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ONE oil company made $100 BILLION last year as our gas prices skyrocketed.

Aaron Levy
Medicated Lately?
Join date: 3 Jun 2004
Posts: 2,147
10-27-2005 16:16
Today's news of Exxon making $99.8 BILLION last year has me so pissed off I can't see straight. I know most oil companies are crooked or at least have some crooked people in them, but that can be said of any company.

But the fact that our gas prices skyrocketed this past yeard and the oil companies boo-hooed and say, "Oh we don't want to raise prices..." yadda yadda bull shit.

I hope America wakes up and sticks it to the oil companies by sinking their dollars into electric cars and other non-oil using alternatives. God knows if I could, I would get rid of both cars my family owns and starting using a buggy like the Amish who live around me. I'm so pissed off... $99.8 BILLION PROFIT!!!! ***PROFIT!!!!***

If a Democrat comes forward with a solid plan to end the U.S. dependence on OIL, foreign or domestic, I'll vote for him. And that's coming from a die-hard 30-year red-state conservative Republican. I'm sick of it.
Lola Rosebud
Registered User
Join date: 31 May 2005
Posts: 70
10-27-2005 16:28
Yeah I'm looking at a new car next year. I'm looking at the Pria hybrid very seriously. Smaller than I was going to go with but I'm sick of paying out the nose for gas. Now if I could just figure out the best route to get rid of this boiler for heat and hot water......

I read yesterday that the big 5 oil companies made $20 billion in profits just 3rd quarter 2005. Which is when we were paying over $3 a gallon. I may be naive but I actually thought profits would be down and not up....
Juro Kothari
Like a dog on a bone
Join date: 4 Sep 2003
Posts: 4,418
10-27-2005 16:59
Well, thank goodness for all those tax breaks in the latest energy bill, huh??!! ;)

Seriously, if anyone is looking for a fuel-efficient car, here are some suggsestions:

- Honda Insight (60/66 MPG)
- Toyota Prius (60/51 MPG)
- Honda Civic Hybrid (49/51 MPG)
- VW Jetta/Golf/Beetle TDI (38/46 MPG)
- Toyota Echo (35/42 MPG)
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Nyoko Salome
kittytailmeowmeow
Join date: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 1,378
and in the meantime,
10-27-2005 17:52
find a citgo station, and start using it regularly. i decided not long ago that i'd rather my money went to possible 'pinheads' in venezuela, instead of our proven texas pinheads, lol... :)

considering that our political votes don't seem to matter anymore, remember - we vote much louder, much louder, with our -money.- :) check out buyblue and other equivalent sites, and do what you can to wrap your expenditures around your political conscience. (i just as well recommend that 'redders' do the same, but considering the business landscape, they've already got walmarts and wannabes wrapped around their pinkies...)

additionally, always remember - a politician isn't -just- a politician; they're also (usually) businessmen(people). politics is just their 'weekend warrior' hobby... they're in business, makin' money. send 'em a message, people!! :)
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Billy Grace
Land Market Facilitator
Join date: 8 Mar 2004
Posts: 2,307
10-28-2005 08:26
It is discracefull that most americans live paycheck to paycheck and are suffering through these rediculous prices and the oil companies clearly took advantage of the situation and gouged all of us.

I for one say lets open up Alaska, the coast of Florida and everywhere else that might have american oil, start mass producing alternative fuel automobiles, get off our dependancy to foriegn oil, cut out OPEC, tell em where to stick their high prices, and provide for ourselves.

Oh, and punish the hell out of these greedy bastards in charge of the oil companies in the meantime. They shouldn't get away with this.
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I find it rather easy to portray a businessman. Being bland, rather cruel and incompetent comes naturally to me.
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JackBurton Faulkland
PorkChop Express
Join date: 3 Sep 2005
Posts: 478
10-28-2005 08:33
From: Aaron Levy


If a Democrat comes forward with a solid plan to end the U.S. dependence on OIL, foreign or domestic, I'll vote for him. And that's coming from a die-hard 30-year red-state conservative Republican. I'm sick of it.



LOL They own the Dems too.
Kevn Klein
God is Love!
Join date: 5 Nov 2004
Posts: 3,422
10-28-2005 08:45
In the 1960's gas was about us$0.28

Now it's about us$2.80

That's 10 times the price.

