KATRINA'S IMPACT

LOL... I guess it take a natural disaster before he would consider releasing some of the national reserves. But this topic is a stall mate.

Just because some oil is being tapped from the National Reserve DON'T expect prices to drop soon or alot.

ALSO, I DOESN'T MATTER WHO YOU VOTE FOR!!!!!!!! BIG BUSINESS REALLY RUNS THE COUNTRY FROM BEHIND THE SCENES!!!!!!! IF YOU FEEL THAT POLITICIANS ARE CROOKED(understatement of the year!!!!) THEN RUN FOR OFFICE!!!!!!!!!

VOTE HOT!!!! SO GAS PASSERS LIKE ME WON'T ANNOY YOU!!!

whoever smealt it dealt it!!!!

I feel like I've got to step in to the debate here. I work for a certain segment of the petroleum industry. Releasing the SPR won't help us much because it is crude oil that still needs to be refined--and we get our refined product here from the gulf. It will help ease the shortages in the midwest since they have their own refineries. Also, although there are certain a**holes who have a certain place in hell, most of the gas station owners are not gouging. If they had product delivered last night, they most likely paid .30 cents more per gallon and are only passing along their costs. For today, if anyone is charging more than $3/gallon for regular, pass them by because they are gouging, but don't be surprised if that is "cheap" by Monday. If you need to direct your anger at anyone, the large refineries are the guys making the big bucks (although not now or for the forseeable future.) Also....a heads up....shortages are coming to Virginia fast. South Carolina has over 200 stations that have run out of product and Tennessee and at least double that many. The problem is quickly spreading northward...Virginia stations are already on strict allocations so it is predicted that some stations in the area will run out by Monday. Enjoy....

Stewart!

Great post. I agree that there are segments of the supply chain who are not gouging. Other points made above are somewhat relevant. It really doesn't matter if it's Repub, Dem, Indy, Libertarian, Bush 2, Kerry, Gore, Bush 1, Reagon, Johnson, Nixon, pick your flavor...it is about big companies. We as free choosing Americans need to think on our own (stop watching CNN/Fox) and think this through. We can CHOOSE other fuels which are proven and available. There are oil-producing countries using a 75% mix of ethanol with their petroleum-based fuel. Why? Because some people care about the environment I guess (I haven't found out why they use ethanol over their own home-grown oil). I think they're just downright smart.

We could have ethanol available, if we created the demand for it. It could be more affordable, if we created the demand for it. Our environment could be cleaner, if we created the demand for it.

Of course, it still wouldn't relieve the congestion, but maybe high gasoline prices will solve that side of the equation.

OH, I'm going to the gas station with all my fuel cans tonight to stock up! Hoarding isn't hoarding at this point is it?

NoSb

SOV because you can, HOV because you care!

A lot of this is about supply and demand. Much of the Energy Bill and our current crisis seems to be around the supply side. What has been missing is doing more about the demand side. Best way to help that in our area is ban all vehicles except busses and hybrids from Express (HOV) lanes. As soon as we get enough people with the more fuel efficient cars to clog the Express lanes, go back to HOV. Guarantee you that we will have a tremendous effect in our local area on the oil demand.