Thread: Gas prices.

I just mixed up a red bull and vodka and am enjoying the banter. I'm thinking about running down to Truman tomorrow and, if so, I'll slap leather for the gas and enjoy myself anyway. It's a shame that the political parties haven't been able to agree on a cohesive energy policy but, special interest groups being what they are, it'll get worse before it gets better. In the meanwhile - facts is facts and politics is politics and ne'er the twain shall meet. No sense bitchin' - Let's go fishin'.

There are a few items that I feel I need to comment on even though I may be wrong but it is my opinion,

First, supply and demand is a joke in this area. The supply decreases just produce less. What happened to the increase of supply from the strategic reserves and the decrease of usage. Oil has gone down over $5 a barrel but price of gas increased. Oh, wait it did drop a penny later in the day just as usual.

I believe the speculators are the bad guys here.

And as for as politics, If the Democrats were wrong by not opening the land and sea for drilling, why didn't the Republicans vote it in when they had all leadership positions a few years later?
I am a Democrat but I am not a Dean Democrat. I keep my mind open and watch the "Liberal and Conservative" media to hear both sides of the story. And I still don't always believe either side. As we all know you can make numbers say what you want them to. Just because you are smart does not mean you have common sense.

Finally, (but not everything) I own a 03 Thunderbird and belonged to a great site like this but the beating up and rhetoric about the Democrats found it's way into a lot of the different threads to the point I no longer view the sight. So I can tell you from seeing it first hand and experience if this starts bleeding into other threads you will have veteran posters signing off. Keeping it in one thread then posters will know what they are getting into and then it is their choice to read or comment.

If you wish to beat me up on my beliefs please use red print.

Looking forward to a new barn I'm getting this week and fishing at MTL. Good Fishing and God Bless

I couldn't agree more about the "democrat v. republican" debate maybe not being a proper topic to discuss on a crappie forum. I didn't really mean my post to be democrat bashing. It was meant to show that there may be some avenues available to help ease our independence on foreign oil. I fault both parties for not doing more in that regard.

Take a look at the summary in this bill. If you support opening ANWAR and offshore you'll probably like what you see here.

If you like what you see, write your congressperson and tell them to support this bill.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-2415

My letter is going out today.

G.

That is a good Bill and a good start but we have reached a crisis point. Quite frankly, these oil prices are going to cripple our economy and possibly create a recession, of epic proportions... Forget the gas you have to put in your tank, look at what it is doing to the rest of the economy. And as usual, it will take the biggest toll on the poor and middle class.

Until there is an uprising of the people, this will continue to spiral out-of-control. We were able to mobilize, as a nation, during WWI and WWII to make planes, ships, tanks, ammo and all of the other things needed. We were able to focus our energies during the race-to-outerspace and get men into orbit and then to the moon, in short order. Quite frankly, it is time for the good ol' USA to step up to the plate again to solve this crisis.

Since anyone can play Ross Perot and identify the problem, I have a pretty solid plan for solving this problem. Here goes:

Step one: Conservation!! The first step is to simply use less and try to make an immediate impact on the demand side of this. I'm not talking about one less trip to the mall per month. I'm talking about cutting our energy usage by 10-20%, in a matter of 3-6 months. I would like to see this done with tax insentives, rather than legislating energy usage. It can be done!!

Step two: Drilling our own oil. Yes it will take a few years but you have to start sometime. As soon as OPEC sees we are dead serious and as soon as they see the drilling start, you watch what happens to the cost per barrel.

Step three: More refining capacity. Give HUGE tax breaks for any oil company that will invest in more refining capacity and give them a guarantee that they will not lose on their investment, should another energy source be developed before they can recoup their investment (see #4).

Step four: Alternative energy sources. Better utilize nuclear, hydro, solar, wind and any other sources available. Again, huge tax breaks for anyone investing in or producing alternative energy.

Step five: New energy source. Keep the government out of this but make it damn profitable for anyone to develop a new cost-effective energy source that can take the place of petro...