idea for lowering gas prices

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QuitBanningMe

Banned
Mar 2, 2005
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Originally posted by: Hammer
it wouldn't work. gasoline demand is inelastic.

ASSUME that by some miracle the entire population of the US said, ok i will not buy exxon mobil. and everyone bought from the other gas stations. to control supplies, they would raise prices. this would force people back to exxon mobil. in short, it would all even out at the end and you would have just wasted a lot of time and effort for nothing. don't they teach basic economics in high school anymore? when you finish HS, take an economics course in college.

Not to mention the other oil companies would buy from Exxon to meet demand.
 

jagec

Lifer
Apr 30, 2004
24,442
6
81
Originally posted by: CPA
oh brother, not another idiot who doesn't understand the bigger picture of oil.

But that guy claims to be a mathematician! Surely he knows what's going on! :roll:

The only response I can have to the increased price of gasoline is driving an efficient car, and driving as little as possible. Gas will continue to rise in price until people stop using as much, it doesn't matter whose gas you buy.
 

ElFenix

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Mar 20, 2000
102,402
8,574
126
Originally posted by: smc13
The reason gas prices are high is because China and india are increasing the amount of gas they use, because we are dependent on other countries for oil and they aren't producing enough oil, We don't produce enough oil ourselves, We don't have enough oil refineries, because states mandate special blends of gas that burn cleaner but the states don't agree on which blend to use so they are limiting their own supply, and there is about 40 cent tax per gallon now. Yes, oil companies are also making a profit.Not a big suprise since they are for profit companies and if they don't make a profit their shareholders won't buy stock.

My point is you aren't really attacking the problem when you don't go to exxon mobil gas stations.

also, when the dollar weakens it makes all imports and internationally traded commodities more expensive. the rise in gas prices is a very nice and immediate reminder of this.
 

stephenw22

Member
Dec 16, 2004
111
0
0
What would actually happen is that exxon would sell their fuel (via bulk truck or pipeline) to other suppliers.

Refineries sell fuel to each other ALL OF THE TIME. They just get 'additive-free' fuel shipped to them from another refinery or broker, and then add their own additives and sell it through their system.

What do you think BP is doing right now after their Texas City refinery had that explosion?


These days, will the oil supply slowly shrinking, prices won't go much lower. All we can do is try to stop them from increasing as quickly. We do that by conserving our supply and reducing our usage. There's still at least a 100-200 year supply of hydrocarbon products in the earth (including coal). It will just become increasingly expensive to get it into a usable form.

Face it, we're addicted to energy. We need it for cars, computers, everything. Companies that give us energy have us under their control, really. If they turned off the power, or turned off the gas, we'd be rioting in days.
 

BriGy86

Diamond Member
Sep 10, 2004
4,537
1
91
well thank you to most of the people for not flaming me directly

as for the links to the original chain letter i guess we all now know it wont work
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Originally posted by: Hammer
if you want to lower gas prices, lobby the government to eliminate the gas tax.

Which would accomplish absolutely nothing, because the revenues would have to be replaced through other taxes. But I guess it would please simple-minded folks who care only about the number they see on the pump (not calling you simple-minded, by the way). I think the gas tax ought to be exactly high enough to cover all of the government's road-related expenses, so your contribution to maintaining the roads is proportional to the amount you use them.
 

CPA

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
30,322
4
0
Originally posted by: BriGy86
well thank you to most of the people for not flaming me directly

as for the links to the original chain letter i guess we all now know it wont work

my idiot comment was not directed towards you, btw, it was for the idiot who started that stupid chainmail.

When folks start realizing this isn't just a US problem or a problem driven by US companies then we can start actually solving the problems.
 

BriGy86

Diamond Member
Sep 10, 2004
4,537
1
91
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: Hammer
if you want to lower gas prices, lobby the government to eliminate the gas tax.

Which would accomplish absolutely nothing, because the revenues would have to be replaced through other taxes. But I guess it would please simple-minded folks who care only about the number they see on the pump (not calling you simple-minded, by the way). I think the gas tax ought to be exactly high enough to cover all of the government's road-related expenses, so your contribution to maintaining the roads is proportional to the amount you use them.

thats a good idea i think, why pay through the nose for roads if you hardly use them
 

QuitBanningMe

Banned
Mar 2, 2005
5,038
2
0
Originally posted by: BriGy86
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: Hammer
if you want to lower gas prices, lobby the government to eliminate the gas tax.

