Math Time!

OK, the government wants to give all us Americans $100 each in the form of a rebate check to help us offset the cost of gas. Yes, that’s right. Sound good to you? Not to me.

$100 From Uncle Sam

Here is why this isn’t good:

Assumptions:
-We are paying ROUGHLY $.80 per gallon too much for gas I estimate. Give or take $.15 per gallon

The math:
$100 / $.80 = 125 Gallons of “rebated” gas
125 / 13 (my tank size) = 9.62 Tanks of “rebated” gas
9.62 x 2 (I use about a tank every 2 weeks) = 19.24 Weeks of “rebated’ gas or 4.5 months

Well that’s great; Uncle Sam wants to give me 4.5 months of gas at the prices I feel I should be paying, not free gas mind you. OK….WHAT ABOUT THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF? Does this also mean that in 4.5 months the prices will have dropped to where they should be?

Don’t get me wrong, ill happily take that $100. But where is the other $400 for the last 18 months, and will I be getting a new check every 4.5 months from now on?

Oh yes, and money.cnn.com..." target="_blank" class="postlink" rel="nofollow">Exxon is reporting EVEN HIGHER profits already than last year. And of course you all remember that last year they reported over 80% profit gain. And they are already beating that after just the first quarter this year.


Everybody bend over and give Sam a nice place to shove that check.

Guys, we have been royally chooched, and they have the nerve to pay us for it.






[edit on 27-4-2006 by skippytjc]

You can complain all you want, your still paying less than a high % of the world.

So lets do some math for Canada.

I just spent $1.20/Litre this morning for gas.

1 Gallon = 4.55 Litres

$1.20x4.55 Litres = $5.46 That I am paying for a Gallon.

It would cost me over $50 to fill my tank up, and it would probably last me 2 weeks. So that $100 is going to last me 1 month.

If the government called me today and said were going to give you 4.5 Months of gas for free I would probably drop the phone and jump for joy.

How can you complain about these ridiculous prices your paying, when your prices are still so much cheaper?

The Netherlands and Norway are both paying over $6 for the Gallon. While Italy, Denmark, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Portugal & Sweden are all paying over $5 as well.

But yet, You guys flip your lid over $3 and then complain when your offered 4.5 Free Months of gas.


Those prices can be found at:

money.cnn.com...

Originally posted by chissler
But yet, You guys flip your lid over $3 and then complain when your offered 4.5 Free Months of gas.

Oh ok...so I guess we have no right to bitch and complain? Right?

How can you complain, Chissler? When there is other countries that the average person makes USD150 a month....and still paying $5 a gallon.

So...noone can complain about gas prices unless you're paying the highest % of your income...then you can complain Is that the way it is?

How can you complain about these ridiculous prices your paying, when your prices are still so much cheaper?

Because I'm accustomed to paying for something at a price I'm used to...so when that something gets more expensive I complain.



Great article skippy....I would rather the money go for education or something like that.

[edit on 27/4/2006 by SportyMB]

You guys can complain all you like, but you guys run the risk of sounding like a bunch of spoiled brats. Same goes for Canada, yet we have a bit more reason to complain since we are a net exporter but it still makes US look like a bunch of spoiled brats as well regardless. :shrug:

No we have the right to complain, but understand things could be alot worse and they are for alot of people. Being a university student who lives on his own and pays for a car/insurance, etc, Gas is one thing that I really wish I didn't have to pay through the nose for. But when skippy says $100 of gas that will last over 4 months is not good enough to satisfy? Thats alittle much.

OK, the government wants to give all us Americans $100 each in the form of a rebate check to help us offset the cost of gas. Yes, that’s right. Sound good to you? Not to me.

I am not the one who created the thread complaining about the cost, I merely made an argument for the other side of the coin saying it can be, and is much worse.

Originally posted by SportyMB
So...noone can complain about gas prices unless you're paying the highest % of your income...then you can complain

Is that the way it is?

Where did I say noone had the right to complain?

How can you complain, Chissler? When there is other countries that the average person makes USD150 a month....and still paying $5 a gallon.

Again, I don't see in my post where I was making that argument. I understand how bad it is in other areas, which is why I posted in the first place.

Originally posted by chissler
You can complain all you want, your still paying less than a high % of the world.

