There is an idea: just do not drive anywhere you do not have to. Eat in, instead of out. Walk as much as possible. Cut down on the demand and see what happens to the price. If the problem is truly a refinery bottleneck, then less use may give the refineries time to catch up. Oh, hop a ride on the city bus. From this story in the Indianapolis Star, it looks like others have caught onto this idea.
Meanwhile, the Governor dithers about suspending the gas tax. Taking Down Words has a few choice words about that here. TDW also has a post on the new Smart car.
For some hope the ECI Biz Blog has this:
Another nifty idea - get rid of the SUV or the truck. If you are not hauling kids why the minivan or SUV? You really going to take that Escalade four-wheeling? Is that F-150 your only way of getting around town? Why is the truck bed ever so clean? Oh, you never used it haul anything? Come on, people. Anyone you has got a gas guzzler just to show off their credit score has no business complaining about gas prices.Sources were predicting that gasoline supplies should increase by 800,000 barrels. Crude oil supplies were expected to drop by 200,000 barrels.
Experts predicted that the increase in gas supplies should mean that prices won't go any higher.
I got a couple of e-mails from friends yesterday but I have been fighting off a sinus infection and not doing so well in the fight.
Here's my theory on gas prices:Buy stock in the oil companies, such as Exxon-Mobile, Chevron, Marathon, and Shell. I heard Marathon made one billion profit in February 2007 alone.I think these guys learned how to fleece the public from the way Enron screwed California during the secretly planned rolling blackouts in California, which made Enron billions (and got Gray Davis booted and Arnold in)We know there is no reason for the pump prices to be so high. The price of crude per barrel is stable. The mideast war hasn't changed from last year. The retailers take the blame, but most aren't making 2 cents/gallon; they just pass along their cost. They make most of their money on pop and snack sales anyway.The major refineries are making massive record profits. It's simple economics. They know that our demand for gasoline has become inelastic; just like a heroin addict. I wonder how high they can push prices before we change our driving habits.I too figured we needed to jump on the bandwagon and push Congress to regulate it, or get the judicial system to investigate possible collusion. Then I figured it out. Congress and the President want us to become less dependent on foreign oil and search for other energy sources. The only way to do that is to make it economically feasible and desirable to do the research and produce alternative fuels.Nothing will happen to reign in the major refineries and nothing will happen to reign in the major health insurance providers (another worth while rant coming).My advice is to buy their stock......and maybe drive less.
As Dave pondered riding his bike to work year round his fuel warning light came on, so he stopped at his one-stop shopping center to get some gas. His Jeep holds 16 gallons and after he re-fueled he had spent $52 freaking dollars and 21 cents!!!! With his 10 cent per gallon discount for overspending on groceries, how much did he spend per gallon on gas?
(hint: more than 1981 dollars adjusted for inflation)
The writer of the first e-mail and I had a talk on the telephone yesterday and light rail came up. He thinks people want their freedom to drive and will not use light rail to commute to work. I said freedom to drive to work, park their cars, drive back and do all that in the crush that is now I-69? I think we are having enough shock about gas prices that light rail will start looking good.
For more information take a look at the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization's new website.
And for no particular reason, this T. Rex lyric came to mind:
No it really doesn't matter at all
Life's a gas,
I hope it's gonna last
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