Gas Protest!!!!

[shadows090]

Originally Posted by cbrenthus

Well, that is true.

Still, I don't like seeing the government pointing fingers at oil companies when they colllect less than the taxes on the gas.

I also wouldn't be surprised if one of the reasons for record profit is the fact that gas refineries haven't been allowed to expand for so long. So there loans from building 40 years ago are paid off and there isn't anything to put money into. Whereas if they could build more refineries, than they would be putting some of the money back into producing gasoline. I don't know this for sure, just theory on my part.

Again, something we need to keep in mind is that their profit margins haven’t increased. The company isn’t making any more money over any given period of time as a whole. They are making more profit, but have to put more money into their company to buy oil and the energy itself for refinery and trucking. The average profit margin is about 8% for oil companies, it hasn’t increased. Look at this chart as a quick reference. Oil Profit Margins vs. Other Industries « The Everyday Economist

[Skoalbasher]

Originally Posted by shadows090

Seriously are you guys effin retarded? They proved that going 55 doesn't save any significant amount of fuel after the 80's crisis. And are you saying the gas stations are just charging that because they want to? They make less of a percent on every gallon of gas they sell. It's due to the price of oil, refinery, distribution, federal state local taxes etc. Everyone gets a very small piece of that $3. I'm sick of hearing these ignorant "protests" good luck. The price of gas is up because the price of oil is up. The gas stations make less of a profit margin than almost any other industry, and the companies have taken nearly a hundred years to even get to that point. Do research, stop bitching, and ride your bike more if you want to make a difference.

And before you complain about profits up, it's net profit. And that doesn't mean shit. What determins a well running business is profit MARGIN, look up the difference if you don't know.

But the gas COMPANIES make more profit margin than just about any company in the world!

[shadows090]

Originally Posted by Skoalbasher

But the gas COMPANIES make more profit margin than just about any company in the world!

No, look at the chart above lol.

Wait, since I know you don't like looking for data, here it is again :-D.

Oil Profit Margins vs. Other Industries « The Everyday Economist

And to throw some more in there, google makes a 25% profit margin.

EDIT: You're certainly right about making a distinction between gas stations and oil/gas companies. Sorry for not distinguishing that above. A lot of gas stations are owned by oil/gas companies though. Also, the chart (as well of all other date) still simplifies the information. They are averages. Exxon makes roughtly 10.8% profit margin, while some other oil companies make closer to 6% profit margin.

[davidsa1]

Originally Posted by shadows090

EDIT: The reason that one store may be a few cents lower is they have to haggle to get a lower base price on gasoline. For 99% of gas stations, if they lowered their price at the pump by 3 cents, they literally would make zero profit, and would be making negative profit margin.

They don't haggle with the prices. Different suppliers have different prices so it depends on who they get their fuel from. It also depends on what time of day they get the fuel. Prices change at 6pm, so if prices go up like they did today and the truck that brings them the fuel was not loaded before 6pm then they will pay more.

[shadows090]

Originally Posted by davidsa1

They don't haggle with the prices. Different suppliers have different prices so it depends on who they get their fuel from. It also depends on what time of day they get the fuel. Prices change at 6pm, so if prices go up like they did today and the truck that brings them the fuel was not loaded before 6pm then they will pay more.

Very interesting. I didn't know that. I thought through the distribution they had to haggle, usually leaving slightly better prices to larger companies. But thanks for the info. Good stuff

[PhilB]

Creating yet another organization to "protest" and whine about a problem instead of fixing it is of no value.

1) Use less gas yourself, to reduce demand.
2) Work to get more refineries allowed to be built.
3) Work to get the U.S. back on the gold standard so the bastards can't devalue the dollar every time they want to spend another shitload of money they don't have.
4) Work to get us out of the wars in the Middle East, both because that affects the prices directly and also because paying for that shit is why they're printing money like crazy right now driving up the prices of *everything*.