[snip]

How can you complain about these ridiculous prices your paying, when your prices are still so much cheaper?

Firstly, because most Americans don't seem to like change.

Secondly, because of how quickly the price has jumped for us.

www.indystar.com.../20060427/BUSINESS/604270426

Gas prices nationally have climbed to $2.96 a gallon on average recently from $1.47 in April 2000, a 100 percent gain, shifting more than $100 billion out of the pockets of American consumers over those years.

JDub

Edited to add: I am not in favor of the $100 check. I think it is being proposed for the wrong reasons. I am disabled, so money is a big deal for me. I don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but we have to do this stuff the correct way.

JDub

[edit on 4/27/2006 by BlueTileSpook]

Originally posted by BlueTileSpook

Firstly, because most Americans don't seem to like change.

Is that a legitimate reason? Or is that an excuse?

Originally posted by BlueTileSpook

Secondly, because of how quickly the price has jumped for us.

Do you believe they increased any slower for the rest of the world? When 9/11 hit, I was in the lineup at the gas station just like you probably were. We all felt the jump, the only difference is the rest of the world has continued to climb.

Who said they were getting 4.5 months of free gas? Please quote that!

I suggest you reread my post, I said:

"Uncle Sam wants to give me 4.5 months of gas at the prices I feel I should be paying, not free gas mind you"

Ill have to summarize the math for you as you apparently cant follow along:

That $100 is basically subsidizing 4.5 months worth of gas for me to about what I think I should be paying. if you don’t know what subsidizing means you can look that up on your own.

Yeah, I guess was complaing about you complaining about skippy complaining...if that makes sense.

I have not lived in the states for a few years, I don't own a car and have no need to buy gas. And I still get pissed at the price of gas these days....I think everyone should complain...so don't give us a hard time cause we're bitching about the price of gas.

Enough about complaining

Imo, it's not a good idea to give everyone $100. I know there's no chance of it, but it would be nice to see the money spent on something else.

Peace out

[edit on 27/4/2006 by SportyMB]

Why get so defensive. If I misread a portion of your post, I apoligize. You have corrected it now lets move on rather than throwing these childish comments.

This proves sardions comment once again.

You guys can complain all you like, but you guys run the risk of sounding like a bunch of spoiled brats

Chissler -

Sorry I wasn't clear.

No, it is not a legitimate excuse for us, but it has been common practice for us for many years, so it is customary. My parents griped in the 70's about the gas shortage and my grandparents griped about it during WWII and even further back to the great depression. We weren't the only ones being squeezed then and we aren't the only ones now.

I wasn't making an "us vs. them" or "us vs. you" comparison on price.

My cable bill has jumped 7% per year on average and gas has jumped an average of 20% per year over the last 5 years. The two are not comparable for pricing purposes, but when the retailer blames the price jump on the oil company and the oil company blames it on OPEC and OPEC just shrugs their shoulders and says in effect, "The prices are too low so we are gonna cut back on production", then something is wrong to me. With the cable company, I know who to blame when prices jump unneccessarily.

I have another thread on here that I authored where British Petroleum (BP) and another company was caught reducing output by 15% here at a refinery in Indiana to boost market price. That is playing the market. It is unfair and illegal.

JDub

the proposed rebate comes with a few other factors. tapping into the alaska oil fields is one so you can count on the democrats rejecting the proposal

Blue I understand where your coming from there. Possibly on a set income that does not increase, and paying bills that are on a steady rise.

Our Provincial government has taken some strides for our citizens in this scenario, my grandmother being one. She is reimbursed from time to time for different costs, so I can understand the stress that can be caused over this.

skippytjc

When I heard about this new proposal to alleviate the tax payer consumer I almost gaged on my morning coffee.

Specially after listening to the catch more drilling in Alaska.

People don't get deceived by this new proposal is just another give away to the oil barons.

While flashing a one hundred dollar incentive for gas to the middle class hard working American.

The oil companies will get their hands in more of our resources.

But the problems is not drilling Right?

Is lack of Refineries

Does our politicians thinks that we the American consumer are that Ignorant?.

Pleasssseeeeee give me a brake.!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a hoax.

Still they get Billions of our tax payer money every year.

I proposed to Congressman Mike Pence at one of his town hall meetings that the oil companies could drill in Alaska if they signed an agreement to expand their refinery base.

