Here's why gas prices are at an all-time high

[MagicMtnDan]

Here are the reasons:
* CORPORATE GREED
* LESS COMPETITION - Fewer oil companies than before (a big thanks goes out to the U.S. government for allowing Exxon & Mobil and Chevron & Texaco to join forces!)
* NO FEDERAL CONTROL OF U.S. OIL COMPANIES
* CORPORATE GREED
The top 3 based on Fortune 500 list based on REVENUE(sales):
* Wal-Mart was number 1 on Fortune 500 list of America's largest companies for the 3rd year in a row.
* Exxon Mobil moved to number 2 up from 3rd place last year.
* General Motors slipped to number 3 from the 2nd spot.
The top two on Fortune 500 list based on profit (you might want to sit down before you read this):
* Wal-Mart made almost $9 billion in profit last year. (They had a lot more revenue than Exxon Mobil)
* Exxon Mobil was far and away number 1 earning $21.5 billion on its $213 billion in sales. TWENTY-ONE-AND-A-HALF-BILLION DOLLARS IN PROFIT! That's 10% of their entire revenue!!!
There's no conspiracy in the price of gasoline. Clearly only a few companies control the prices and when OPEC raises their prices it gives the US oil companies an excuse to raise their prices.
The oil companies say they "only make a nickel on each gallon of gas they sell." That's at the pump. They make money on each step of the entire process from finding it, pumping it out of the ground, shipping it, refining it and selling it.
It's a good thing they "only" make a nickel a gallon!
I'm a free enterprise kind of guy but I say it's time for the U.S. government to step in and put some controls on this thing. The oil companies clearly can't control their addiction to trying to (and succeeding at) making more and more profit.
They're profit junkies hooked on the money in our wallets. If the government doesn't stop them no one else can.

[HavasuDreamin']

Amen.
All this BS about the price of crude has gone up, or there is a shortage, or supply/demand is just garbage! :mad: I could be wrong, but what econ taught me is..........when there is a monopoly, or collusion, supply and demand is thrown right out the window.

[Terrible Buddhist]

ya...and for every nickel exxon gets...the govt gets 12...**** that...let the corporations make their $, but get the govt. out of my wallet.

[welk2party]

It's funny how things tend to repeat themselves. Government broke up Standard Oil to create more competition. Decades later, the government puts it right back.