Any thoughts?

Dear Friends,

Gas prices most places are pushing $4 a gallon - again. And news reports say it could be $5 or more by summertime. That’s outrageous – and unjustified.

Whether it’s the continuing threat of unrest in the Middle East or the lure of quick profit, the price of oil is driven in big part by traders, speculators and, of course, fear.

There’s been unrest in the Middle East for thousands of years, as we’re seeing right now with Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. Every time we’re faced with this international uncertainty, especially in the Middle East, we’re reminded why we must get off of foreign oil. Nothing’s going to eliminate the volatility in oil prices like becoming less dependent on foreign energy sources.

But we’ve also got to stop a new brand of oil trader who has emerged in the last decade, a middle man of sorts, who’s also driving up the price we pay at the pump.

Many experts agree we should not allow these traders to bid up the price of oil and flip futures contracts like condos. Yet in the last ten years the share of the oil market controlled by investors and speculators has more than doubled.

During the same time, American drivers have seen the price of gas at the pump go from about $1.56 per gallon to around $3.61 per gallon or more. By bidding up oil futures, speculators also increase costs for our airlines, industrial energy users and other businesses. And these higher costs are passed on to consumers like you and me.

Fact is, the level of speculation in today’s energy markets greatly exceeds the historic norm. If you want to know the truth, it’s partly the fault of broken-down policies from a Congress dominated by partisanship and extremism. Congress deregulated oil traders in December 2000. And it hasn’t tackled a comprehensive alternative energy policy since Nixon and Carter first talked about one in the 1970s.

Anyone can push for gas-tax holidays and the Keystone Pipeline. In fact, I support the pipeline as long as it’s in an area where it’s not as much of a threat to the entire Midwest water supply and we require that the oil stay here at home and not be sold to foreign countries.

We’ve already given the oil companies more than eight million more prime acres in which to drill in the Gulf of Mexico. Now we should curb the activities of speculators. And, in the long term, we must develop alternatives to gasoline.

I think Congress should pass legislation that aims to drastically limit the ability of speculators to artificially drive up energy prices. If this bill passes, there would be the first-ever limits on how much of the oil market speculators can control. The chief cosponsor of my bill is Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV).

Plain and simple: the legislation says no single investor could hold more than 5 percent of the oil futures market, thereby greatly reducing speculators ability to manipulate prices.

Does this sound like an idea you could support? Please let me know. Also, let me know what else you think we could do to bring down gas prices.

Sincerely,

this a message emailed to me by my representative do you think his assumption is correct?

We pay the equvilant of 7.65 USD a gallon in Norway. Today the gas price at statoil was 14.25 NOK (2.55 USD) per liter. So stop complaining.

Its not about complaining its about keeping prices as low as possible {i support saving the money in my pocket}.

EDIT: are you joking [Uberotaku001}? because if you are hahaha but seriously im going to be doing triangles in south florida here
just to do college later this is a serious matter. if your serious then please elaborate because someone has to be doing logistics things don't magically appear when you buy them in the internet.

Buy everything on the internet and have it delivered. No more need for a car.

But there's a bigger need for airplanes, ships, delivery trucks etc, which uses a LOT more fuel.

Which will stimulate the economy enough to provide money for a moon base!

No, which will cause higher taxes...

http://memegenerator.net/instance/15478319

Its at about £1.50 a gallon here in the UK. Live with it, oil will one day run out and on that day we will be officially fucked. The quicker we realise this the more prepared we will be.

Unless we move underground and survive off of mushrooms.

But what happens when we discover an expansive underground cavern and most of us get fucked up by a demon?

Always snicker at that " Let's get off foreign oil!" line. Funny stuff.

You do realize that such services add to the price based on the service fee, which includes the price of gas, right?

I must invent a teleporter to bypass the need for "cars."
Meanwhile underground the horrible monster has been killed but it's blood is causing everyone's flesh to rot and someone spread it everywhere.

There's your problem. Stop trying, because it won't really work. Spend less money on oil and more on the development of alternative energy sources and stuff like that.

Not sure, I've never been fucked by a demon before.

Guys you're overcomplicating it. It's quite obvious that the oil simply demands a sacrifice, to make the prices lower.

I don't get it.Here in europe,well the eastern half we pay about 3 times as much for less,AND we have smaller wages.And do you see europeans being über butthurt about this?

Why don't americans see if they don't want to pay 30 dollars in the future they need to make an alternative to bypass the consumption of oil.

why because europeans NEVER tell us anything. An when you tell us you complain that we complain and say we jelly cause our "butthurt".
thanks europe our only allies...{lil bit of sarcasm in there think you could have figured it out?}

Well, even if we told no one in the US, the only whining about gas prices I hear comes from the US.

I could hardly figure out what you meant with the entire post, don't expect me to try and go over it more than once, it's almost torture.

Europeans don't bitch and moan about this becouse we know if we want to have the luxury of a car we will make the sacrifice of paying 2% of our income.

Also handling your "allies" like they are morons really shows that you are an arrogant little spoiled asshole.