Houses were about us$20,000 in the 60's compared to about $300,000 today. That's 15 time the price.

Cars in the 60's were about us$2000, today they are about us$30,000. That's 15 time the price.

So, comparing goods, gas is a good deal.
Billy Grace
Land Market Facilitator
Join date: 8 Mar 2004
Posts: 2,307
10-28-2005 09:02
From: Kevn Klein
In the 1960's gas was about us$0.28

Now it's about us$2.80

That's 10 times the price.

Houses were about us$20,000 in the 60's compared to about $300,000 today. That's 15 time the price.

Cars in the 60's were about us$2000, today they are about us$30,000. That's 15 time the price.

So, comparing goods, gas is a good deal.

use the same logic for say a 2 years ago Kevin.
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I find it rather easy to portray a businessman. Being bland, rather cruel and incompetent comes naturally to me.
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Billy Grace
Land Market Facilitator
Join date: 8 Mar 2004
Posts: 2,307
10-28-2005 09:05
From: Kevn Klein
In the 1960's gas was about us$0.28

Now it's about us$2.80

That's 10 times the price.

Houses were about us$20,000 in the 60's compared to about $300,000 today. That's 15 time the price.

Cars in the 60's were about us$2000, today they are about us$30,000. That's 15 time the price.

So, comparing goods, gas is a good deal.

use the same logic for say a 2 years ago Kevin... gas dropped below a dollar... now $2.80... that's about a 200% increase. Last I checked residential housing didn't increase 200% durring the same timeframe.
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Kevn Klein
God is Love!
Join date: 5 Nov 2004
Posts: 3,422
10-28-2005 09:55
From: Billy Grace
use the same logic for say a 2 years ago Kevin... gas dropped below a dollar... now $2.80... that's about a 200% increase. Last I checked residential housing didn't increase 200% durring the same timeframe.



That's true, the price of gas was well below the expected price(according to the price index) during several years in the past. Housing costs have also adjusted over a short time(in my area especially). Two years ago the median price of a house was us$180,000 in my area, today it's about us$350,000. So yes, I see where some products stayed relatively low, but have adjusted over a short period. In some areas we have seen even bigger gains in home values

I look at the long term to get a better handle on the price index.

It's better to increase prices slowly over a long period, because people get used to it. But I think they are trying to shake us up, to get fuel economy up.

The problem with increasing prices too quickly is people stop driving as much, which in turn causes other sectors of the economy to suffer.
Katiahnya Muromachi
Ninja Mistress
Join date: 25 Jun 2005
Posts: 130
10-28-2005 10:33
Indeed a shame, and I feel that the price will not go down so quickly as easily-extractable oil will continue to decline as we continue to throw ourselves closer to Hubbert's Peak (aka Peak Oil).

That's why I'm picking up my Toyota Prius hybrid this weekend. :D
Interestingly enough, I have to travel almost 1000 miles to pick the damn car up! Why? Because where I live on the east USA coast, there is an average 8 month wait for ordering the hybrid. Over in the mid-west where the pickup truck is still king, I had to wait less than 2 months for my Prius to arrive.
Juro Kothari
Like a dog on a bone
Join date: 4 Sep 2003
Posts: 4,418
10-28-2005 11:39
From: Billy Grace
I for one say lets open up Alaska, the coast of Florida and everywhere else that might have american oil, start mass producing alternative fuel automobiles, get off our dependancy to foriegn oil, cut out OPEC, tell em where to stick their high prices, and provide for ourselves.

Oh, and punish the hell out of these greedy bastards in charge of the oil companies in the meantime. They shouldn't get away with this.

I'm totally against opening up Artic wilderness for oil. First, there isn't that much up there - it wouldn't make a significant impact on price or dependancy on foreign oil. Second, the damage we would do to the pristine wilderness would take generations to recover, if at all - that's a price I'm not willing to pay. I am not willing to destroy future generations open lands so that we can have cheaper oil.