5) Other than that, just get used to higher prices because worldwide demand is going up and not stopping. I guess if you agitated for the government to nuke China and India back to the Stone Age that would help a lot.

PhilB

[shadows090]

Originally Posted by PhilB

1) Use less gas yourself, to reduce demand.
2) Work to get more refineries allowed to be built.
3) Work to get the U.S. back on the gold standard so the bastards can't devalue the dollar every time they want to spend another shitload of money they don't have.
4) Work to get us out of the wars in the Middle East, both because that affects the prices directly and also because paying for that shit is why they're printing money like crazy right now driving up the prices of *everything*.

5) Other than that, just get used to higher prices because worldwide demand is going up and not stopping. I guess if you agitated for the government to nuke China and India back to the Stone Age that would help a lot.

PhilB

+1 to a sound monetary policy! Sometimes I think we have a bunch of drooling criminals making policy, then I remember who voted them in.

[636blurr]

Originally Posted by cbrenthus

All ready happening. You can only charge as much as people will pay. The biggest problem with gas is that we didn't use any less at $3 a gallon than we did at $1 a gallon. Maybe slightly, but we have finally started to really make an impact in gasoline demand, causing the prices to stabilize a little.

No amount of protesting, boycotting, or any thing else will have as much of an efffect on gas prices as us collectively using less.

BTW, I ride my bikes almost everywhere these days, and only use my Jeep when needed. And rain doesn't count

Actually more, when gas was under 1.50 a gallon and rose to over 1.60 people were all up in arms, went over 2.00 and not only did people use just as much fuel, but consumption rose as did the sales of SUVs not untell the recent 4.00 hit have people finally slowed buying SUVs but only in some area's, I believe its just as mall fad, and the sheep public will go back to there old ways again soon.

[PhilB]

Originally Posted by 636blurr

Actually more, when gas was under 1.50 a gallon and rose to over 1.60 people were all up in arms, went over 2.00 and not only did people use just as much fuel, but consumption rose as did the sales of SUVs not untell the recent 4.00 hit have people finally slowed buying SUVs but only in some area's, I believe its just as mall fad, and the sheep public will go back to there old ways again soon.

What's funny here is that the only reason SUVs even exist is government rules trying to force people to be more gas efficient against their will. The CAFE standards originally only covered cars, not trucks, because back then hardly anybody drove trucks as family cars; trucks were for work. So the car companies were forced to make smaller more efficient cars, and the buying public didn't want to buy them. Since the car companies weren't allowed to respond to consumer demand by just making the big cars people wanted, they stepped into the loophole and just made passenger car versions of their trucks that were exempt from CAFE, and voila the SUV was born. Good thing the government was looking out for all of us. Sure solved *that* problem.

People should be allowed to buy what they want to buy, and use what they want to use, and the market will adjust, and people will adjust, and so on.

PhilB

[PhilB]

Originally Posted by shadows090

+1 to a sound monetary policy! Sometimes I think we have a bunch of drooling criminals making policy, then I remember who voted them in.

That's true, except that by the time we get to vote, the big two parties have chosen their approved candidates mostly though insider politics, and we are only left with the "choice" of drooling criminal A vs. drooling criminal B.

PhilB

[636blurr]

Originally Posted by PhilB

That's true, except that by the time we get to vote, the big two parties have chosen their approved candidates mostly though insider politics, and we are only left with the "choice" of drooling criminal A vs. drooling criminal B.

PhilB

Yup and no drooling criminal C in most situations.

Huge joke.

[MeanMike]

Originally Posted by cbrenthus

3. Maybe a tax benefit if you buy a bike?

!

When i buy a bike...my accountant includes it in my yearly tax filing because theyre classified by the federal government as a low emission vehicle..... been doing it for years

[serpentracer]

Originally Posted by Woozy

i get 55 mpg, i spend 10 bucks a week on gas. have a nice day.

what the hell do you drive? my bike don't see those kinds of numbers.

[636blurr]

lol serpentracer I liked your first reply better to woozy.