Pump Prices Sting -- and Could Get Worse

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-gas21feb21,1,7513527.story?coll=la-home-business

It didn't take long for Mohammad Helwani to feel the recent surge in gasoline prices. Every time pump prices rose, he heard about it from the employees at his messenger service. Immediately.

"They drive for a living," said Helwani, president of M.H. Courier & Notary Service, a Santa Fe Springs firm that supplements its small fleet with employees using their own cars. To offset those workers' higher out-of-pocket gas bills, Helwani said, "I had to raise their commission."

Florist Hank Maarse is also watching the run-up, hoping it won't wilt his profit.

"When there were spikes last year, we tried to offset it a little bit with higher delivery charges," said Maarse, general manager of Jacob Maarse Florists, the Pasadena shop named for his father that makes as many as 120 deliveries a day. "If the same thing happens this year, we'll probably have to do the same thing."

<snip>

The trickle-down effect for Helwani's messenger business and Maarse's flower shop will arrive with the monthly fuel bill.

"I haven't seen this month's bill yet," Helwani said, "but I'm pretty sure I'm going to be very surprised."

[BR_Parkway]

1. The true "trickle-down effect"

The trickle-down effect for Helwani's messenger business and Maarse's flower shop will arrive with the monthly fuel bill.

"I haven't seen this month's bill yet," Helwani said, "but I'm pretty sure I'm going to be very surprised."


And 3 guesses who the recipients of the increases are

1. A democrat
   
   
2. A ditto head who just knows he could have everything if it wasn't for some democrat
   
   
3. Halliburton
   

[Newsjock]

2. Wait for the crash

The only thing I can figure in all this is that, come October or so, we will see prices so low that our heads will spin -- perhaps even below $1 in some places.

The average for the year will be higher, though -- allowing more profits for the oil companies, BUT also flooding the markets with cheap, cheap gas right before the election.

[Habibi]

10. Huh. Interesting point.

I'm gonna pay attention to gas prices around the election. No jobs, but if fuel prices are lower, will Americans feel we are doing well?

[puerco-bellies]

16. Probably not so..

The biggest draw-down on unleaded supplies is during the summer driving demand months (roughly from June to the end of August). During the fall and winter months is when the refineries build the next summers supply. This year we have high crude prices (raw materials) with relative low reserves. It would be very interesting to see, considering the supply and demand situation just how this mis-administration could pull off low gas prices just prior to the election.

[elfin]

3. Partially because US has bloated the reserves

and OPEC in retaliation is shrinking supply. Sorry, no link - but both items were recently reported in business sections - though not linked.

Means one of two things - another "adventure" planned in Iran or Syria----- or stashing away to allow for future dumping to bring prices down just before election.

Will the resulting inflation cause Greenspan to go off the reservation??? Probably not - he's co-opted as well.

[David Zephyr]

4. Just Filled Up at $2.11 Per Gallon in Los Angeles.

Regular Unleaded.

[maggrwaggr]

12. Yeah, 2.13 for me. I did a double-take cuz it went up so fast

I thought I was at the wrong pump by mistake. Nope. Regular unleaded.

I could swear last time I bought it there it was 1.87 or something like that.

[Zhade]

20. Ouch! Where are you guys filling up?

It's at $1.98 in the Santa Monica/Venice/Westside area.

$25 to fill my tank last week - that's $40 a month more than two years ago. Arg. Oh well, been meaning to buy a bicycle anyway...

[GoddessOfGuinness]

5. Check out this website for the lowest prices

in your area: http://www.gasbuddy.com/

[Zhade]

21. Hey, thanks!

I have to balance price against my ongoing oil company boycotts - this will help a lot. :)

EDIT: Woah, checked out SoCal prices - they're paying $2.28 in Pacoima. Ouch.

$3.00 by summer? I believe it.

[Journeyman]

6. Hmmm. . . looks like invading to steal oil. . .

hasn't proved as helpful as first thought. . .

