$7 Gas

> Is gasoline a necessity? For many yes.... I live in a town of about 100,000 with no mass transit…sure we have a bus or two, but nowhere near enough to get 100,000 people back and forth to work. A polite question... I understand distances in US. But why use SUVs and other gas-gruzzlers? Why not 2-wheelers and fuel efficient cars like pretty much the rest of the world. And perhaps it is finally time to start having bus services in more towns, at least where feasible... again, only like the rest of the world. I live in Portland, Oregon with a great public transportation system. And in the 6 years I lived here, did not need a car.

The time has arrived for history to repeat itself. We were promised cheap gas until the year 2000 way back in the 1940's for helping the arabs set up their oil fields and refineries. Now these [not billionaires, but trillionares are making a fool out of this country. Bush and Chaney are getting filthy rich, but as soon as the economy crashes which it soon will, the recovery will not work out, and this time will be devastation. It is the time of trouble which the Bible teaches about. GREED, GREED, GREED. The rich will wail and throw their gold into the streets. They end up with nothing for there is nothing to buy and no one to purchase anything. The banks close and all the rich lose all of their wealth. If the leaders say that 1929 will not repeat itself, just wait and watch. It will be far, far more devastating. There is plenty of oil, just a chance for GREED, GREED, GREED. Car, food companies, and tourism are going down the tubes. Gasoline needs to be taken off the stock market exchange, and it should be federally regulated and controled.

I parked my Cad. 2 yrs. ago and bought a 150cc scooter-- put a basket on it for shopping and now spend less than $2.00 p/wk. on gas. Suits me to a tee! miles

I stubbed my toe while walking to the bathroom in the dark late last night - I KNOW it was BUSH that caused it! (ughh, simpleton) 55! Why the heck should we drive 55? Have you done the research? 50-60MPH is the most unsafe speed range. If you want to regulate people to 55 to save gas, then why don't you also demand that all vehicles must get 70 miles per gallon to be licensed? (new and old) If I want to burn most my budget in fuel than leave me alone to do it. The laws of supply and demand work. We need the politicians to get out of the way and allow our supply to increase. Extracting more oil and building more refineries would drop the price. Also, reducing demand reduces the price. So, we need to stop subsidizing corn farmers and burning inefficient ethanol (doing so might reduce the food riots our policies are causing in other countries too, yup - our politicians at work again), and find truly cost effective alternative fuels. Build more nuclear power plants (or coal) and get more purely electric cars on the road (and even electric motorcycles). Solutions are available, but we need leaders rather than politicians.

While I am no economist or oil company insider, I do consider myself rather versed in common sense, and I doubt we will see $7 a gallon gas anytime soon. The oil companies want to make big profits, not cripple our economy. $7 a gallon someday, for sure (unless we can stop being dependent on foreign sources of oil) but as a previous poster has stated, I think it will stay around $4-$5 a gallon for the immediate future. A 55MPH Speed limit would reduce consumption but not by enough to make it worth it.... conservation is good but it won't solve the problem. A mix of conservation, more drilling, common sense laws & regulations and new technology to scare the foreign oil sources into dropping the prices will be the magic formula to keep us out of outrageous gas prices.

If there is an attack on Iran, we might see $10 a gallon within days of the attack!

Ignorance is in such abundance, between the blame bushies and the big oil haters. It is those SAME Ignorant americans, who have gone along with enviro idiots and scare mongering politicos, preventing drilling IN THE US, Preventing any new refineries in 30 YEARS, boycotted nuclear energy. The fault is those lemmings who have allowed the US to be slaves to the Middle East. Until there is a VIABLE, mass produced, non petro based vehicle, this planet's engine will be powered by OI

Reasons for oil price increase in order of importance from a Euro/Usd currency trader: 1. Dollar depreciation - Bernanke hasn't got a CLUE! Cad dollar is near parity, and we buy 75% of our oil from canada 2. Picking a fight against the MIDDLE EAST (duh) 3. Chinese demand - they are buying more and more oil with increasingly valuable renminmbi 4. Russia oil production slowdown 5. Production shortages due to government regulations Over the next 3-5 years there will be a seismic shift in world wealth. Seemingly overnight, America will cease to be one of the wealthiest nations in the world and will undergo a serious cut in its standard of living, impoverishing many in our country. I suggest you learn to trade currencies, purchase gold and move your wealth offshore. It's not a drill this time. The party IS over.

