I'm no whore

[Avatar4321]

Any article that starts by calling Arlen Spector a RINO isn't really going to keep my attention. Sorry. I have kind of a soft spot for him, even though he got beat up by the uber-extremists.

More than that, I don't believe for a second that Exxxon/Mobil's profit margin is at an all -time low. (Maybe if I saw some credible links). And if it is, how much of that is due to the absolutely insane level of compensation being paid to top execs.

In other words, I'm not gonna cry for the oil companies. Gas is $3.40 a gallon for premium in my neighborhood.

Any one who doesnt realize Arlen Spector is a RINO isn't going to keep my attention. The man is a disgrace and only gets reelected because the alternatives to voting for him are even worse. And considering he is one of my Senators I know what I am talking about. the people of Pennslyvania are not very thrilled with him. If they were he wouldnt have barely one the nomination for Senate last cycle.

 

[Avatar4321]

Per se. Another way of saying "I'm wrong, but I don't want to admit it." lol Anyone who takes the oppurtunity to maximise their earnings are therefore oppurtunists.

Yeah, heaven forbid hard working Americans take opportunities to maximize their earnings. What do they think this is, a free country?

 

[007]

I got linkies, Both of these are nonsense. If the feds and states would cut the gas taxes already imposed, the public would get the break. Instead they want to collect more taxes. Who's catching the windfall?

$100 for 'they think we're idiots':

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/04/27/gas.rebate/


windfall tax ideas:

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0428/p01s03-usec.htm

The problem, other than the obvious, with the $100 rebate check deal is, half of those people getting a check MAY NOT EVEN DRIVE!

The Republicans are acting like liberals here. Just throw money at the problem and hope it goes away.

 

[jillian]

jillian wrote:


I heard this as well....I'm blanking on where though too! ooh, I hate when that happens...dammit jillian! now I'll be trying to figure this out all night!

RAFLMAO! (I think it might have been someone on Bill Maher's show...heh!)

 

[Hobbit]

Here's a "credible" link, meaning that if anything, they should be biased the other way, and the article is spun to make Exxon look as bad as possible. I even think they overestimated Exxon's profit margin, but it's still appallingly low.

Most financial institutions, such as commercial banks, are routinely more profitable than Exxon Mobil was in its third quarter. For example, Exxon Mobil's gross margin of 9.8 cents of profit for every dollar of revenue pales in comparison to Citigroup Inc.'s 15.7 cents in 2004. By percentage of total revenue, banking is consistently the most profitable industry in America, followed closely by the drug industry.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/27/AR2005102702399.html

 

[Gem]

jillian wrote:

RAFLMAO! (I think it might have been someone on Bill Maher's show...heh!)

OOHHH...I think youre right. Was it the episode with Ian McKellan and Victor Dean Hansen on video? Thank you, thank you...it really was driving me crazy...it even came up at work today in the teachers lounge and I was like - "ARGH!!!!"

 

[MtnBiker]

The bigger issue is price gouging, no?

Let's think about this for a minute. We still live and operate within a competing capitalistic system. Therefore in order for "gouging" to occur all of the oil companies and gasoline stations would have to work with each other in unlawful trade practices at the risk of huge penalties and possible convictions and jail time. Also the FTC would either be allowing this to happen or be completely incompetent in enforcing trade laws.

So looking at the scenario alot of factors have to come together nationwide in order for "gouging" to take place.

Is that really happening? If so, exactly how?

 

[Trigg]

I recently looked up the cost of a "smart car" from Europe. They run about 6,000 Euro and have a mpg of 60 city, 80 highway. Now these can be very small cars. But, heres the kicker, these same cars made to work in the US cost 25,000. WHY IS THAT I WONDER.

Maybe it's going to take grossly high gas prices for the auto makers to finally start making hybrid or fuel efficient cars that are affordable and large enough for the larger American family. I for one would be happy to buy one if I could afford to spend that much on an economy sized car.

I now drive a Daewoo that gets 33 mpg if I could double this I'd save myself even more money.

I don't think the high gas prices are going anywhere anytime soon. The auto makers need to start putting out cars that are fuel efficient and affordable. Maybe these high gas prices will get them moving in that direction.

Throwing "feel good" money at the public isn't going to solve the problem in the long run (or even the short run if $100 is all they're giving).

 

[jillian]

Let's think about this for a minute. We still live and operate within a competing capitalistic system. Therefore in order for "gouging" to occur all of the oil companies and gasoline stations would have to work with each other in unlawful trade practices at the risk of huge penalties and possible convictions and jail time. Also the FTC would either be allowing this to happen or be completely incompetent in enforcing trade laws.

So looking at the scenario alot of factors have to come together nationwide in order for "gouging" to take place.

Is that really happening? If so, exactly how?

Or the FTC could, based on the ideology of the person who appointed it's current directors, be uninvolved in enforcement. Price fixing isn't that difficult. It can be done by meetings or just by looking at the price on Exxon/Mobil's tanks and saying...ooh, that works. Price fixing has been known to occur in other industries, most notably the dairy folk, I think, got slapped around a bit for that.

You seem to be assuming that because the control mechanisms may have failed, that automatically means nothing wrong was done. I think its simply worth looking into.

Either way, the payment of a $100 bribe in the hopes that the repubs don't lose the house or senate come the mid-terms is kind of stupid.

 

[Hobbit]

Or the FTC could, based on the ideology of the person who appointed it's current directors, be uninvolved in enforcement. Price fixing isn't that difficult. It can be done by meetings or just by looking at the price on Exxon/Mobil's tanks and saying...ooh, that works. Price fixing has been known to occur in other industries, most notably the dairy folk, I think, got slapped around a bit for that.

You seem to be assuming that because the control mechanisms may have failed, that automatically means nothing wrong was done. I think its simply worth looking into.

Either way, the payment of a $100 bribe in the hopes that the repubs don't lose the house or senate come the mid-terms is kind of stupid.

If the oil companies were fixing prices and the government wasn't, then Exxon would be making fifty cents per gallon and the government would be making ten, not the other way around. Let's face it, crude oil is through the roof, refining is at capacity, and we're using more gasoline than ever, and much of it can be blamed on the government. Thanks to government education, it's easy to blame 'greedy' corporations, but the oil companies are operating on one of the lowest profit margins of any industry ever.

 

[MtnBiker]

Or the FTC could, based on the ideology of the person who appointed it's current directors, be uninvolved in enforcement. Price fixing isn't that difficult.

Yes it is difficult. In order for the "fixing" to occur there would have to be an agreement with all of the oil companies. An aggrement that would be very illegal, again putting people at the risk of huge fines, convictions and possible jail time. With the demand on their product at the highest level ever, why would some even consider such act, not to mention hundreds of people it would take to actually make this occur.

Your notion of the FTC turning a blind eye based on political appointments is absurd. There are people at all levels of such a bureaucracy before and after election results and it would make there career if they could bring down an oil executive or an entire industry.

My question was, if there is gouging how excatly is that happening?