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schmidtmike
Dodge Dakota
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9/03/2005
00:38:26
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 Subject: Gas Prices
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I feel bad for you guys that are griping about high gas prices because of Katrina, but be glad you're not in New Orleans right now. I've heard so many gripes about gas prices by everyone I know. But, all the complaining in the world won't change a damn thing. The difference between living and dying is rolling with the punches; learning to adapt to changes, whether big or small.
I feel bad that I can't drive my truck any more, but I have a Hyundai Excel that I drive now. Sure it is small, gutless, and can't tow anything, but I have to commute in something, and this is all I have. I find myself spending as much on gas for my Hyundai (6.5 gallons), as I used to on my Dakota (14 gallons). And again, it sucks.
But I think we americans have had it too good for too long. We account for 6% of the world's population, but we use 25% of it's fuel. Something has to be done about our rate of fuel consumption, because we will run out of fuel eventually. And, before we run out, gas prices will get to around $7.00, like in Europe. And driving around our 17mpg trucks is not going to be feasable anymore. The time of driving and buying vehicles for their power, comfort, ride height, and towing capacity has gone by the wayside.
Either buy a car that gets great mileage, or continue to drive the gas guzzlers because you "like how high up it is". If you choose the latter, then stop complaining about the price of fuel. Because in effect, you are choosing to get gouged at the pump.
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02 DAKOTA BOY
Dodge Dakota
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9/03/2005
08:49:50
|  RE: Gas Prices
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dear schmidtmike, no, im sorry to tell you, i sure didnt CHOOSE to get gouged at the pump. here where i live, S.E. KY., and probably most everywhere else in the us, the gas retailers like to change their gas prices to suite their mood appearntly taking advantage of the misfortune of us americans. i have seen the prices change as much as twice in one day here in the last few days. that is B.S.! if you are a gas retailer and you pay 2.00 per galon wholesale for a tanker load, then the price is supposed to be set by the paid price. as a mater of fact it is illegal in most states for a retailer to increase their price until a new load is pruchased and a higher price is paid. the new retail price is determined by the higher amount paid per galon by the retailer. so the gas retailers are definately taking advantage of us buyers. as for me i sure will remember the retailers in my local area who tried their best to gouge my wallet when all returns to normal! and if you are ok with driving around in a shoe box for a vehicle, then go for it. as for me, i much rather be comfortable in my dakota than couped up in a box with wheels!
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goingamish
Dodge Dakota
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9/03/2005
09:34:11
| RE: Gas Prices
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i'm going amish!!! going to get me a horse and buggy and not worry about the dam gas prices lol!!!!! just have to worry about hay prices lol!!!!!!!!!!
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prodak
Dodge Dakota
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9/03/2005
10:12:49
| RE: Gas Prices
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Despite all the whining, consumption/demand has not been significantly curtailed, so just like with any other commodity retailers will charge whatever the market will bear. It's a little thing called "free enterprise". That's why OPEC keeps supply levels up - they know that sustained high oil prices will eventually curb demand - causing wholesale prices to fall (not a good thing for them).
BTW, I'm not unsympathetic to working class people with families to support, but if you want to get mad at someone blame the housewife driving the 6000lb Lincoln Navigator to the grocery store, not the oil/gas industry.
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prodak
Dodge Dakota
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9/03/2005
10:23:08
| RE: Gas Prices
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Oh, and I forgot to mention oil futures traders, you can get mad at them too.
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02 DAKOTA BOY
Dodge Dakota
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9/03/2005
11:26:57
| RE: Gas Prices
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you guys keep forgetting the key word,,,its ILLEGAL to price gouge!
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prodak
Dodge Dakota
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9/03/2005
11:51:01
| RE: Gas Prices
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Dude, I don't like it any more than you do, but at the moment what you call price gouging is happening everywhere. If you believe you have genuine offenders then call your state attorney's office.
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prodak
Dodge Dakota
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9/03/2005
12:17:14
| RE: Gas Prices
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Imagine you're the owner of a single gas station/convenience store. Wholesale prices just jumped 30% in one day. Retail prices around you are going up instantly in response. You have two choices: #1. You can raise your price along with your competitors and stay in business or; #2. Sell your existing stock at the old price until you run out, at which time people stop coming in to buy coffee, candy, etc.(all the secondary sales that help keep you in business), AND you haven't generated enough revenue to pay for the more expensive gas to refill your tanks. End result of option #2? You're out of business by the end of the day.
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hey
Dodge Dakota
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9/03/2005
12:23:55
| RE: Gas Prices
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any of you guys own your own retail business? if you don't then you don't have a clue.
prodak is right. $6 a gall is over the top though.
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N56629
Dodge Dakota
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9/03/2005
14:28:07
| RE: Gas Prices
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"you guys keep forgetting the key word,,,its ILLEGAL to price gouge!"
Do you know what the term means? If I have to pay $3/gal and sell it to you for $3.25, you may not like the price, but it is not price gouging. If I hoard it until everyone else is out of gas and then sell it for $6/gal you can then claim that I am price gouging.