Yes this gas thing is all about greed, Tell me has any one seen a gas station that is out of gas.. Heck no as long as you are willing to pay the price you can have all you want. As far as the gentleman who doesnt have a car, just possibly the auto makers may buy parts from your company or services, so when the auto makers go it hurts everyone from chip makers. to tires to foam whatever it takes to make that car...

I just returned from a trip to CA. Gasoline out there is well above $4 and in some areas like Yosemite it is over $5. It has not discouraged driving, though. The roads are packed and the HOV lanes are empty. High gas prices? Not a problem.

I have a feeling that Gas prices will continue to go up. It's going to get worse before it gets better (Will it ever get better?) It is ridicules what the gas prices are now. Yes, I believe greed is the cause of it. The government keeps on getting more tax money as the prices increase and the oil companies get their huge share of profits also. I’m a single woman making less the $25,000.00 and it is very difficult to pay my rent, electric and other bills. I live in a small town in Indiana that doesn’t have public transportation. I would rather pay for a bus pass than drive my car to work. I could car pool but my work hours are 7am to 3:45 pm so it is hard to find someone that works close to those hours. I wish I could ride my bike to work but that would be like a total of 20 to 24 miles (about 10 to 12 miles one way) per day and the road I travel is kind of a busy highway. I hope and pray that there is a solution out there and someone thinks of a way to lower these gas prices!!!!!!!!!

if everyone in our country didn't live beyond their means this wouldn't be an issue. To date the only thing that's been affected by $4.25 a gallon gasoline is that instead of 200 a week going into savings only 150 is. and my wife and I are not rich. we each make 30,000 per year which is about average in america right now. if everyone would stop living off of credit our housing market wouldn't be in this position which in turn would have kept investors in real estate and not oil. That is the problem. everyone wants to blame the democrats or the republicans. quit your whining and face the facts the average americans are the ones doing this to themselves. Get a clue and quit using credit as your personal checking account. hello eventually that money has to get paid back. When is doesn't get paid back we end up with todays oil and housing problems.

this all comes down to who's really to blame. the general public is to blame living off of credit ( that they could never pay back ). this is why the housing market has tanked. we never had this problem before because investors had their portfolios in real estate now that that's a flop they switch over to oil. so before everyone starts complaining and passing blame look at yourselves. how much debt do you have. that's why things are the way they are.

I am amazed that no one has identified the true impact of this oil increase. While it is more costly now to drive a car, I am waiting for the 33% increase in the cost of oil to be reflected in the rest of the economy that depends on oil for something other than gasoline - then you will hear people really scream: - Electricity (oil or natural gas-fired) - Heating (Oil and natural gas) - Air Conditioning - Water & Sewage (generators need oil) - Food (fertilizers, gas for tractors, etc.) - Toys - anything made of plastic - Storage containers made of plastic - Plastic wrap and wax paper - Candles and anything made of parafin I fully expect all food products to go up 25-33% in the next few months. Anything and everything made out of plastic will go up 25-33% in plastic. If Congress does not get a backbone soon, they will be guilty of letting this country slide into a depression so they can continue to please their Environmentalist supporters. Nothing the Democrat or Environmentalists are offering will bring any relief to this economy. Nothing they offer has a chance of being available nationwide in less than 10-20 years. Drill NOW - quit funding the radical fundamentalists that wanted to destroy this country

Once the Chinese Olympics are over, the price of oil & gas will come down a bit. However, this is the greatest country in history and we have shackled ourselves from using the natural resources that God has provided. There is more oil beneath US land than in the entire Middle East! Oil companies have spent countless millions of dollars to research how to remove it safely, cleanly and with minimal environmental impact. It's time we start doing it and tell OPEC to go hug a root! Let them sell it to Europe. Until we get our own drilling & refining up and running, we need to send the check to Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, Mexico & Canada & tell them it's time to pay up! DRILL HERE, DRILL NOW, PAY LESS!!! Note to "K" -- our capitalistic economy is why there is an immigration debate in this country. You liberals don't get it -- taxing the profits of oil companies won't add a single gallon of gas to our supply and they will simply pass it on to the consumer. And the percentage of "windfall" profits that oil companies realize is small compared to many other industries -- i.e., Microsoft's profit was 23% last year compared to Exxon's 13%. Taxing corporations is bad for business, will hurt the economy and lead to bigger problems like higher unemployment (which, amazingly, is still very low). Get a clue dimorat!

