine/& AMMO in case the shtf.......and if what you stated above is really what you believe, then you must be one of the gun owners that will justify murdering us to get our supplys?

Do you really think the intelligent and prepared people on this board that do stock up on those things in case of an emergency broadcast that information?? If anyone does they deserve to get their stupid as**s killed.

[NuTcAsE]

Ok everybody, tomorrow is another government school day. Lets all see how many cars and other vehicles are lined up dropping off their little darlings cause the folks don't want their angels to ride the bus.

, Well, not me but the wifey will have the NuTcAsE punkwagon full steam ahead.....