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GasBuddy News Article


Rising gas prices don't add up
Thursday, September 04, 2008
The Times & Transcript -- Oh, so the price of oil and the price of gasoline are not really connected after all?

At least not that much. Sorry. Our mistake.

That's what a leading oil industry analyst said in yesterday's Times & Transcript, and he's an expert.

What can you say to that?


Visit The Times & Transcript for full article

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JT
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Message Posted: 9/4/2008 7:41:46 AM  Ignore JT Report Abuse
Thursday, September 04, 2008
The Times & Transcript -- Oh, so the price of oil and the price of gasoline are not really connected after all?

At least not that much. Sorry. Our mistake.

That's what a leading oil industry analyst said in yesterday's Times & Transcript, and he's an expert.

What can you say to that?

Visit The Times & Transcript for full article
REPLIES (newest first)
dmatte85
Sophomore Author
Louisiana

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Message Posted: 9/11/2008 7:31:40 PM  Ignore dmatte85 Report Abuse
One word. Greed. There is no need for these high gas prices. We have plenty of oil here, so what is the big fuss over. Whether the prices are 2.50 or 3.50, this will not significantly change the amount of gas people use. So why does the government think that raising gas prices will lower the consumption of gas and in turn there be more gas. It's not significant enough.
OHMS
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Orange County

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Message Posted: 9/11/2008 4:48:41 PM  Ignore OHMS Report Abuse
what I can say and what I can type here are two very different things
Don1222
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Michigan

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Message Posted: 9/11/2008 5:44:49 AM  Ignore Don1222 Report Abuse
Rising gas prices add up fine = Greed
24541
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Virginia

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Message Posted: 9/10/2008 7:01:04 PM  Ignore 24541 Report Abuse
Drill here.
Drill now.
Pay less.
magnumCA
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Los Angeles

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 5:52:15 PM  Ignore magnumCA Report Abuse
OH my!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HawaiianGuy
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Idaho

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 1:06:36 PM  Ignore HawaiianGuy Report Abuse
"What's a mother to do?"
DFleming
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Alberta

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 8:37:11 AM  Ignore DFleming Report Abuse
I agree. Business are always quick to pass on costs and slow to pass on savings. That's human psychology, not just classic economics.
mckellyb
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Las Vegas

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 8:18:10 AM  Ignore mckellyb Report Abuse
This is classic economics...the kind not taught in school.

Prices rise immediately when COG (cost of goods) rises, and drop slowly, if at all, when it falls.

Extra profit is always welcomed.

Anything else is purely spin. Since gasoline spot market prices are easy to find, just find CNBC, channel 355 on DirecTV, it's even harder to tolerate.
Mazdaman7Q
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South Carolina

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:50:42 AM  Ignore Mazdaman7Q Report Abuse
Gas prices + Big Oil=

GREED

Yup, add's up alright!
rnb1954
Rookie Author
Illinois

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:50:31 AM  Ignore rnb1954 Report Abuse
We should know that big business just needs more money to pay for minimum wage going up.
OKRifle
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Oklahoma City

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:49:05 AM  Ignore OKRifle Report Abuse
Oh, it ADDS UP alright....and we get to pay for it!!!
dougrusty
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Illinois

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:48:32 AM  Ignore dougrusty Report Abuse
All as I know is that MY pockets are empty.
zivkam
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Dallas

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:40:52 AM  Ignore zivkam Report Abuse
This is why speculation on oil futures should be adjusted... either with the amount put down or something else.
w4kh
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Riverside

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:40:04 AM  Ignore w4kh Report Abuse
Still, it is all about money... profits for the Big Oil Companies and OPEC.

Why should they care about the pump price of gasoline?
tbybee
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Omaha

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:38:17 AM  Ignore tbybee Report Abuse
They can't make as much on jet fuel because air travel is down so they make up for it at the gas pump.
tonycmd
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Maryland

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:37:44 AM  Ignore tonycmd Report Abuse
I knew this
laddyboy62
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Riverside

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:37:16 AM  Ignore laddyboy62 Report Abuse
they are related..
amacquarrie
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Nevada

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:36:41 AM  Ignore amacquarrie Report Abuse
we guessed this a long time ago
patbob56
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Colorado Springs

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:36:01 AM  Ignore patbob56 Report Abuse
hmmm
grandamgt1
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Illinois

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:33:51 AM  Ignore grandamgt1 Report Abuse
as long as people keep paying inflated prices, why should they need to connected?
suzyq2007
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Dallas

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:31:09 AM  Ignore suzyq2007 Report Abuse
I really believe there is a lot of price gouging going on. If the price of crude oil goes down, the price of gas should go down. When crude goes up, they cannot wait to raise the price. why does it not work in reverse???
RPetty
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Maryland

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:30:14 AM  Ignore RPetty Report Abuse
they never do. too many economic/POLITICAL factors involved...
Wolfwings
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Delaware

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:27:27 AM  Ignore Wolfwings Report Abuse
Today,s spot price is $104.45 a barrel. Forty gallons per barrel. The refineries use every drop of that crude to make gasoline, diesel, plastics, rubber products, and, even building products, and then re-use the delivery containers(ships). Last year local gas costs were $2.613, This year about $0.75 more. If we can just convince the speculators not to speculate on oil, crude costs go down forcing pump prices to follow
e_jeepin
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Michigan

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:26:17 AM  Ignore e_jeepin Report Abuse
It's easy.