The only way to fix this is Defibrillaton!! Shock therapy. The Fed should raise interest rates 2% at the next meeting. The shockwave from the dollar value increase will jolt oil down to $70 a barrel. It will also help curtail the rising tide of inflation. I say screw the mortgage mess and save the rest of us. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few...... Quick trivia question: Name the mental midget that when asked why he didn't release some of the strategic petroleum reserve to provide price relief his answer was "...I am not going to play politics with oil"?

trivia question: Who was the mental midget that when asked why he didn't release some of the strategic petroleum reserve to control oil prices he responded "....I will not play politics with oil"?

This is in response to Caleb's comment. Thanks for being an "expert." Isn't it "experts" who got us into this problem in the first place?

First Congress needs to grow a spine and do what's right. Americans have learned how to vote money out of the treasury to bankrupt this country so it can "Supersize" itself. Well it looks like the high life won't be so high for the near future. We have a great country and we can face the challenge as long as we get off our "it's all about me attitude". Second the EcoNazis (I'm all for environmentalists that seek sound use of our natural resources, the whole country can't be a National Park)and ACLU need to stop making shrines to plants and animals and recognize the human race takes precedcence but is second to God only. Finally our super abundant lifestyle, and don't say it isn't when compared to the rest of the world, has allowed us turn our back on God. For all those anti-Christian know it alls out there who will bash this in ignorance, thanks for your survival of the fittest attitude that promotes the "it's all about me attitude in congress and in our communities". And thanks to all you Al Gore (front man for the carbon market)fans for transferring even more American wealth outside our nation. Why in the world do we have to pay farmers in other countries to trap there methane emissions and then let them sell it for free income? Hollywood elitists-fight terrorism by giving up your dope habits.

Why does it have to be we drill OR we find alternative energy sources? The prudent thing would seem to be to do both. The reality is that we are currently dependent on oil to run this country and this economy. We have to allow more drilling in Alaska and off shore to increase domestic production and to help lower prices. Second, we need to continue a full-court press to develop new alternatives. Congress should do whatever it can to encourage these developments (without subsidizing any of them), which it has not done. We will not drill ourselves out of this situation (entirely), but we will also not find some magical replacement for oil any time soon either. Both paths have to be pursued. Don't fall for politicians and the media that like to present polarized views of issues. We need to go both directions as fast as possible.

The environmentalists have locked up our resources. Oil prices work off of supply and demand, like all other materials. Increase the supply, lower the prices.

All Republicans are the reason for high oil prices.... You all think that to be American is to chase the almighty dollar and step on anyone to get it. Corporations in this country now have more rights than it's own Citizens. If somebody is willing to pay you, you would sell your own mother to get a buck. All thru out the 1900s the men and women (mostly the middle class) built this country into the worlds biggest superpower. In a 20 year span you yuppies have managed to tear all that down in the never ending drive for wealth. People use to work and earn money to enhance their lives for their families. People lived their lives, not their jobs. Now people live for the job, the family thing is now a burdon. Just a bunch of thieves... The middle class woke up today to find America up on blocks with the wheels missing. You all should be deported!!!!!!!

Unfortunately most of you don't know what you're talking about. This is yet another wake up call for the auto makers. Where are the 50 mile per gallon pickup trucks and SUVs??? They have had 20+ years to work on this problem. My brand new 1/2 ton Chevy Silverado averages 13 mile to the gallon. I don't need 350 horsepower. What has "Detroit" been doing. Oh, thats right Chrysler is closing their van plant in St. Louis and will probably close their truck plant too. WAKE UP auto makers. This time it's gonna cost you!

The media also has effect on things too, I believe, on what and how they report the issues. What was that saying in one of the Bond movies...."there's no news like BAD news".