Which would accomplish absolutely nothing, because the revenues would have to be replaced through other taxes. But I guess it would please simple-minded folks who care only about the number they see on the pump (not calling you simple-minded, by the way). I think the gas tax ought to be exactly high enough to cover all of the government's road-related expenses, so your contribution to maintaining the roads is proportional to the amount you use them.

thats a good idea i think, why pay through the nose for roads if you hardly use them

Who hardly uses the roads?
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Originally posted by: QuitBanningMe
Originally posted by: BriGy86
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: Hammer
if you want to lower gas prices, lobby the government to eliminate the gas tax.

Which would accomplish absolutely nothing, because the revenues would have to be replaced through other taxes. But I guess it would please simple-minded folks who care only about the number they see on the pump (not calling you simple-minded, by the way). I think the gas tax ought to be exactly high enough to cover all of the government's road-related expenses, so your contribution to maintaining the roads is proportional to the amount you use them.

thats a good idea i think, why pay through the nose for roads if you hardly use them

Who hardly uses the roads?

People who don't own cars...
 

BriGy86

Diamond Member
Sep 10, 2004
4,537
1
91
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: QuitBanningMe
Originally posted by: BriGy86
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: Hammer
if you want to lower gas prices, lobby the government to eliminate the gas tax.

Which would accomplish absolutely nothing, because the revenues would have to be replaced through other taxes. But I guess it would please simple-minded folks who care only about the number they see on the pump (not calling you simple-minded, by the way). I think the gas tax ought to be exactly high enough to cover all of the government's road-related expenses, so your contribution to maintaining the roads is proportional to the amount you use them.

thats a good idea i think, why pay through the nose for roads if you hardly use them

Who hardly uses the roads?

People who don't own cars...

people that joy ride probably use them more than others, and what about truck drivers, im sure they use them a lot more than i do, what i should have said was people who use them more often

 

QuitBanningMe

Banned
Mar 2, 2005
5,038
2
0
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: QuitBanningMe
Originally posted by: BriGy86
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: Hammer
if you want to lower gas prices, lobby the government to eliminate the gas tax.

Which would accomplish absolutely nothing, because the revenues would have to be replaced through other taxes. But I guess it would please simple-minded folks who care only about the number they see on the pump (not calling you simple-minded, by the way). I think the gas tax ought to be exactly high enough to cover all of the government's road-related expenses, so your contribution to maintaining the roads is proportional to the amount you use them.

thats a good idea i think, why pay through the nose for roads if you hardly use them

Who hardly uses the roads?

People who don't own cars...

Do they grow their own food? Build their own houses from the trees on their property?Use services that require driving? Buy goods that are made by people who require the roads to get to work?
 

Zenmervolt

Elite member
Oct 22, 2000
24,514
44
91
Originally posted by: BriGy86
people that joy ride probably use them more than others, and what about truck drivers, im sure they use them a lot more than i do, what i should have said was people who use them more often
If you buy anything, you use the roads. Do you have any clue at all just how many products are shipped using "truck drivers"? You get your mail delivered? You're using the road (because you're causing the postman or the UPS man to drive to you). You buy groceries? Even if you walk to the store, you're using the road because those groceries come to the store in semis. If anything, a trucker should be paid to use the roads because his use is productive to others. Most of use here cannot say that about our use of the roads.

ZV
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Originally posted by: QuitBanningMe
Do they grow their own food? Build their own houses from the trees on their property?Use services that require driving? Buy goods that are made by people who require the roads to get to work?

The trucking companies would pay the tax, resulting in SLIGHTLY higher prices for those goods, so they'd indirectly be paying the tax PROPORTIONALLY to how much use they get out of them. The increase would be offset by lower taxes in other areas.
 

QuitBanningMe

Banned
Mar 2, 2005
5,038
2
0
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: QuitBanningMe
Do they grow their own food? Build their own houses from the trees on their property?Use services that require driving? Buy goods that are made by people who require the roads to get to work?

The trucking companies would pay the tax, resulting in SLIGHTLY higher prices for those goods, so they'd indirectly be paying the tax PROPORTIONALLY to how much use they get out of them. The increase would be offset by lower taxes in other areas.

LOL
 

Spydermag68

Platinum Member
Apr 5, 2002
2,616
99
91
SMC13 made some good points but another reason gas prices are going up is that the number of US refineries has gone down in the last 20 years.
 

sharkeeper

Lifer
Jan 13, 2001
10,886
2
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I haven't had to buy gasoline since January 18th. So what if it's $3.00? Make it an even $10.00.