Are we being ripped off again by Big Oil? Crude oil costs one fourth of what it did, but gasoline prices are only cut in half? I know this is a complicated issue. Just thought that some of you would have educated opinions.
When you think that demand forced up oil prices? And now that demand has disappeared, because of the economic down turn, one would think? Then ask yourself how much was being wasted to create that demand in the first place? Not an educated opinion, just a thought.
A furniture shop must show a profit or will eventually close. The prices is not fixed and if a customer is prepared to pay the listed price everybody is happy.
Here in SA the prices of gas (petrol) are fixed once a month and it is based on all reasonable costs to get the gas in the tank.
In an economy where the prices are not fixed the motorist will have a choice of filling at a lower costs station which will eventually leave the expensive station without sales.
I don't think any government would like to see a refiner close down and bailing them out with taxpayers money will impose gas taxes on everyone and not just the actual users.
What I am saying is that we will just have to endure the current high costs.
Any unjust price hikes must however be fought with any means at our disposal.
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Never do today what you can put of until tomorrow - Student motto
Maximum light needs to be focused on all industries prone to price manipulation and the accounting practices that are often used to distort, deceive, and cheat the public. I am all for healthy profits, so long as they are not gained through monopolies and other anti-competitive practices. I believe that the government should be a strong referee, and set the rules of play. I think we are in agreement. All the best, Ron
Though demand on crude oil was a factor in the high cost of crude this pass year a lot of the cost was do to speculation of futures which drove the cost up.
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Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving in a pretty, pristine body but rather to come sliding in sideways, all used up and exclaiming, "Wow, what a ride!"
In the US the benchmark for oil pricing is on west texas sweet crude. Most of this is used to make things other than gasoline. Right now the price of lower grades of oil outside of the US actually exceed that of the premium west texas oil and these lower grades of oil are what gasoline is ultimately made from. Consequently when you see the listing of oil price in the paper, its does not actually have a direct bearing on the price of gasoline. Its a weird situation that hasn't really occurred in the past, but since the oil reserves are full in the US, its driving the price down due to lack of demand, whereas worldwide there is more demand for non-domestic oil.
Gasoline prices.
Re: Gasoline prices.