I am, however, all for alternative fueled vehicles: hydrogen/hybrid/biodiesel. We should spend our money on building better mass transit infrastructures, better city planning to make it easier to use mass transit, give incentives for alternatively fueled vehicles, raise CAFE standards and also increase the penalty on gas guzzlers.
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Lo Jacobs
Awesome Possum
Join date: 28 May 2004
Posts: 2,734
10-28-2005 11:48
From: Juro Kothari
I'm totally against opening up Artic wilderness for oil. First, there isn't that much up there - it wouldn't make a significant impact on price or dependancy on foreign oil. Second, the damage we would do to the pristine wilderness would take generations to recover, if at all - that's a price I'm not willing to pay. I am not willing to destroy future generations open lands so that we can have cheaper oil.

I am, however, all for alternative fueled vehicles: hydrogen/hybrid/biodiesel. We should spend our money on building better mass transit infrastructures, better city planning to make it easier to use mass transit, give incentives for alternatively fueled vehicles, raise CAFE standards and also increase the penalty on gas guzzlers.


I concur! Well said.
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Champie Jack
Registered User
Join date: 6 Dec 2003
Posts: 1,156
10-28-2005 11:49
Not that it makes much difference, but I figure if you're going to rant about oil companies, you should know what you're talking about:

From: someone

DALLAS (AP) - Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) rewrote the corporate record books Thursday as the oil company's third-quarter earnings soared to almost $10 billion and it became the first public company ever with quarterly sales topping $100 billion. Anglo-Dutch competitor Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA) wasn't far behind, posting a profit of $9 billion for the quarter.


In other words, the following is an incorrect statement that misleads. Nobody bothered to correct it until now:
From: someone
I'm so pissed off... $99.8 BILLION PROFIT!!!! ***PROFIT!!!!***


Again, it is disgusting either way, but Aaron was incorrect in his presentation of the facts.
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Champie Jack
Registered User
Join date: 6 Dec 2003
Posts: 1,156
10-28-2005 11:55
From: Kevn Klein
In the 1960's gas was about us$0.28

Now it's about us$2.80

That's 10 times the price.

Houses were about us$20,000 in the 60's compared to about $300,000 today. That's 15 time the price.

Cars in the 60's were about us$2000, today they are about us$30,000. That's 15 time the price.

So, comparing goods, gas is a good deal.



I'm surprised there aren't any Canadians or Europeans telling the Americans to shut their whining holes. They pay as much as twice what we pay for gas. So, what is the difference? Do Canadian and European oil companies pay outrageous taxes? If so, why is it still so expensive for Canadians and Europeans? Perhaps it is government taxes on fuel that causes the high prices. Either way, the "little guy" still gets screwed at the pump. But maybe it is worth it for Universal Health Care, Welfare programs, Reduced work week, and guaranteed vacations?
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Flyingroc Chung
:)
Join date: 3 Jun 2004
Posts: 329
10-28-2005 12:18
$99 billion in profits last year? More like 25 Billion. I think the news you refer to is Exxon reporting record $9.9 billion for the third quarter of this year. Huge profits? Yes, but not as huge as the original poster suggests.

Most of the profits, if I understand correctly is from selling crude oil at the prevailing high prices. Now Exxon could have sold their crude oil at below market rates, but why should they? I do not believe that Exxon (or other oil companies for that matter) is keeping gas prices artificially high. China and other developing nations are creating a large demand for oil, and worldwide production cant keep up, thus high prices, and larger profits for oil companies.

But yes, relief from high energy prices will have to come from alternative energy sources. Unfortunately, the most viable alternative to gas in the US seems to be coal.
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Lianne Marten
Cheese Baron
Join date: 6 May 2004
Posts: 2,192
10-28-2005 12:45
From: Champie Jack
I'm surprised there aren't any Canadians or Europeans telling the Americans to shut their whining holes. They pay as much as twice what we pay for gas. So, what is the difference? Do Canadian and European oil companies pay outrageous taxes? If so, why is it still so expensive for Canadians and Europeans? Perhaps it is government taxes on fuel that causes the high prices. Either way, the "little guy" still gets screwed at the pump. But maybe it is worth it for Universal Health Care, Welfare programs, Reduced work week, and guaranteed vacations?


In Europe at least, most of the cities were built before the automobile, so they are set up that you can easily get around by walking or public transportation. In the US and probably Canada, a lot of cities were built up after the automobile became in use, and there is a lot more land for suburbs to sprawl into.