Kinda an "Okay, you can drill for 2 years but you have to expand your refining base by 30% or you're gone."

I wasn't very serious about it, but it is what we have done to a certain extent with the automakers. If GM wants to produce a car, it has to meet CAFE standards.

If they want to drill, they have to meet refining standards.

According to Pence's staffer, no refineries have been built since the 70's "due to environmental red tape", but there is at least one proposed to be built within the next 10 years.

JDub

I'll make it simple for everyone, in the united states we have costco and sams club, both deplorable places but it serves my example.
At costco for example you can get 36 pepsi's for the price of 24 or so at the normal grocer. So you are passed the savings because you bought more and gave them more money.

Now with this realized let's look at world oil consumption.
www.scaruffi.com...
The united states sucks takes in roughly 26-27% of the oil consumed a day according to this report.
In fact according to those numbers, it takes the next 6 countries to equal our demand.
Why we use so much oil you should really look into the super highway projects and the modernization of america between the 1930's and 60's-70's to fully understand why we require so much oil.
But a major reason why we do require so much oil.
Consumer Use
Miliatary
And what I like to call the real war, which falls goes to construction firms of our country, which odviously need oil to build.
The biggest company, or one to be the biggest highlight is halliburton. Who likes to work hand in hand with the WTO and World Bank.
Isn't it convenient how the world bank and wto, has loaned out such vast sums to third world countries with resources the united states needs.

These loans, which never left our country(money is flowed from washington to new york, texas etc... whatever UNITED STATES constructions firm is doing) under these loans there are usually stipulations and practices, which use the macroeconomic practices along with privatization so that our corporations gain control of the country. The rich families are fed and and poor are made poorer.

The most interesting news related to the world bank is venezuela's is buying off tons of bonds so they can pay back the debt they owe sometime this year and not fall under these stipilations of privatization, chavez wants to nationalize the oil supply. If eveyone is looking for the next wars I believe it to be venezuela, for the previous resason and Iran because they want to switch over to EU money like Saddam.

Just thank god you've got your own crude in the US. Here in the UK things are a little worse. I've just paid $8.32 a gallon to fill up my car ($109.20 in total.)

Its a pretty nice car (2.8l Straight 6) and in London traffic I average 9 miles per gallon. So, that fill up for over $100 will take me about 120 miles.

Greedy Blair.

Benjj

My critical complaint about this $100 is that the government will feel content doing this. They will feel like the did the issue justice and move on.

This is nothing but a trick for the weak minded. There are people out there that will think "Thats great!! Man what a great thing for them to do!". And thats my fear. Its not enough, 10 times that is not enough. I dont want a check, I wany fairly priced gas.

Look at the profit gains the oil companies are reporting, they are almost IDENTICAL to the amount we are overpaying.

I estimate we pay about 80% or so more than we should for gas, and thats almsot exactly what the majority of these oil companies are earning in profits OVER previous years.

Its literally criminal. And $100 is not enough for this mind to look the other way. Its an insult to 300,000,000 Americans.

Ok so we have nailed down the US is using more of the worlds recourses than anyone else, so due to that you deserve it as a reduced rate. I can understand the reduced rate but how about figuring out how to limit the consumption? We are on the brink of a worldwide shortage, maybe if the countries (Canada included) would try to cut back on what we are wasting, maybe we would not be in the predicament we are in.

The world of tomorrow is going to be different than that of yesterday, so hopefully we can run off what fuel we have left to last us until we figure out a permenant solution.

djpaec that was a good post, but it still does not make up for the fact prices everywhere else in the world are beyond ridiculous.

Benjj just posted saying he is paying over $8 a gallon and over $100 to fill the car, that is far beyond anything we are feeling around here. So myself, any complaint I would want to make is silenced due to the fact I don't have it half as bad as some others.

High consumption rate is another problem in itself, not an explanation.

I wany fairly priced gas.

As does the rest of the world, only the rest of the world is paying double what you are.

[edit on 27-4-2006 by chissler]

on the topic of gas prices crushing the end user, CNN had a story about California Tow Trucks being beseiged with motorists with empty tanks. Seems they will give you a free gallon of gas to get you to the station so people are running their tanks dry and calling for their free gallon.

the american way. use it all up and then kill hours waiting for a truck to give you one gallon of gas.