Big Pumpin': Gas Prices Shoot Up Over Past Two Days (San Jose: appointed, buyers)

[steel7]

In europe the reason gas is so high is due to taxes imposed by greedy politicians. We have greedy politicians here as well.
CA, OR, WA motorists see big hikes as national average falls - Gasbuddy Gas Prices

[steel7]

Originally Posted by Kentmum

If you lived in Europe you'd probably have a coronary:

Compared to other countries, U.S. gas prices are cheap - WTOP.com

where fuel is around twice the price.

The cars & trucks, etc in europe are tiny compared to america. My car (85 olds delta 88) would look like the titanic to them.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by Fargobound

This has nothing to do with oil companies so blame the political climate in your state with your special gas blends and CARB overlords.

I'd love nothing more than to see oil rigs off the coast California

The California coastline is home to 27 different offshore oil platforms

California's Offshore Oil Platforms

[Cruithne]

Originally Posted by steel7

The cars & trucks, etc in europe are tiny compared to america. My car (85 olds delta 88) would look like the titanic to them.

I don't think that's wholly the case anymore. I now drive a car almost identical to the car I used to have in the UK. I used to have a Peugeot 807, very very common in the UK, and now drive a Kia Sedona, both bog standard family runarounds. I bought the Kia for the similarity, though it is slightly bigger you'd be pushed to tell them apart.

Used to cost me just over 100 quid to fill up in the UK. That's about $160.
Buying fuel here in comparison feels like a complete bargain!

When I visited America years ago it used to feel like you were in America, I agree, the cars were all very different then. Now its just feels like you are driving anywhere in the world. The vast majority seem to be Japanese cars here. I'm assuming because of the increase in fuel prices, people want cheaper, smaller more economical cars.

[steel7]

I still wouldnt mind owning a 68 cougar xr7 with a 289 V-8 motor. Im sure the gas milage would be better then the almost 4000 lb car i drive now (307, v-8, 4 barrel).

[user_id]

Europeans were not exposed to the same marketing as Americans, the oil and auto interests in the US started to heavily marketed cars and the "muscle car" is all part of that. Similarly, Europe has superior public transit because its oil/auto industry wasn't buying light rails to destroy them....

As always, the "American dream" is what is most profitable to the major corporate players.

[nullgeo]

Originally Posted by user_id

How about increasing demand?

I included that on my list of things ...
There's been no spike in demand lately ...
So that's not it either.

"They" -- the ubiquitous bad guys -- aren't out to get California specifically ... But somewhere, I suspect, refinery output that affects California has been diverted to other buyers. Just a hunch ...

[nullgeo]

Originally Posted by user_id

What happened during the housing bubble is fairly well understood, what is going on with gas/oil prices is not. You are asserting that its speculators, yet nobody has any clear idea what role speculation plays in oil prices. Oil operates in fairly unique ways...


How do you know that? "These opportunist" don't just make money when prices increase, you can just as easily make money when prices collapse. "These opportunities" also keep prices in balance via arbitrage.

You are trying to blame speculators for all the worlds ills, yet financial speculation is a critical part of the modern financial system. Speculators only get the upper-hand, as a whole, when the government formulates policies that allows transfers of wealth in their direction.

Yes, the speculator types are the primary source for nearly all the world's financial ills. A critical part of the modern financial system? Absolutely correct. Three gold stars for you today. And just how did that reality come to be? Hmmm?

When government formulates policies that allows transfer of wealth in their direction, you say? When does government not formulate policies that transfers wealth in their direction?

What is happening in oil prices is becoming increasingly known ... Numerous articles about the subject in the past couple months have been well presented. Not knowing that you would look to me to supply you with this information, I'm sorry to say I didn't catalogue references. But you being you, I am confident you can find them on your own. No, I am not going to play with you endlessly on this one. Sorry to disappoint.

[user_id]

Originally Posted by nullgeo

I included that on my list of things ...
There's been no spike in demand lately ...
So that's not it either.

Spike? No, but demand has been increasing globally. But the recent increase appears to be a supply problem:

Rising California gas prices expected to increase even more - San Jose Mercury News

Speculators play an even smaller role in the price of gas (vs oil)....

[user_id]

Originally Posted by nullgeo

When government formulates policies that allows transfer of wealth in their direction, you say? When does government not formulate policies that transfers wealth in their direction?

Government policy between 1930~1960 in the US did not do such, the financial system was a modest size and productivity gains in society were being well distributed throughout society.

Originally Posted by nullgeo

What is happening in oil prices is becoming increasingly known ... Numerous articles about the subject in the past couple months have been well presented.

No, its really not. You won't find any sort of agreement on this topic even if you just isolate your attention to liberal economists.

So, like I said, you want to blame speculators for everything but bad governmental policy is the real issue. I'm not really sure what you think speculators do, but there is nothing inherently bad about it. The problems arise from loose regulations, from policies that allow huge subsides, etc. But the financial system isn't unique in this regard, just look at our agriculture policy, our transportation policy, etc. Same junk, different industry.