I started self-rationing when it hit $3.00.

I highly doubt any company would do such a thing especially an oil company considering how much money they are makeing. The next option is forcing and that’s not exactly free economics. It’s a nice thought but I wouldn’t get excited.

But what if you have roll-over and never use your monthly allotment to begin with?!

Oil companies won’t do such a thing. Towns, individuals and smaller companies have done it (Hundreds of gallons, not millions), but I think such a thing to be done on such a national/corporation scale would be quite difficult.

Furthermore, increasing supply doesn’t always lower price, much less ease demand burdens. Take into consideration that we have a rather small processing infrastructure. Katrina showed just how vulnerable our facilities are for making gasoline. Increasing the supply of crude oil is not the immediate concern to affect prices. Rolling back restrictions on new construction and expansion of our petroleum processing plants will do more to ease price burdens at the pump. Think of your water hose and the spigot, connected to the main. The spigot is our national chain of gasoline production plants.

Another thing to consider is that increasing the supply of crude oil doesn’t necessarily mean an immediate decrease in price. The Saudis, Venezualans, Exxon and others sit on oil just as much as nations like Russia and DeBeers sit on diamonds to affect price. Diamonds are actually not as rare as we are led to believe. Russia, DeBeers and others are sitting on vast stores of already mined and even plenty of cut diamonds. By controlling the flow, they keep the price up, along with advertising that diamonds are rare, not to mention something “everyone needs”.

Nope. The real way to decrease prices is several fold. Remove government subsides to the oil companies and oil producing nations. Relax restrictions on the development of new oil refineries. Open up more drilling in the West and Alaska. Lastly, access other nations interested in exploring for oil and willing to sell. I hear Brazil might be sitting on a gusher. Finally, increase government subsides for those exploring alternative energy sources and such. As more and more alternative energy sources come on line and their prices decrease, demand for oil will decrease… but in the mean time, we need to continue using oil as it’s our primary resource we’re stuck using and we need to keep the price down until wages can rise to pay for the inflation (whether economically or corporationally created).

Logus is right onall counts. have more oil in 5 western states than THE ENTIRE MID EA\S. Thank your local enviro Wacko for the price of gasoline.

http://www.firstfuelbank.com/prepaid/default.asp

A place where you can buy gas at the current price, then use it in the future. It has been in operation for several years.

Simian

This whole “environmental whakos won’t allow refineries to be built” thing is a straw man argument. I’d be interested in knowing just how many oil companies have tried to plan or build refining capacity in the last 20 years? Real data, please, not hearsay.

I know for a fact that a small refinery just down the road from me (Marathon in Robinson, IL) is in the middle of a 2 year expansion project costing $Millions. How many new projects have been turned down, and how hard have the companies been trying to build? Or, are they not building because it’s healthy for the quarterly bottom line to NOT build? I’d maintain that if Exxon or whomever truly wanted to build a new refinery, they’re rich enough that they could get just about anything they want from the legal folks.

Nice try, but this solution does not address the finite supply of oil The internal combustion engine is outdated & must be replaced with a new energy innovation. The hybrid car is a start, but we must get away from gasoline-powered engines.

The US has allowed the merger of the major oil companies to the point there is virtually no competition,they are world wide and owe no loyalty to anyone.We have allowed environmental groups to stifle new drilling on our own lands,the so called alternative fuels do not exist as yet and ethanol and biodiesel just add to the fuel costs driving up prices of other commodities,food etc.If we do indeed have oil that isn’t being used we need to make it available and to other companies to create competition in our market,that controls prices as effectively as anything.
Regardles of which party is in control,untill we do that there will be only increases in fuel prices and our nation completely depends on transportation.
LS

hs-As I’m sure you are aware john has never had any proof to back any thing he has ever said and likely never will.

Blah, Blah, Blah. The government(s) make more off a gallon of gas than does Exxon Mobil and all people do is bitch about the evil oil companies. Consider that Government risks nothing and rewarded with about 40cents in Missouri and much more in Illinois and they get that no matter what the price of gas becomes. Politicians obviously don’t care much about the price of gas since they have not cut the gas tax.