Re: [St] Was George W - Now Gas / Oil Discussion

["Kevin Dicks"@randymail-mx3.g.dreamhost.com]

"Is approximately 7 % a huge profit?"

Couple of (final) thoughts.

Yes it is if they are getting subsidies.  If they aren't getting tax
breaks/subsidies they can make whatever profit they want.
They are not the only ones by any means but this was a thread about oil
companies - please do not get me started on pharmas :)  That said, I don't
recall Microsoft (who I have little or no love for) and other similar
companies getting tax breaks/subsidies to create the next generation of
software.

Not looking to blame anyone either - gas is still considerably cheaper here
than it is in Yurope so this gnashing of teeth about the un-American price
of gas here does make me smile...but then again I do ride bikes and don't
have a 3500 dually to pull my little popup as some people (i.e. the combined
marketing departments of the oil companies and the auto makers) would have
you believe.

Final (final) thought...

I'll say it again:

Huge profits OR tax breaks/subsidies...choose one.  Oil companies cannot
have it both ways - they either need the subsidies to search for new sources
of oil OR they make huge profits.  They can't have both.  Let them have
their profits and use the money saved in not giving them the subsidies to
develop, for example,  fuel cells and establish a network of Hydrogen
stations.  THAT is the only way we will reduce our dependency on foreign
oil, not by raising food prices drastically by growing corn/whatever to
produce ethanol, despite what the people in the mid-west would have you
believe.

I'm done.

-----Original Message-----
From: st-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:st-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Lisa & Richard White
Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2008 2:39 PM
To: ST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [St] Was George W - Now Gas / Oil Discussion


Kevin Dicks wrote:

>That said there will always be a finite amount of oil that can be 
>extracted on a daily basis and it clearly is a case of supply and 
>demand and right not demand is exceeding supply.  That is simple 
>economics.  My big beef is the way oil companies are making truly 
>obscene profits AND raking in huge subsidies and tax breaks.  As I 
>said, huge profits OR tax breaks/subsidies, choose one.
>  
>

Is approximately 7 % a huge profit?  If you use Exxon as an example, 
their profit in dollar amounts is huge (and obscene if you just look at 
that number), but they are an absolutely ENORMOUS company.  I believe if 
you break down the numbers, their profit is running at around 7 %.  I 
wonder what Microsoft's is?  Or a variety of drug companies?  Maybe some 
of you know those figures.  There is the question of tax incentives and 
whether they should be there, but the oil industry isn't the only one 
that gets them . . . .   The media scuttlebutt is that the oil 
speculators are the ones that are keeping the price of oil so high at 
the moment, not that if it dropped the new price would be considered 
reasonable by most of  us. . . .   Believe me when I say I am not taking 
up for anyone here, but I do believe in knowing the facts and that a 
company is allowed a profit. I am not looking for someone to "blame", 
either, other than all of us.  This world is the way we've made it, and 
as such, sometimes we reap the rewards, and at other times, we get to 
swallow a bitter pill . . . .  I think we're starting to realize that 
our dependency on oil is more of the latter. . . . . And it won't change 
overnight. . . .

Now, for some related motorcycle questions, I would like to see what 
mileage others with the 1050 STs are getting?  I want to say that my 
bike says its getting around 39 miles to the gallon, but I only flashed 
past is a couple of times this weekend when we took our 125 mile ride in 
101 degree weather, with smiles on our faces the whole time ;-)!  I'll 
go look at the bike and get its exact number later . . . .

BTW, all of you who are not on the digest, when you reply, please delete 
the extraneous parts of the prior messages.  It makes it much easier for 
those on the Digest to read it!  Thanks. . . .

Lisa


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