Why are the government officials NOT addressing the outrageous gasoline prices?

Question

Why is the public NOT demanding these prices be investigated? When will it end? How much money can these corporate big shots continue to make before these prices completely destroy the American economy?

Answer 1

The House of Representatives has passed and anti-price gouging bill, but the president is likely to veto it.

Answer 2

They're busy buying stock in oil companies?

For starters, gasoline prices almost always rise as summer approaches because demand goes up as people go on vacation and use more gas. Refiners anticipate this and starting about now, they begin building up stockpiles of gasoline. If they make enough, and can keep running at full capacity through the summer, gas prices may not rise too much from here.

But if demand gets too high and/or they can’t make enough gas, prices will go higher. Sometimes this is because a big refinery has to shut down for maintenance or fire. Last year, the string of hurricanes interrupted deliveries of crude oil to Gulf refineries, which hurt supplies.

Some parts of the country also see local spikes in prices because some states require “reformulated” gasoline in the summer months to meet clean air standards. So you can only sell a specific blend for a particular region. If supplies of that blend get low, the price goes up.

But the real villain at the pump is rising oil prices. Oil companies didn’t set those prices (much as they’d love to be able to), the market did. Demand for oil is rising worldwide, and older oil fields are drying up. So prices are going up. And gasoline prices have risen even slower than crude oil so far this year, so they still have to “catch up” a bit.

The question to ask is: why should an oil company -- or refiner, or gasoline dealer -- charge less than the market price? And, if they did, who should they give all those profits back to? Should the government set price caps on gasoline prices? If it did, why would oil companies continue to make gasoline? Without profit, what's their motivation?

It's TIME for ALL of us to plan for a future in which energy prices are much higher, and start making efficiency improvements in the cars we drive, the power we use, and the fuel we use to heat our homes.

Answer 3

Do you think there is some magic wand the gov't can wave and make the laws of economics go away?

If Democrats did not forbid the drilling of oil in Alaska and off the coasts of this nation, we would have more crude oil.

If Democrats did not mandate special fuel blends for summer and winter, and different blends for different states/regions, then gasoline could be more readily transported across the American market.

If Democrats did not fight tooth and nail against any new refinery construction, then we could refine more crude oil into gasoline.

But Democrats across all levels of gov't are beholden to environmental lobbies whose agenda does not include making cheap gasoline available to the common American consumer.

They want gas to cost a lot! To save Mother Earth!

Answer 4

Congress does need to address this problem. What they need to do is really very simple, stop pandering to the envrionmentalis wako groups who are preventing us from drilling for oil in the United States and preventing us from building any more refineries here.

The better question to ask is why the Federal government wants us dependent on foriegn oil rather than our own oil?

In a time of war, that could be a real problem. Gas prices might get really high.

Answer 5

what prices what? If they don't address them then they aren't speaking of them so therefore they can keep lining their pockets. It is a scam, these companies run the government, its sad but true. With that much money they dictate policy. Why would any govt. official want to talk about something when they know they have no answer other than they are happy they are getting bigger pay offs. You won't hear it addressed on a major scale because it is a taboo subject.

Answer 6

Why will you libs not let us build refineries and drill for oil?
That is part of an answer.
Are the libs prepared to conserve energy.

Do you use air conditioning, is your heat above 60 degrees.
Do you put you clothes out on a line.
Do you walk to the grocery store if possible.
Do you ride a bike when possible.
Did you insulate your home.
Have you downsized your vehicle.
Stop driving unnecessarily.
You might be able to influence them if you took a real action.

Do you have the tenacity.

Starve them of their product.

It would work, if you had any worth other than a clanging bell.
DO IT!

Answer 7

Why should they? The government is a big part of the problem as it is. They tax the heck out of every gallon and impose restrictions on the gas companies. Its a wonder the prices are as low as they are.

The government butts into our lives far too much already.

Answer 8

How many things in your life do you pay "too much" for? A purse that costs $3 to make but you end up paying $50 for? A candle that costs $.50 to make but you spend $12 on?

If you don't like gas prices, don't buy gas. The government has no business regulating how much profit is too much.

Answer 9

You don't have a clue as to what you are talking about. Gas prices are high due to the lack of refineries. High demand coupled with low supply = higher price paid. Basic economics.

Answer 10

What do you pay for a gallon of milk, a fancy coffee on the way to work, a package of donuts---does the volume equal the price of a gallon of gas? People need to chill, all seem to be able to afford their perks and then scream about the price to go pick them up.