Everyone is tossing that term around but very few dealers are engaged in it because they don't want to lose their license.
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Joe,C
Dodge Dakota
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9/03/2005
16:49:11
| RE: Gas Prices
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Well if these gas retailers would just charge enough money to make up the coast to buy the fuel and then enough to make a profit then you wouldn't see 3+ a gallon for fuel.
And enough with the big suv! what about these big rig trucks that gets 6 MPG. Are we surposed to blame them to???
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prodak
Dodge Dakota
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9/03/2005
17:12:37
| RE: Gas Prices
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There's a huge difference between trucks that serve commerce (hauling the stuff that you buy) and commuters who drive heavy, inefficient vehicles as a fashion statement.
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prodak
Dodge Dakota
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9/03/2005
17:27:11
| RE: Gas Prices
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"Well if these gas retailers would just charge enough money to make up the coast to buy the fuel and then enough to make a profit then you wouldn't see 3+ a gallon for fuel."
And at the risk of upsetting your blissful ignorance, go here and read:
http://www.startupjournal.com/runbusiness/survival/20050531-herrick.html
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ObieWonDakota
Dodge Dakota
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9/03/2005
21:13:38
| RE: Gas Prices
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Hell, if it is going to cost $3 or $4 a gallon, or whatever the price may be, I just wish for once the price would remain stable for a lengthy period of time so I can stabilize my budget instead of having to adjust it everytime it fluctuates. it is a traded product on the stock market which doesn't help. I agree with Prodak since a friend of mine here in Ky owns a station. Even though they paid a set price for the gas already in the storage tanks underneath their station, they have to charge more when they know the next truckload will be more expensive. If you've ever owned a gas station, you know that the station owners do not make a buttload of money off the gas. Why do you think they all went to convenience store gas stations. Their profit is largely from all the Big Gulps and coffee we buy when we get the gas from them. I don't claim to be a know it all, but I have done a bit of reading on it, and that is what the "know it alls" are putting in print. It sucks but it is not the fault of one person, i.e., George Bush. If you can find me one politician that will stand up to the oil companies though, I will vote for them. In the last 40 years, nobody has, because ALL politicians have their hand out when big oil doles out the contributions.
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N56629
Dodge Dakota
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9/03/2005
22:05:06
| RE: Gas Prices
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Many states have minimum prices on gas and we have seen stations cited for selling below the minimum price prescribed by law.
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schmidtmike
Dodge Dakota
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9/04/2005
00:01:46
| RE: Gas Prices
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Pretty soon everyone will be amish, and oat prices will rise. Then everyone will be walking, and shoe prices will rise. Then everyone will go barefoot, and feet prices will rise........
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schmidtmike
Dodge Dakota
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9/04/2005
00:13:51
| RE: Gas Prices
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*Virtually slaps all complainers* How dare any of you complain about gas prices. I have relatives in New Orleans, and I'm sure they would be eternally thankful if gas prices was all they had to worry about. And besides, part of the reason of the price hike is the fact that all across the south, when Katrina hit, everyone flooded gas stations, and drained the supply almost instantly. And when the retailers called their suppliers for more gas all at once, the demand went up, and the gas went to the highest offer, which in turn forces kind of a bidding war, driving the average price up in all areas.
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prodak
Dodge Dakota
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9/04/2005
10:13:48
| RE: Gas Prices
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Amen, brother.
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02 DAKOTA BOY
Dodge Dakota
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9/04/2005
11:18:40
| RE: Gas Prices
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PEOPLE,,,,, once again,,like i said, its illegal to price gouge!! make all the excuses you want for the gas stations but it still is illegal no matter where you are at or how many stations are doing it!!! ITS ILLEGAL!!!
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prodak
Dodge Dakota
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9/04/2005
11:52:51
| RE: Gas Prices
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If you do the slightest amount of research you will learn that the typical retail markup on gasoline is only 5-10 cents a gallon. That's not to say that there isn't price gouging going on - there are reports of $5, $6, even $7 a gallon in places. But the $3+ is driven by WHOLESALE prices - retailers are taking the heat for it but in most cases are just as unhappy about it as you are.
I've already posted a link in this thread in case you missed it - go read and become enlightened.
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prodak
Dodge Dakota
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9/04/2005
12:27:42
| RE: Gas Prices
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At the risk of being crowned Master Of The Obvious, allow me to explain that which should not need explaining.
ATTENTION ALL BONEHEADS - In a free market economy, when the supply of a commodity is insufficient to satisfy the demand for it there is upward price pressure. Likewise, when supply exceeds demand there is downward price pressure - and you don't hear too many people whining when that happens.
Is there a logistical reason for this? Is it fair? Perhaps not, but nonetheless, it IS. Our entire economy and indeed the financial markets are in large part controlled by consumer confidence and perceptions - and not concrete physical factors.
The very fact that anyone reading this can afford a computer and internet access is proof that abundant supplys of goods and services (through competition) drives prices DOWNWARD. The same thing will happen to gas and oil prices when we (as a society) get serious about energy conservation and fuel efficiency.
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