Posted by
martyk on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 1:39:53 AM
Is it just me, or is there something out of line with the price of gas...again?
Since this column is titled SHIFTING CAREERS I'll try not to get off subject; however, I'm in the process of looking for employment right now and the price of gas has me more than perplexed. I'm mad as heck.
Is there anyone else who feels this way?
I worked as a drilling rig hand for about half of my adult life and was just about to go from commercial construction (carpenter) to rig hand again and the price of oil tanked resulting in a drop of rig activity by about 25% over the last year. So, I figure commercial construction should hold out because the price of gas will drop along with production costs of construction materials and all will be well until oil stabilizes at a price that will keep the U.S. economy out of the gutter.
I was wrong. But something else is wrong here. I still believe I am right in theory but my conclusion is a misjudgement.
Why is gasoline going up at the rate of 25% increase over 30 days while oil dropped that entire period?
As Americans in a democratic society we must demand answeres.
I believe Americans have been so euphoric over the gas prices dropping when oil first began to tank about a year ago, along with the sweet music President Obama and the Democratic legislators are making in Washington about how the new stimulus package is going to be the answere, that they are consumed with too deep of a sleep to see the smoke and mirrirs that hide and reflect one of the biggest expenses the working mass has...fuel.
Remember that a big portion of the cost of getting that gasoline into your tank is TAX. And, who Washington left out of the picture for relief in the stimulous package?
The oil companies.
I guess it might make sense that they want to get into a good retail position when all of that money starts flowing into construction of the infrastructure, but I sure would like to have my job out there on the rig. And, that won't happen until oil prices stabilize. Oil producers are not going to drill until they get a price for their product that will pay for producing it AND the taxes added on at every turn of the road.