Isn't it time for congress to pass price controls on gasoline?

Question

The oil cartels are raping the american people with gas prices. We have to demand our government do something about it.

Answer 1

It is because of government involvement in energy production that we are paying $4 per gallon for gasoline.  The big oil companies are using government to maintain their monopoly on energy production.

We need to get government out of the energy, and let the Free Market bring prices down through competition.  

What would lead you to believe that our politicians want to see prices come down?  They are receiving a lot of money from special interests, like the big oil companies, to see that they are as high as possible.

Monopolies cannot exist without government help.  It is the big oil companies who finance the Environmental Movement, to stifle competition.  They don't mind the added cost in energy production, the just pass them on to the consumer.  It is the big oil companies who have stopped the building of nuclear power plants.  They have stopped to drilling offshore and the north slope of Alaska, to keep the price up.

Government is not the solution, it is the problem.

Answer 2

If you really think that would solve the problem, then you've got some studying to do.  Simply put: there is not enough oil being produced to warrant lowering the price and therefore increasing sales, which in turn further decreases supplies.  Forcing a lower price would cause temporarily relief, only to be followed by a massive spike in the price of oil that will not be correctable.

The only realistic solution is to lower demand, and the best way to do that is using less fuel and more efficient ways of using it.  The high prices are set intentionally to deter demand, but it is not working.

Answer 3

I beg you to take a simple course in economics.

The "oil cartels" the "oil companies"  and Wall St. have nothing to do with the price of gasoline.

FACT: Opec produces less of the world's oil today than they did 30 years ago.

FACT: Oil companies make less profit from a dollar of sales than most industries.

Why is a gallon of gas over $4.00?

10 years ago, there were 10 million cars in china and India.

Today there are 100 million cars in china and India. Oil production worldwide is at the same level it was 10 years ago.

Want to solve the energy crisis? Call your Congressman Senators and demand they make Nuclear power the dominant source for electricity in the country. Demand they allow drilling in Alaska, and off shore.

Answer 4

YES!

Answer 5

Who is raping the american people ?  Dont be fooled to believe the most powerful nation in the word has their hands tied. They will lower prices when we the people join hands as a nation and make them. The american public is dormant right now,but soon ,I believe will awaken. An organized anarchy will set more than gas prices straight. Check out the movement counterpunch,and loose change.

Answer 6

if you haven't noticed one of the leading 'oil cartel' heads just happens to be the president of the united states... and i'm sure i fyou looked hard enough you'd find either a direct link from it to every other president since we've began pumping oil, or a president who's been paid off to keep the heat off the oil companies..

isn't it ironic that when bush took presidency gas also started pretty much rising steadily...?

gas is like tobacco and drugs.... the government makes way too much money from it to let it go.... reguardless of what it's doing to both our nation and our world... btw, of course everyone knows how they make money off tobacco, taxes, but few seem to realize (other then fellow texans, we're well aware of state correctional systems.... we have alot of them, ti's a major industry here....) how much money is made off of prisoners.... hundreds of dollars a day per head, that's right... they get paid 100-300 dollars a day per prisoner they hold...

they dont' even spend a 20th of that on the prisoner per day... look up the statistics if you don't believe me... but those in texas will know as well, jails and prisons here is a multi-million dollar industry...

speaking of gouging, durring the hurricane(rita), this corner store near my wife's sister (i don't claim her >.< i hate her) was selling 24-bottle packs of water for like 20 bucks...

Answer 7

Most of our oil comes from Mexico and Canada which last time I checked don't have cartels running their oil.  As far as say Iran, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela should we say pretty please lower our costs?  If the big ol' government came in and forced price cuts, that would only be cutting the US oil companies money which in turn screws all the pensions that the workers rely on.  The "cartel" ol producing countries' profits would stay the same.  We need different sources.  The more we demand, the more they can charge.

Answer 8

The oil cartels are making investors huge profits on their inital investments, myself included.  Again its just a case of the 'have nots' crying about the 'haves' but demand action if you feel the need.  I don't critize anyone who uses the democratic process, I've already made my campaign donations for the important upcoming elections and sent thank you letters to the boards of the "oil cartels".

Answer 9

Supply and demand have an effect on everything because slavery is frowned upon in most of the world.

Think about what you are asking for.  Suppose you are a nurse and your services are considered necessary, and therefore too important to be left to the open market...

I guess there is then no valid argument against enslaving you.

I think slavery is not OK.  If you don't want to pay $5/gallon for gas, then don't.  You do not get to enslave anybody for any reason.  On your deathbed, you have no right to seize my liberty to save you.  I may choose to, but that is the limit of that.

Don't open up that can of worms to save yourself the inconvenience of driving a smaller car.  Once slavery is OK, things get very ugly.  Was the death of millions under Stalin not enough of an object lesson?

Answer 10

No, because that would be called communism( a governmental control of prices).

edit. Communism is bad thing. People are oppressed under it and their liberties are severely limited. One of the reasons that Soviet Union collapsed it that it fell under it's own weight with all the governmental taxing and spending. It could no longer compete with capitalism.

Answer 11

We live in a Capitalist society.  We have to take the good with the bad.  The last thing we need is the Government stepping in and f***ing things up even more.

Don't take your poli-sci professor too seriously...