A more accurate figure I think would be average monthly gas bill, but I haven't seen any studies that have done that yet.
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Lianne Marten
Cheese Baron
Join date: 6 May 2004
Posts: 2,192
10-28-2005 12:51
From: Flyingroc Chung
But yes, relief from high energy prices will have to come from alternative energy sources. Unfortunately, the most viable alternative to gas in the US seems to be coal.


Very little oil is used for electricity, which is what we use coal for... with natural gas and then hydro after that. Oil is mainly used to power vehicles, and unless you have a completely electric car, coal use won't help.

There isn't *one* most viable alternative to gas yet... there is solar, hydrogen fuel cell, electric, biodiesel...
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Ananda Sandgrain
+0-
Join date: 16 May 2003
Posts: 1,951
10-28-2005 13:28
The whole gas-price spike was the proverbial straw that got me back on my bicycle. I've been riding it to work several days a week and boy, is that a nice break from the crazy stop-and-go I usually endure. The oil companies are getting less than $30/mo out of me too. :p
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Chance Abattoir
Future Rockin' Resmod
Join date: 3 Apr 2004
Posts: 3,898
10-28-2005 13:53
If exploiting wildlife refuges, an ecosystem that will probably never recover, is really worth it for 2% of our oil needs -years down the road- then boy have I got a suggestion for you, Billy. It's probably even more moral than yours.

People have already shown that cars can run on biodiesel, plain old grease. But there isn't enough of a grease supply to run the whole country... until now. America is the most obese nation on the planet in history. Populations are exploding and thousands must die every day from heart disease and diabetes and other ailments related to obesity. Now we can turn their loss into our gain. God knows their fat asses weren't doing enough in life to better our economy, so let's give their lives meaning in death. Starting immediately, we can start liposuction on corpses nationwide. Imagine that, when you see your dead relative's open casket, he'll have a perfect body! Wow. He or she will be as skinny as they wished they could be in life. The fat will then be transferred to state-of-the-art rendering facilities where it can be transformed into biodiesel. The costs will be much lower than mining and it will be a patriotic duty to better the lives of those who have to go on living in this world instead of destroying land, animals, ecology, and polluting the air and water. It's a win-win situation.

Leave a beautiful corpse and die knowing that your life of waste and willful ignorance is actually doing something to better the planet. :D
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Memory Harker
Girl Anachronism
Join date: 17 Jun 2005
Posts: 393
Yay!
10-28-2005 14:01
From: Juro Kothari

- Toyota Echo (35/42 MPG)


That's what I drive!

I'm so smart! :D
Chance Abattoir
Future Rockin' Resmod
Join date: 3 Apr 2004
Posts: 3,898
A few simple questions.
10-28-2005 14:03
I really want to jump on the hate bandwagon, I really do. But first I want to know a few things:

Has the consumption rate of fuel increased in the past year? Populations increase every year, housing increases every year (and electricity doesn't come from magic), and weather patterns are changing. China even had a car revolution recently and was in a rush to buy cars. I hear there was even a war we waged with vehicles that got mere miles to the gallon. I can only assume, based on all these factors, that consumption is rising. If so, by what factor?


This will help me determine exactly what percentage of hate I can commit to the cause.

Profit % increase / Consumption % increase == Hate % increase


Thanks, guys. :D
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blaze Spinnaker
1/2 Serious
Join date: 12 Aug 2004
Posts: 5,898
10-28-2005 14:05
yeah let's keep gas prices low so we don't bother trying to develop energy sources which are renewable

if anyone ever asks me what the most important thing george bush ever did, it was raise gas prices through the roof

it is probably the greatest thing anyone has ever done for the environment and the future of mankind
Juro Kothari
Like a dog on a bone
Join date: 4 Sep 2003
Posts: 4,418
10-28-2005 14:15
From: Chance Abattoir
Starting immediately, we can start liposuction on corpses nationwide....The fat will then be transferred to state-of-the-art rendering facilities where it can be transformed into biodiesel.


I'm ready:

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Alexa Hope
Registered User
Join date: 8 Dec 2004
Posts: 670
10-28-2005 15:05
As a comparison with the UK, we pay nearly 1 pound a litre, about 85 percent of which is tax.

Alexa
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