Refineries have very little competition and retailers mostly draw from the same distribution hub.

In the States, Gasoline futures have dropped about 90 cents over the past 60 days and we bottomed out at 45 cents off at the pump. The other 45 cents is windfall.

As long as all retailers hold the price, that is where it stays.

I'm buying refinery stocks, they are making huge money in the 3rd and 4th quarter.

kevski
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Oregon

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:24:28 AM  Ignore kevski Report Abuse
solid, in depth, reporting
dred001
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San Jose

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:24:11 AM  Ignore dred001 Report Abuse
jb47 ..... gas price in europe has nothing to do with shell or exxon ... oil cost the same ... refining it maybe cost a bit more ... say few cents a gal .. but the real reason ......... is ..... redistribution of wealth ... from the user of gas to the govt... yep taxes! ..... gled we in CA only pay about a buck a gal! wow over there its like 4 Bucks a gal!
gasie1
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Maine

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:22:39 AM  Ignore gasie1 Report Abuse
Voodoo economices.
Gassie1
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Akron

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:21:04 AM  Ignore Gassie1 Report Abuse
I knew it!
bwatchin
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Texas

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:18:55 AM  Ignore bwatchin Report Abuse
Its just about money. After the oil companies make theirs, the states and countries want to make theirs, in the form of taxes. There are benefits and drawbacks. The drawbacks surface as greed on the part of suppliers and high government taxes. The benefits as highways, roads and public transportation. But the average paying consumer is now getting abused by all sides...
julius1st4
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Ontario

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:18:29 AM  Ignore julius1st4 Report Abuse
That is correct::: OIL/bbl has been dropping for 1 week [from $116 to $107], but gas has stayed the same [ie: ave. ` $1.24/li]
qaqcsup
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Michigan

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:16:43 AM  Ignore qaqcsup Report Abuse
I remember as a boy, addition was learned in first grade, subtraction was second grade, multiplication was third grade and division was fourth grade.

It is obvious that speculators never passed first grade.
steveski
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Maryland

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:16:22 AM  Ignore steveski Report Abuse
that he's a moron?
markmoore80
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North Carolina

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:15:58 AM  Ignore markmoore80 Report Abuse
Whatever.
miatabill
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St. Louis

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:13:37 AM  Ignore miatabill Report Abuse
They seem to be correlated with oil goes up...just not when it comes down.
jck667
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Connecticut

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:12:40 AM  Ignore jck667 Report Abuse
"doo-doo economics" Funny!
platypus1926
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Georgia

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:12:10 AM  Ignore platypus1926 Report Abuse
daaah.....come on Mr turtle, catch up!!!
Bababouie
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Cleveland

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:12:09 AM  Ignore Bababouie Report Abuse
Looking at the price charts in my area, gas prices have not kept pace with the huge rise in the price of oil, so this is not surprising.
techque
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St. Louis

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:09:48 AM  Ignore techque Report Abuse
Since this time last year, Canadian average gasoline increased 30%, while the price of crude increased over 60%. that's where all the producers $50 billion/quarter profits came from. They naturally are trying to hold on to those $50 billion profit margins with declining price of crude and declining demand for product, so they are reluctant to drop product prices.

rocket science strikes again.

jb47
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Shreveport

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:07:11 AM  Ignore jb47 Report Abuse
Oil companies here won't be happy until they get the price of a gallon of gas up to where it sells in Europe. Around $8.00 a gallon
bab506
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St. Louis

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:07:10 AM  Ignore bab506 Report Abuse
old news.
suj
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Wichita

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:05:25 AM  Ignore suj Report Abuse
I don't think that they are connected at all. The price of a barrel goes up a little, the price at the pump goes up tons. The price of a barrel drops through the floor, the price at the pump drops a penny. No correlation at all.
gasman50
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Portland

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:05:25 AM  Ignore gasman50 Report Abuse
Still dropping in Portland, Ore
domer2
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Gary

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:04:32 AM  Ignore domer2 Report Abuse
greed. they want a 20 % profit margin.
Lovelee
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Detroit

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:02:06 AM  Ignore Lovelee Report Abuse
Conclusion:
"Maybe the crude price and the refined price don't bear any relation to each other after all. And just maybe the price of gasoline doesn't bear any relation to anything at all, except corporate greed."
Don20
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Oklahoma City

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 7:00:44 AM  Ignore Don20 Report Abuse
I would say its greed coming on again...
RochBear
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Minnesota

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 6:57:13 AM  Ignore RochBear Report Abuse
Both Oil and Gas are sold on the commodities market. So the price is set by the bidders. Now the refiners can refuse to sell gasoline until they get a certain price. But other than that, there really isn't a direct relationship, even though one would think there should be. It's like any auction, the prices don't always make sense. (you can get things at an auction for pennies on the dollar, or I have seen people pay more for a used item, than you could go buy it new for (and it's not an antique))
AC-302
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Los Angeles

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 6:55:19 AM  Ignore AC-302 Report Abuse
It's not so straightforward a probelm..
Brockvillian
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Ontario

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 6:53:43 AM  Ignore Brockvillian Report Abuse
I gave up on trying to figure this stuff out. It is a conspiracy at the highest levels.
The_WB
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Detroit

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 6:52:59 AM  Ignore The_WB Report Abuse
Second that one!
MorelandIns
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North Carolina

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Message Posted: 9/5/2008 6:52:49 AM  Ignore MorelandIns Report Abuse
sounds like it always does... TOO POLITICAL !!!!
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