Gas On the Rise Again!
Written by: Tom Sawyer
Today is Monday and on Mondays we will talk about general news. Something normally happens over the weekend, whether good or bad, to keep us occupied for at least one day. So, like Marty Mart always said (Martin Lawrence show if you didn’t know) What’s up?!
Gas prices people! What is really going on with gas prices? My personal opinion, you knew you would get that, is that it is all a scam. If something happens with oil here, gas prices go up. If something happens with the war, gas prices go up. Now, today an oil pipeline in Nigeria was attacked and you guessed it, oil prices went up which will probably mean gas prices will go up. According to an article on USA Today, oil rose above $133 a barrel today on persistent worries about global petroleum supplies and the outlook for the US economy and dollar. Let me translate that for you: if anything happens in the world that impacts oil, the per barrel price will go up and we will feel it at the pumps. Only in America!
Now we know that the price of virtually everything goes up as a result of higher gas prices…virtually everything except our paychecks! We pay more for gas, more for food and more for other goods, but our checks remain the same. In my (sometimes simple) mind that means we will gradually become a poorer nation. When I say we I mean the average person because I really feel as though some people take advantage of this hike in gas prices. For instance, if I sold widgets and I was forced to raise the price because the trucks that deliver my widgets are impacted by higher gas prices, what is to keep me from adding an extra nickel per widget for myself? This could happen all the time and we might not even know about it.
I want to hear what you have to say about this. I feel a part two coming on already – we have to talk about SUVs.
May 26th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Tom, you are preaching the choir, but we are hearing you! I don’t think many people paid attention when the CEO of Chevron (I think that is the right company) retired a few years ago and got a $400 million retirement. Yes, $400 million! I think that was the year their company set an American records for profits – somewhere in the neighborhood of $36 billion. Obviously, they are passing on the increased cost to us consumers and then some.
May 27th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Tom, you are right and it is wrong! E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G is affected by gas prices. It is ongoing. Increases in gas prices are starting to be the number headliners of any news report, anywhere in the US!
I was sitting in church Sunday listening to the pastor preach (in Montgomery, AL) and was tickled when he told how one of the local grocery stores, has a sign up saying they were sorry for the increase in milk. And he tied it to the jump in gas prices. Come on people. Why in our world does one industry get to control all we do? Yea, we try to have those “don’t buy gas” days. But if I am on “E” and I don’t get that revolving email until the night before, I have to get gas. I have no choice. Do those days really work anyway? The question is: what can we really do to make a difference? Are we just a lazy country? I ask that because, regardless of what the gas masters are doing, there are many more of us that feel the way you do Tom. There is power in numbers, so what can we do?
May 27th, 2008 at 10:51 am
I think that if everybody stopped driving for a month that would affect the price of gas greatly. I could see it right now Dubya on TV saying “look, its in your best interests to drive!”
May 27th, 2008 at 11:03 am
Barry, it is interesting to mention Dubya. I forget where I heard it, but I’m pretty sure Dubya is making some bank everytime the pump is going. Condy is too, so that would explain why we aren’t getting any relief.
Thanks for the comment and spread the word! Please, visit us everyday.
May 27th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Makes me want to buy a bike!
May 27th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Kourtney, if the Mississippi heat wasn’t so oppressive I would do just that. I’m going to have to prepare part II of this discussion soon. It will deal with the fact that this (Mississippi) seems to be the truck capital of the world. I just don’t see how they can gas those trucks up with these gas prices!
Welcome Kourtney!