We can’t influence the worlds consumption. With China and India starting to take more of the demand/supply, the price will rise.

We can look at what has happened out here in CA as an example of what we CAN do. 20 years ago we used to have 35 refineries located around the state, churning out gas for the CA market (and some export to close areas). Now we have about half that number actually producing gas. The others were bought by other oild compainies and mothballed. They all say they did it for “business” reasons, but it’s obvious, they wanted to limit supply & drive up the price.

We can influence price based on that type of scenerio by not allowing businesses to consolidate and mothball essential industries. That’ll also take some of the speculation dollars out of the deal, because there would be less profit associated with higher competition.

My own desire….Get a battery operated car that’ll run 500 miles without having to be re-charged and do away with combustion engines for small vehicles all together. Unfortunately, one of the first things King dumbya did when he took office was to strip that kind of research funding from the budget. Gee, I wonder why he did that? What do you think?

So – dont expect anything from the Frist effort to build up the puke parties supposed interest in the welfare of the amukan consumer.

Again, where do you go to get accurate reports on profit margins for a company like Exxon/Mobile, if not from their forecasters?

If memory serves, in a debate for presidential candidates in 2000, Steve Forbes asked G.W. if he were president, what he would do to lower high gasoline prices at the time. W’s answer? Drill for more natural gas.

Spokesman: ‘We’re acting to ensure there’s no price gouging’

Tuesday, April 25, 2006; Posted: 7:44 a.m. EDT (11:44 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush, under pressure about high gasoline prices, has ordered an investigation into possible cheating in the markets.

During the last few days, Bush asked his Energy and Justice departments to open inquiries into whether the price of gasoline has been illegally manipulated, said White House press secretary Scott McClellan. Bush planned to announce the action Tuesday during a speech in Washington at 10:05 a.m. ET.

It’s unclear what impact, if any, Bush’s investigation would have on prices that are near $3 a gallon. Asked whether Bush had any reason to suspect market manipulation, McClellan responded, “Well, gas prices are high right now, and that’s why you want to make sure there’s not.”

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/04/25/bush.ap/index.html

This is one of the few times I can agree with Arlen Rubber Stamp Specter.

This is exactly why gas prices has shot through the roof. These Big Oil boys are part of OPEC .They slow down production to a dribble and profits go into Orbit.

I don’t believe bush/cheney is going to do anything as they are also profiting from the squeeze of eveyone on the global market.

Comment by TJM — April 24, 2006 @ 9:38 pm

Enron. Next question?

But if Bush is being punished for high energy costs, he has only himself to blame. This May 7, 2001 response by then press secretary Ari Fleischer captures the malign neglect that is the Bush energy policy:

Q: Is one of the problems with this, and the entire energy field, American lifestyles? Does the President believe that, given the amount of energy Americans consume per capita, how much it exceeds any other citizen in any other country in the world, does the President believe we need to correct our lifestyles to address the energy problem?

MR. FLEISCHER: That’s a big no. The President believes that it’s an American way of life, and that it should be the goal of policy makers to protect the American way of life. The American way of life is a blessed one. And we have a bounty of resources in this country.

For the full story, see:
“That’s a Big No: Bush, Gas Prices and the Polls.”