Speaking of HIGH gas prices...I just sent this note to a friend, who had copied lots of people on boycotting Mobil and Exxon until "they" got the price of gas back down to $2.00/gal.
I sent this as a "reply to all".....hope she isn't mad....I will call her "Gal" here...
Oh, Gosh Gal......Wish I could support this, as the high gas prices are getting hard on everyone. But, we have to think about this too:
First, Europe has been putting up with these prices for many years not. Wonder if they have had any headway with those old mean oil companies?
Second, Are Exxon and Mobil entirely owned by American companies? No, I don't think so. THey do however, have millions of shareholders throughout the world. If we think they are making too much money, we should be stockholders too <ggg>
Third, has anyone considered that India and China are emerging countries, and are bidding for oil, just as we are, and they are willing to pay ANY money available to get it?
Fourth, Has anyone considered what oil companies do with their profits? How about the costs of drilling? Who pays for that? Consider oil rigs in the ocean....first consider just the rig itself.. How much does it cost to get it there in the first place, and get all the equipment ON the rig, and then the men to handle it? To say nothing of stabilizing that rig in a rocking, rolling sea....
Next, consider what a feat it is to drill to the ocean floor....perhaps down TWO MILES! And of course, not impact the enviornment.....THEN, the fun must begin.....to drill for oil, companies sometimes have to drill FIVE MILES down through the ocean floor to get to oil..........IF it is to be found in that particular spot. THEN the process to get oil up through the pipeline, and onto tankers....and shipped to refineries.....HOW MUCH MONEY DOES THAT COST? ALL FROM PROFITS.......
Then Fifth.....When was the last time we here in the US built a Refinery?????? It's almost 29 (TWENTY NINE) YEARS since we have even built a new one. WHAT are we thinking?
Sixth: How many boutique gasses do we have in this country? Adding to the cost, of course? Last time I knew, California alone, had more than 39 different types for different cities in the state......
Seventh: Are we having fun yet? Each State has it's own gas taxes. The Fed gas tax has remained steady at 18.4 cents per gal since the 1980's I believe. BUT in Washington State, for instance, we have nearly the highest gas tax in the entire US. Ours is 34 cents a gal, on top of whatever the gas and fed tax is......How many people stop to consider that?
Eighth: Why are we NOT drilling for oil just of our shores, but other countries ARE drilling off our shores??????? How many people know that Cuba and China (and I recently heard India) are drilling off our shores, and we are not??? Who do we have to thank for that?????? Besides ourselves? Do we think Cuba and China and possibly India are any safer than we would be while drilling off our shores?????
Ninth: We have plenty of coal, and oil shale....more than enough to last for more than 500 years or more. Why are the environmentalists stopping the production of energy products from that source?
Tenth: If Corporate Taxes weren't so high, perhaps other companies would be able to develop other energy sources....It costs companies millions and millions of dollars to develop, research, and eventually manufacture and test such products. The money doesn't come from trees. This money comes from profits of their companies.
And lastly for now: Eleventh: Oh right, don't forget our oil companies have to buy oil from the countries that have oil....right now, the top three are the Middle East (Saudi), Venezuela, and Mexico. Need I say more?
I'm not ranting, but really, all of us have to consider more than ever what is really going on in this world.....
And to add a smarty comment to all of my more serious ones earlier....if I were able, I'd drill my own well someplace, if I could figure out where oil might be, and if I could afford the land, and if I could afford the equipment to drill it, and if I could afford to get it out of the ground into come sort of containers, and if I could afford to lug it someplace to get refined into gas for my car......and then if I could afford to get it from the refinery into the little machine at the gas station that pumps the gas into my car........HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEH
Some of you who "Gal" has on her list know me, and some don't.....I too am very concerned about America in so many ways. We must start to know more of what is happening around us, so that we can let our Elected Representatives know our thoughts.
In my opinion, Energy is totally vital to our Country, and we MUST start to become energy self reliant....we CANNOT continue to rely on other countries to supply our energy. We have in the US, 300,000,000 people, and India and China alone have Billions...literally. I don't think we are going to be able to continue outbidding them. |
