Truck Driving Jobs

GMAN · #51 11-30-2007, 03:12 AM

It has never made sense to me for the government to pay farmers to not plant or pay them to plant certain types of crops. If we paid $0.09/gallon for diesel we could do all right at $0.80/mile. I make a motion to pay $0.09 for diesel and lower rates to $0.80. All in favor????? :P

Orangetxguy · #52 11-30-2007, 03:16 AM

I just threw in the soy beans, peanuts and corn, to appease the greenies!!!! :mrgreen:

GMAN · #53 11-30-2007, 03:26 AM

I have known of people who have received those subsidies. The funny thing is that they can plant anything but what they pay them not to plant, so they can make money on both ends. :shock:

Orangetxguy · #54 11-30-2007, 03:28 AM

Yup..grew up working on a Ranch that did just that. In Montana.

brian · #55 11-30-2007, 06:26 AM

wifes father gets paid handsomely not to grow on a large chunk of his land, we tend to piss that goverment money away in the VFW when we`re bored.

bartender make mine a double :lol:

RostyC · #56 11-30-2007, 10:25 AM

The price per barrel for oil as I understand it is based on future supply. We have a 8 year high of supply right now. I read an article not long ago about refineries, they prefer to build them on the coast, it makes it easier to unload from the ships. None of the rich folk on the coast lines want a refinery next door.

I also read another article a while back about supply and demand that was interesting, and it was tied in to the fuel situation. The point was you can mess with the price for only so long, keeping it artificially high. Eventually, the pendulum swings the other way and you will lose whatever you gained. I think the price is artificially high right now. It's too much of an increase in too short of a time for me to believe it's genuine.

If we start more drilling here in the US, doesn't OPEC still control the price of it? I think I remember hearing that some of the oil pumped here gets sold overseas. I'll see if I can find something on it.

GMAN · #57 11-30-2007, 10:57 AM

I agree that the price is artificially high, RostyC. The perception that China and other emerging industrialized countries are the reason for the huge increase in price is simply not true. Markets don't change that quickly. Futures or speculators seem to be fueling current prices rather than market forces. OPEC doesn't necessarily control all prices, although that is what seems to be happening. Non member nations take advantage of their pricing as do private suppliers. I read something about Alaska oil going to Japan rather than coming to the U.S. The U.S. government at one time prohibited oil companies from selling their oil domestically over a certain price if the oil well was drilled before a certain date. Many were capped. Some oil was sent abroad for higher prices and others sent the oil out to sea and then brought it back to the U.S. as imported oil which was not subject to the government price controls.

The only long term solution, as I see it, is to develop our own energy sources to take the place of foreign oil. We can also take the controls off of domestic drilling, such as off the Florida coast, and allow more refineries to be built. I think this is a matter of national security and our sovereignty.

Orangetxguy · #58 11-30-2007, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RostyC

The price per barrel for oil as I understand it is based on future supply. We have a 8 year high of supply right now. I read an article not long ago about refineries, they prefer to build them on the coast, it makes it easier to unload from the ships. None of the rich folk on the coast lines want a refinery next door.

I also read another article a while back about supply and demand that was interesting, and it was tied in to the fuel situation. The point was you can mess with the price for only so long, keeping it artificially high. Eventually, the pendulum swings the other way and you will lose whatever you gained. I think the price is artificially high right now. It's too much of an increase in too short of a time for me to believe it's genuine.

If we start more drilling here in the US, doesn't OPEC still control the price of it? I think I remember hearing that some of the oil pumped here gets sold overseas. I'll see if I can find something on it.

Rosty, back in 1995, Congress allowed British Petroleum to start selling excess oil production from BP's North Slope operations, to Japan. Aside from most of the refineries on the west coast of the US, Japan was the only country that could proccess North Slope Crude. Thick and nasty stuff.

After BP purchased ARCO in 1999, BP was forced to sell off ARCO's Alaska assets, to Phillips Petroleum. Now, BP no longer exports Alaska crude, because it needs to provide crude to ARCO's refineries in Bellingham WA and Los Angeles CA.

merrick4 · #59 11-30-2007, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GMAN

. I also know that Bush isn't to blame for all of these problems. Bush doesn't make the laws, it is congress. It is congress and government agencies who have helped get us into this situation. And don't forget to look in the mirror. For too long, Americans have decided that apathy is the norm and they cannot be bothered to get involved in the political process. Most won't even bother to make a phone call or write a letter to their congressional representative.

Presidents don't make statutes but they do, or their departments, do draft and promulagate admistirative procedures that have the force of law. I persoanally don't vote because I feel that the best candidates are the ones that never even make it to election day. All these candidates are put in place by the powers that be and then we are having the option of choosing one of them and then we are supposed to believe that "we" chose this person.

The internet or shows like American Idol (I don't watch that, just an example) have shown us that true talent can come from many surprising places. For every "best" of something and someone famous there is some poor schmuck that is probably better but either made bad choices or wasn't lucky. I'm sure everyone here knows someone who is extremely talented but ... That is the key I guess the but. Drugs alone has wiped out many.

Anyway though GMAN I am a former letter writer anyway. They wear you down when nothing gets done. Honestly I started a FBI investigation once by accident with one complaint letter to the Department of Justice. Half the time you write these things you don't expect anything to come out of it so when they sent the FBI to investigate my complaint I was suprised to say the least. Nothing came out of it but I got the state's attention :wink:

GMAN · #60 11-30-2007, 11:46 PM

At least you must have felt pretty good that something you did got action. Hopefully, it wasn't against you. :wink: We may think that our letters and calls don't mean much. The truth is that they do make a difference. If enough people complain or express a particular view on an issue, then they will certainly pay attention. My mother was a consummate letter writer and caller. She had a way of getting things done.