Loren Steffy

A business blog

Gassing about gas prices


I’m scheduled to appear on CNBC at 12:30 Houston time today to talk about rising gasoline prices. I believe I’ll be one of several people from around the country discussing the effects of their local markets.

2 Responses

  1. craig says:

    In the absence of any meaningful conservation measures being built into our so called “National Energy Policy” compliments of Bush/Cheney with the help of counsel from the Big Oil companies it would seem that higher gas prices either from market forces, OPEC manupulation, greedy oil companies or higher taxes is the only thing that might convince American vehicle buyers to purchase more fuel efficient vehicles going forward. I would recommend less media interviews of BIG SUV or Pick-up owners fuming while pumping $3.00 a gallon gas into their 30 gallon tanks and more thinking about how to improve (lessen) our energy usage.

  2. JP says:

    “…either from market forces, OPEC manupulation, greedy oil companies or higher taxes…”

    Environmental regulations has essentially made it a bad economic decision to create new refining capacity. Also, the NIMBY effect like in California. Now, throw in the big politics of the corn-belt ethanol BS, which will cause all agriculture costs and food costs to rise sharply, not to mention all the wasted water for irrigation and more pollution from fertilizer run-off. Just for a little bit of fuel. Refiners are forced to try to meet demand with aging equipment because the liberals want to play like they’re saving the environment. Now we have to wait longer for gasoline shipments from our refineries in other countries because our refiners get fined billions of dollars for unscientific infractions. Alot less pollution there than the cars. Why is it that oil companies get all the blame for this? How come Detroit is still making cars and trucks that get 12 miles per gallon? Why is milk $4 a gallon? Why is starbucks $5 a cup? How about medicine? Who’s really ripping you off? Gasoline still looks reasonable to me, except when those big old trucks up there in the corn fields start burning up fuel getting my $5 bushel of corn for my $50 corn-fed steak and my $3 corn-fructose drinks. By the way, OPEC is old news. We get most of our oil from Canada.