Oil & Fuel Dire fuel predictions

KiotiJohn · Apr 4, 2004

One of the things that just irks me is OPEC statement that they would reduce supply because there is too much oil out there. Why would anyone believe that? Our dependence on outside oil sources is of our own doing as far as I can tell, so we're paying. Let's just be glad we don't live in Europe or other countries where it's been over $4/gal for a long time. John

5030 · Apr 4, 2004

John:

$4.00 a gallon in Europe really isn't bad considering only the affluent drive gas guzzlers like we do here. Most Europeans drive small-fuel efficient cars or motorbikes plus, they have one car for the whole family.

We have a car for every family member and most are very inefficient. We use the car or SUV to go to the corner. We don't car pool anymore or use mass transportation. Most of us live a good way from our jobs so we drive everyday. Eurpoeans don't.

You can't compare Europe to the United States. They got "smart" years ago, we didn't. Hope we don't pay too dearly.

KiotiJohn · Apr 4, 2004

( You can't compare Europe to the United States. They got "smart" years ago, we didn't. Hope we don't pay too dearly. ) I agree Daryl, and not to mention the public transportation is much better than most places here in the US. Ever try taking an AMtrak trip here? First, they are very rude when you call, and almost always try to say they're full when you see them go by half full. Plus, it costs a lot to take the train. I would much rather have some good public transport instead of always having to drive my car, but the geography is too great here I suppose. I loved it when I lived in NYC and only had to catch a subway or bus for very little money really. Less than all the upkeep, insurance, etc. of owning a car. I now try to only make necessary trips and drive a 30mpg auto which should be a 50mpg auto. John

Lazy · Apr 4, 2004

Hi
I wouldn't live in the city if everything was free. I don't like public transportation I want to go when I want to go. I like the freedom of country living and driving a big truck even if it only gets 12 MPG and playing in the dirt. the area we live now is growing with city folks moving out to the country and bringing all their city ways with them and trying to change the way we live in the country. seems to me if they want all they say they like about city living they would just stay there. like building a 100 home subdivision next to a pig farm and then trying to get the pig farm shut down because they don't like the smell.

Charlie

OkeeDon · Apr 5, 2004

There's a famous story of a development next to a pig farm in Martin County, Florida (West of Stuart, about 40 miles North of West Palm Beach). Here's a link to one side of the story.... pig farm. Also, a link to a 4 year old story on CNN: pig farmer and a followup story on CNN: swine song and a funny story from Golf Digest: golf course vs. pig farm.

Frankly, I don't remember the final outcome of the story, but I think the pig farm is still there. BradK lives nearby and appraises property like that in the Florida Club, maybe he can bring the story up to date.

At one point, I understand the developers were playing pop music back at the pig farm, which the pig farmer said upset them and made them lose weight. He said when he's ready to slaughter pigs, he switches from country music to a few minutes of Michael Bolton, which makes the pigs want to die.

Lazy · Apr 5, 2004

Hi
well, I eat like a pig sometimes and have been called a pig a few times and I sure do like the old country music. I would say move the Golf course or close it down and turn up the country music and make the pigs happy and fat we need more pork shoulders to BBQ.

Charlie.

cowboydoc · Apr 5, 2004

The reason that fuel is $4/ gallon in Europe is because of taxes. They pay about the same price per gallon that we do but they have $2 and $3/gallon taxes on it.

Poppa · Apr 5, 2004

Now that is useful information. I have been hearing about the "High" cost of fuel in Europe for thirty years and for the last twenty five have wondered how this "Apparent" inequity could persist (for the first five I just thought too bad for them /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif. I've wondered about refining capabilities as opposed to shorter transportation costs. Taxes explains it all and makes me feel like a dumb chump for not thinking of it. Of course make that a lucky dumb chump for being on this side of the pond. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Mike

DocHeb · Apr 5, 2004

It is social engineering through taxation - often proposed as a method to get rid of SUVs and Trucks by some political and special interest groups.

cowboydoc · Apr 5, 2004

Yep take out the taxes and relative to everything else fuel still isn't bad. I just contracted our fuel for the ranch for the summer and it was $1.12 per gallon.

Poppa · Apr 5, 2004

DocHeb, Don't forget about tobacco. I sure can't /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Mike

zuiko · Apr 5, 2004

Next they will be telling us how many gallons of water we can flush down the toilet or how big the holes in our showerheads can be... oh wait they already do that. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

StoneHeartFarm · Apr 8, 2004

[quoteAhhh yes.....the so-called "sin taxes". A very different subject for discussion in another thread. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Dave )

Sin taxes would be a lot more palatable if they used the resulting money properly. For instance, a tax on tobacco could be used for free stop smoking clinics. A tax on gasoline could be invested into fuel cell research. Sadly, the money is usually allocated to some other project and the people who pay it see very little return.

Steve

B2400 · Apr 8, 2004

They say the oil prices are going up because our reserve levels are low. Apparently nobody has checked them because the majority of our oil is west of the Mississippi and our dipsticks are all in Washington DC! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

DaveNay · Apr 8, 2004

( Sin taxes would be a lot more palatable if they used the resulting money properly. )

True, true.....like the procedes from the Illinois lottery game being used for funding education throughout the state. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Dave

cowboydoc · Apr 8, 2004

like the procedes from the Illinois lottery game being used for funding education throughout the state.

Funny you should mention that. I was invited to a legislative session a few months ago to speak on some healthcare issues. Before my talk they were talking about education and the gambling boats. It seems the education part is pretty much a scam. Yes the money from the boats does go to education. BUT all they do is decrease the money from the state that normally went to education!!!!! So really the tax money is just going to the state to fund who knows what and the education budget still stays the same. I was pretty shocked when I found this out.

5030 · Apr 8, 2004

RICHARD "COWBOYDOC" FOR GOVERNOR.......

My campaign pledge:

A John Deere in every driveway. Forget the family SUV. Rush hour in the city would be a much more enjoyable experience in a John Deere Agricultural Tractor. If the roads are gridlock, drive in the median. If you don't like the median , plow it up. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

DaveNay · May 17, 2004

And the beat goes on. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Dave

texbaylea · May 17, 2004

A few of the reasons that gasoline is so expensive is lack of refinery capacity. The last I read almost 80% of all gasoline is refined in Texas. Perhaps if the west coast econuts would let new refineries be built out there the problems would not be so great. The last new refinery built in California was 20 years ago. Also if the econuts would work with the petroleum industry to find a way to drill some of our reserves in wilderness areas, it would ease things a bit. Also if the current tax structure did not favor overseas oil production I might get a new lease on the oil mineral rights I hold.

Then I would be a big bad Texas oil man.

cowboydoc · May 17, 2004

The real scary thing is 50% of the mineral/oil rights in this country are owned by foreign investors. 20% of the land in the west is owned by foreign investors. They are playing havoc with the farming/ranching industry. They come in and buy the land, close out all watering, bid up government leases so nobody can afford them and then just leave the land idle.