When is Congress going to put a limit on gas prices?

Question

Oil companies have been raking in record profits, and gas prices are still rising. When the majority of Americans are lucky to get a 3% raise in pay each year, how do we end up affording such high prices? Not to mention the fact that the higher gas prices also cause everything else to go up. Let's get a handle on this & make a limit of $2.00/gal.

Answer 1

It will never happen! Dubya & Tricky Dick Cheney are too busy collecting their cut of the profits.

Answer 2

I work at an oil refinery and if gas were only $2 a gallon right now, we would shut down and prices would go even higher. The reason for rising gas prices is the government. Every year they put more and more requirements on us and the fuels we produce and you have to charge more for your product when it costs more to make. Let me give you an example. In the 90's California made it mandatory to add MTBE to gasoline. The technology was owned by another company. We had to build the plant (over 1 million dollars) then had to lease the technology for another $400,000/month. When they decided that MTBE was bad for the environment it was banned and we were sitting with a MTBE plant, unused and still costing us $400,000/month. We were finally able to buy out our lease for $40,000,000. We had to sell the entire plant for $1 to a scrap yard because of all the decon they will have to do. Requirements like that will always increase your cost. Look forward to more. The government has us building another unit right now that will have lower emissions-it's cost is already over $500,000,000.

Answer 3

Sorry, but I think we all know that's not going to happen any time soon. Couple of reasons, in my opinion.

First, I think the Congress is scared to death to truly regulate the oil industry, but at the same time they also knuckle under to citizens objecting to new refineries being built in their backyard (also keep in mind that one hasn't been built since the 70's, and it takes about 15+ years to build one).

Second, our Congress, unfortunately, almost always votes along party lines making it very, very difficult to get such a bill past committee, let along be voted on.

Can you believe that in Indiana our legislature let a bill die that would have suspended the 6% sales tax when gas reached $2.25 a gallon? Would have saved us about 20 cents a gallon. Not much, but it's something.

With increasing prices in fuel (gas, electricity, natural gas), property taxes and food beyond what the average middle class family can afford, we must force our government to make changes that will provide relief.

The only way to make that happen is to literally vote out the incumbents (all of them) with the message we demand changes. That's a revolution of sorts...remember we had one back in the 1700's of a different nature, but it accomplished the same thing.

I'm not a fan of bigger government, just better government.

The duty of the United States government is to protect it's citizens...in every way. They're very big on protecting us from ourselves, but very lax in protecting us from the pricing situations we're faced with today.

Food for thought...

Answer 4

You should be so lucky try living in the UK.The higher the petrol/gas prices the better it is for the environment.Your less likely to use your cars.Haven't you heard of global warming.

Answer 5

the short answer would be: next elections....I wondered myself, if somehow we could spread word to everyone to boycott shell/76, maybe that would start a price war with competing gas companies, thus price drops in gas? or maybe that is just too simple

Answer 6

Never because oil companies control the government look at Bush and the companies that endorsed him when he ran for president.

Answer 7

who knows? this is crazy!! i'm getting a part-time job to pay for what gas costs to get to my primary job.

Answer 8

I was going to say when they get their pockets full, but they don't ever get enough of our money!

Answer 9

I SOOO Wish!