[Arugula Latte]

8. I wonder

...if the Freeps feel cheated. After all, they wanted to bomb all the brown "ragheads" (obviously their characterization, not mine) for their cheap oil.

[gold_bug]

19. I've wondered the same thing

I remember prior to the invasion those disgusting FReep web animations about bombing Iraq and watching the gas prices plummet. Idiots.

[gula]

7. Easy solution: change to metric

A liter is a lot cheaper than a gallon :-)

[w4rma]

26. lol! I wouldn't put it past them. (n/t)

[TankLV]

9. Gotta pay for his re-selection SOMEHOW!

"Trickle-up" economics at its best.

Raise oil prices for an oil pResident beholdin to ONLY oil interests first and foremost, then they get to give it all back to him for his re-selection efforts (how much does an un-opposed squatter need, anyhow?), and finally reimburse these same SOB oil execs (not their employees, however, god forbid!) with more tax cuts geared exclusively for the uberrich.

Lather, rinse & repeat, ad nauseum, or until WE KICK THEIR SORRY COLLECTIVE ASS OUT OF OUR WHITE HOUSE!

[PaveThePlanet]

11. I'm sick of people bitching about fuel prices!!!

Do you know how easy we have it? Go to Europe. Go to Australia. Go to New Zealand. We have some of the CHEAPEST gasoline and diesel in the world. Until it gets to $6 a gallon, we really have no room to bitch.

[maggrwaggr]

13. ah, but we're bitching because the men in charge are all oil execs now

So we kinda suspect we're getting ripped off here.

[T Bone]

15. the rip-off is to raise it in different parts of the country at

different times. or so it seems to me.

I think they raise it in one part of the country for a week, then lower it there and raise it somewhere else for a week, beacuse it seems to me that once a month there is a spike here then it lowers and everyone is 'relieved' that the price appears to be going back down. And I notice on DU that when one area of the country is complaining about a spike, like this thread the west coast is - that is when I have noticed they recently decreased here !!

Overall though it seems to me that when it goes down it never goes as low as it was say 6 months ago there seems to be a constant push to keep it going up overall. Call me crazy but I think there is a method to there monopolistic manipulation of the gas prices.

I suspect we could do a vigourous and thourough charting by region of exactly how they fluctuate and when that would reveal a lot.

It also seems to me the overall effect of doing this 'by region' over time, and fluctuating it back down again is that they end getting a higher average profit overall without alarming or pissing off too may consumers all at the same time.

[Zhade]

22. That's the interesting thing about oil.

As a nonrenewable resource, by the laws of supply and demand, the price would always be rising.

However, normal reality need not apply in this case. Neat, huh? :crazy:

[yellowcanine]

14. High gas prices helped defeat Jimmy Carter

Gas prices jumped in 1979 and helped to weaken Jimmy Carter - yes there were other issues - job losses and foreign policy mistakes - uh, where have we heard that before? Do you think Georgie's knowledge of history goes back to 1980?

[2004Donkeys]

25. It was a lot more than gas prices being high

Inflation jumped from 5% to 13%.

[The_Casual_Observer]

17. If it wasn't for the huge ripple effect

I would be for $10 a gallon gas if the money was reinvested here in this country. I have a modest commute and a modest car.

[tedoll78]

18. Yay!

May they reach $5.00/hr and stay there until November 3rd, 2004! It'd be well worth the sacrifice!

[bluestateguy]

23. If could just drill in ANWR gas would be 3 or 4 cents cheaper!!!

I want my gas for my SUV and I want it now! Waaaaaaah!!!! Lousy Dumbocrats!

[PennyLane]

24. But Will Magically..........

.......drop to dirt cheap, just before November! Just you wait Henry Higgins, just you wait!!! :puke:

[bluestateguy]

27. They'll open the domestic petroleum reserve

Bill Clinton did it in October to cool off the rising prices of heating oil in the northeast. I guess New Hampshire was not very grateful.