On Gas Prices, Obama Should Lead or Get Out of the Way

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Why else would barry wave regulations for worse company in Gulf. BP, # 1 person to get BP campaign money was__barry__.

As the $$$ value goes down, cost of oil will go up. Reason _ $$$ is used to buy oil. To get same value for their oil, price must go up.

barry shutting down our oil production, obvious raises cost of oil. More demand with less oil in pipeline.

As far as closing down oil production in Gulf, there were no problems there except for our presidend's friend, BP. We do not have to buy BP oil, we have plenty of gas & oil in America. Next time you talk to barry, tell barry to drill baby drill, here in the USA...

Bill Hedges of MO 1:17AM May 14, 2011

PLeeeaasse.... It is all BS in so much as referring to a supply crisis. As for the cost of gas.....we keep paying higher and higher amounts as if everything else hasn't already gouged us financially and yet the oil companies keep reporting all time higher and higher profits...we are talking BILLIONS in profits in a matter of mths AFTER all expenses are paid. Should Washington take a smaller cut...if they are sincere about strengthening our economy then YES maybe they should!! I am so tired of the working class of all status levels constantly making sacrifices while the wealthy keep getting breaks and making more and more money...it has to STOP! Obama and his administration have a responsibility here with gas prices and now is the time for them to tend to it!! As for off shore drilling and the impact this has had on employment...is it an issue of off shore drilling or an issue of safely drilling off shore?? BP has already demonstrated with more than ONE major spill that they cannot be trusted to be up to code on their rigs.... BP had a lot of nerve a few weeks ago to announce that they had to increase gas prices to pay for the losses they experienced as a result of the oil spill. WAIT A MINUTE! WHY should WE pay for THAT? It was their neglegence that caused it!! BTW, even with that spill they made all time high profits during that whole time and yet, their spill, destroyed nature and jobs for what could be many many years.

Liz of AZ 12:14AM May 14, 2011

To many middle men,the do nothing bastards that are the equivilent to carpet baggers.And the thieves that call themselves leaders are rapeing the people that they are suppose to be helping.The spineless vermin used to pull the wool but nowadays it's.."You don't like the price of gas,don't buy it" The lazy scumbags are so wasted on power that they don't have to hide the lies and cheating because they know that the population is lathargic and brain dead.Every one wants a piece of the pie,brother,all I can see is crumbs.

Don't worry,it will get worse......and it will!

General Smith Ret. 11:47PM May 13, 2011

Who is getting rich at the gas pumps?

For starters, many average Americans who hold stock in the oil companies, either directly or indirectly through their 410k or mutual fund. But the fact is, the gross profit margin for a gallon of gas in America today, is what it has always been, on average, .08 cents per gallon, (2.5% at $3.00 per gallon). Though retail gas prices fluctuate with crude prices and supply vs. demand, the gross profit margin per gallon remains roughly the same at all times. (No evidence of price gouging here.)

However the federal government profits approximately .59 cents per gallon through gasoline taxes, 7 ½ times or 750% that of the oil producers themselves and 20% of the price at the pumps. Pay attention here, Washington liberals are attacking oil companies for their 2.5% gross profit margin, while Washington is profiting 20% per gallon. Democrats answer? Tax some more?

If oil companies cut their profit margins by 50%, it would drop the price of a gallon of gas by only .04 cents per gallon. If Washington law makers cut their take by 50%, gasoline would cost .30 cents per gallon less. If the federal government didn’t tax gasoline at all, the price per gallon at the pumps would be $2.40 per gallon instead of $3.00 per gallon and the oil companies would still be at a respectable 2.5% gross profit margin. Who is gouging whom?

Have oil companies sought to inflate gas prices for profit?

If they did, they would have to do it by increasing their per gallon profit margin. Holding their gross margin at 2.5% (.08 cents per gallon) will result in higher overall profits as consumption rises, and both consumption and prices rise during travel seasons. But it does not demonstrate any effort to “gouge” consumers at the pumps.

On the other hand, .59 cents per gallon or 20% of retail gasoline prices is certainly a demonstration of an effort to gouge consumers, but by way of taxation from the federal government. The consumer is in fact being gouged at the pumps and they have been for some years now, by our federal and state governments. Who is gouging whom?

8484 of TN 10:13PM May 13, 2011

IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THE GOVERNMENT MAKES MORE MONEY FROM A GALLON OF GASOLINE THAN DO THE OIL COMPANIES.

8484 of TN 10:05PM May 13, 2011

If get-out-of-the-way means continue the oil company tax breaks and subsidies so many are paying negative taxes (aka collecting refunds/welfare).

10 years ago Cheney and Bush pursued their energy policy of looking for oil in Iraq. Bomb Baby Bomb, Operation Iraqi Liberation (OIL) was intended to deliver the goods to supply us with oil for the next century.

Why didn't the Bush and his Republican Congress initiate drilling everywhere and anywhere 10 years ago like Adams is implying? These guys thought they could steal oil by conquering a mid eastern country. Mr Adams probably was all gong-ho for that, yet now that is obvious that venture turned out to be a bust so let's whip out a little revisionist history to justify the most expensive oil exploitation called deep water drilling.

We hear your plea for more handouts, Jim Adams, but sorry we can't afford to subsidize oil companies anymore.

In tough economic times we have to bid farewell to welfare queens and the dishonesty to their all too apparent greed. Please don't insult us with your hogwash.

The oil industry better learn a new slogan, nullum gratuitum prandium.

Casey of MS 9:36PM May 13, 2011

President O’Bama has been compared to an empty suit. This is an invalid comparison for the following reasons:

1 An empty suit would not have saddled current and future generations with a 14 trillion dollar national debt.

2. An empty suit would not have banned drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, while loaning Petrobras 3 billion dollars to finance drilling off the coast of Brazil.

3. An empty suit would not have threatened to bankrupt coal companies, especially since about half of the U.S. power plants use coal.

4. An empty suit would not have said: “Under my plan, electricity rates will necessarily skyrocket.”, which would the hopes for hybrid electric cars.

5. An empty suit would not have traveled the world criticizing the U.S. without mentioning the 150 plus countries, including China, that the U.S. provides with foreign aid.

6. An empty suit would not have crammed an unwanted healthcare bill down our throats, while exempting over a thousand groups of people, 40% of which are unionized.

7. An empty suit would not have taken numerous vacations to plush resorts at taxpayer’s expense while admonishing taxpayers to take fewer vacations.

8. An empty suit would not have sued Arizona for trying to enforce federal immigration laws.

9. An empty suit would not have interfered with the efforts of Wisconsin legislators to balance their budget.

10. An empty suit would have been a much better president than the one we have.

Pineapple of AL 7:45PM May 13, 2011

We know who's running the price of fuel up to please his special interests so he can get relected again in fact every thing he's doing is for his relection and his agenda. The question is what are we going to do about it now!!!!!!!

Eugene of WA 6:45PM May 13, 2011

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