The American people need the guts of my forefathers (both Revolutinary War and War for Southern Independence) to go to Washington and throw out the bums, get rid of the central government's interference in business and let the companies that wanted to give us 70 and 80 mpg vehicles and electric cars years ago while the demoRATS and Repubs took money under the table to keep these gas savers, etc away from the American people. Yes, the American people are the blame for the current situation!

Being in the supply chain business, the cost of energy is having ramifications across all parts of our strategic planning. Transportation costs are becoming a much larger portion of product costs and its forcing companies to rethink their low-cost country outsourcing strategies. I predict a shift in the entire manufacturing base where Asia no longer is as attractive as it once was. This is, of course, if energy prices continue to escalate. Assuming this does and the US embarks on a true energy, self-sufficiency plan, I expect to see manufacturing make a return to the US thereby creating jobs, greater infrastructure, etc. And, this would be done with less expensive energy costs through the use of nuclear, wind and solar power. Asia will not be prepared for this shift thereby making their products much more expensive. A global economy can shift in different directions based on who is best prepared for the change.

I tend to concur with my father-in-law who was in the natural gas industry for 30+ years that most of the run up in the price of oil is totally irrational. We lose 50,000 barrels a day from Nigeria and the price of oil runs up $4-5. If the same thing happened pre 9/11, it'd go up maybe 50 cents. Demand hasn't gone up that much in that period of time. I understand the weakening of the financial markets and devaluation of the dollar, but come on. I'm kind of torn though because the energy sector is probably what has kept my 401(k) afloat. I'm with Kevin above though, long term we need alternative energy sources, but right now, we need to drill here. You're not going to flip some magic switch and get everyone in an electric or hydrogen powered car overnight. Or even in 5-10 years. I think this run-up has finally gotten some people's attention when it comes to energy usage, which is a good thing. But we can't just throw our hands up and say, "we need to break the oil addition, right now!" without ruining this country financially. I know there are groups of people that would just love for that to happen, and personally I think this country would be better off if those folks would just find their own island and set up their little perfect "green" utopia at their own expense.

No More speculation no more monopoly's This is no different then the rail Barrons of the 19th century anti trust laws are out the window. When Milk is $10.00 / Gallon and people in the inner cities cannot feed them selves we will be ripe for the taking just as Germany was the last day of June 1934. This is a national security isssue plain and simple but neither party will touch it.

I don't mind $7 gas I do mind a 1 to 1.60 ration on the US Dollar to the Euro and I DO mind a 2.0 to 1 ration on the Sterling to the Dollar. The rest ? adjust accordingly before you call it $7 I can't make people think, I can't I can't - I can't

Should Gas reach $7.00 per gallon. We should all goto the local book store and buy a copy of The Grapes Of Wrath. It will go from a novel to a history lession that same day.

all I continue to hear is "dependence from foreign oil", and alternative sources of energy. This is great, except that while we park those 10 million cars, or take mass transit, or work from home, all of the goods and items we depend on (grocery, clothing, food, etc) will still have to be delivered by 18-wheelers using diesel fuel, which will still drive the costs of these items up. I doubt that there are any technologies out there for an electric Kenworth! In addition, all of the main focus has been on airlines, gasoline and the cost of driving and flying. Yet we could all stop driving today and we would still need oil. Tires? 4 gallons of oil per. Hoses for all kinds of items in industry? rubber (and therefore oil) Other items include asphalt paving, plastics and the list goes on and on. So even though the main focus has been on gasoline, there are some areas that oil is a necessity, and will continue to be for quite some time. Just my 2 cents

Ha! What a laugh. Congress and the executive branch have spent all the $$$ on useless wars while failing to set an energy (and food, health, social security, etc.) plan. Lame democracy at work, the system is broken and needs to be replaced. We need a new form of gov't where the elitist leaders are held accountable and a vote of no confidence immediately removes them from power. How much longer can we act like lemmings and see our futures decay into poverty while your taxes support the greedy, rich and lazy? Let them eat cake, she said.

My wife and I have come up with a great plan to cope with $7 a gallon gas. We both drive VW Jetts Diesels that get 42 in town and 54 on the highway. I don't work (retired) and my wife drives 16 miles round trip to work. She can drive 36 days on a tank of gas. At $8 a gallon for diesel and 320 miles per month that is $61 per month. The way to cope with rising fuel prices is to conserve and live close to work.

Betty, your mental go drink your cool aid