Do you think Congress will do something to lower gas prices?

[undeterred]

[Fire Walk With Me]

1. Not when it appears that they are taking part in the record profits.

I'm willing to witness them act in a manner resembling resistance to record profiteering, such as passing a windfall tax law. Wait, didn't they just shoot one down? :sarcasm:

[undeterred]

2. So every member of Congress is taking part in record profits?

Do you have documentation on that?

[Fire Walk With Me]

4. Your use of an absolute negates my desire to respond any further than this.

One day I will cease posting even this much in response to such sophistry. Yet here I go:

Check out whether they shot down a windfall gas profit tax law anytime recently, and ask yourself WHY. WHY they don't do anything about it, or Bush or the Constitution or torture or illegal invasions or FISA or midwest flooding... WHY.

The first motive is usually money. Follow the money and see. :shrug:

[undeterred]

5. I just repeated what you said.

:shrug:

[Fire Walk With Me]

6. Then you'll also be happy to research the items I've provided in my last reply.

[undeterred]

7. Arrogance.

[Fire Walk With Me]

9. Thank you for presenting your own ideas on the subject in response to my own.

Thank you for being open to the possibility that I may have a valid perspective. Thank you!

[bdamomma]

13. how true.

sorry but they are no better than me.

[Oregone]

3. Its already pretty damn cheap if you put it in perspective...

In a single day, you can affordably drive further than most non-nomadic humans ventured in their lifetimes centuries ago.

[snappyturtle]

8. ???????? Where were these non-nomadic humans going to venture ?

They must have had what they needed to live within walking distance. And, to tell you the truth, I can't affordably drive anywhere today.

[Oregone]

11. Of course they had what they needed in walking/hiking distance...

Just as we do, but our fields are not being fully utilized when they are overran with housing. We have hundreds of square miles covered with industrial centers, beckoning commuters, and encouraging mass transport during national distribution. We do not live within a stroll of our markets, and our markets are not located within a reasonable distance from the manufacturers/producers. We have FAILED to create sustainable community structure/development. So what will cost more....trying to restructure, environmentally and logically, or drilling & lowering oil to continue an utterly unsustainable way of life?

At some point, we will always fail, despite what innovations are developed. We cannot sustain 100-200 miles of commuting a day per person (environmentally, psychologically, logistically). We need more local marketplaces, more local production, more local utilization (while preserving national infrastructure to compensate for shortages/surplus and market demand adjustments). Hell, when some goods are becoming more expensive coming from China (due to transport costs), then Id assert they would be cheaper made in your neighborhood than a plant across the country (no matter how efficient that other plant is). We definitely need more local production and our economy can support such, without devastating other national production centers (which have experienced much more competition from overseas recently anyway). In many ways, if we approach this problem properly, we can address many national & environmental issues at once.

On average (perhaps not for you) it is still quite affordable (distance vs hours of work to go that distance). It is the same price of milk, cheaper than most soft drinks and beer, cheaper than a dinner, etc.


BTW, not that you can draw theories from maps, but take a look at:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=Munich%2C%20Germany&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=London%2C%20England&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=Paris%2C%20France&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=Moscow%2C%20Russia&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=Portland%2C%20Oregon&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=Los%20Angeles%2C%20California&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=Seattle%2C%20Washington&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl

Notice anything interesting?

[snappyturtle]

14. I agree with you! This petroleum based economy needs to drastically

change beginning at the local level. I grocery shopped yesterday. The price of a gallon of 1% milk was $4.92! How families can afford the transportation costs of food, it's just about on everything, is beyond me. I've had periods of my life, now is one of them, that I have had to live frugally. It's OK but I have lost some of the freedom I have had in the past. It didn't have to be this way.....hopefully, we'll get the situation in hand for a better future.

The map exercise is a mystery other than all the featured cities are outlined by smaller ones. What was your point?

[sutz12]

10. They'll do something, but it won't work.

But when it drifts down because the speculators have drained the system of all the profits they can squeeze out, Congress'll claim credit. Business as usual.

:shrug:

[Fire Walk With Me]

12. "Democratic leaders needed 60 votes and they got only 51 senators' support"

Don't Democrats "control" Congress right now? How many are there, who could have supported this bill? I'm happy to see that many doing so, but how many did not?

And what do they get out of it?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080611/ap_on_go_co/congress_oil_profits

[haele]

15. IF - they want to close the ENRON loophole, they will.

However, that's a big "if", especially in a major election year when they need moolah.

Haele

[BigDaddy44]

16. What is it you would have them do?

Would you have them decrease demand, or increase supply? Those are the only things that will make the price go down.

And before you start talking about the market being manipulated, etc etc, gas in the US is cheaper than anywhere else in the world, except for countries where its subsidized by the government. Congress does not have the ability to influence a world wide commmodity.

[Andy823]

17. The bills are being written

All that needs to be done is for Reid and Pelosi to bring them to the floor. If the bill to close the Enron loophole is brought to the floor, any congress person who is up for election this year will have to vote, and then the people back home will see where the loyalties are, to the people, or to big corporations. I have already written letters to the members of congress in my state telling them how I feel, and that they will "NOT" get my vote if they don't do something to close the Enron loophole and put some regulations on trading that stop speculators make a killing while the people of not only this country, but the world, suffer. I am serious as hell, and I don't care what party they belong to, if they want my vote they better start doing something right for a change!