What is The Difference Between,

[seapower]

The cost of electricity and fuel? There are thing's in this life that are a "necessity", petroleum is one of them (at least for the protracted future). Electricity although expensive is affordable, just think about how much you really depend on electricity. It is really a value for what it does. I don't know if the Gov't has it's hand in the price or not,price cap's, etc... but if the "sky is the limit" mentality was allowed to take hold on it like it is with petroleum we'd all be in a world of hurt.
This practice of jamming petroleum prices through the roof just because "you can", is gonna have devistating result's. It's not the same old story of "supply and demand", there is no shortage of oil on the market, but there goes the price. This is legalized thievery. OK, it MAY get messy before it get's better in the ME. That's a given but that place has been simmering since the beginning of time and will till the end of time. When the people over there have their way and the dust settle's, they are still going to have to sell oil to supply revenue. That's all they have, they produce nothing else. I firmly believe that there should be some sort of "cap" put on a barrel of oil. I also know about the "free market", but rape is a whole other story. We have private and military allience's between all of the key Country's of the world. The only thing the ME has is oil, guess what we (the rest of the world) supply them with good's and service's. Might I add that one of the "good's" we supply is FOOD. Yep that oil's some good stuff, but it's kinda tough on the palette. $100.00 barrell oil = $100.00 bushel wheat, corn, bean's, etc.... Get my drift?
If they can safely drill over there (by the way we built the well's and refinery's) I say drill here. Why are we allowing ourselve's (economicaly) to be held hostage by folk's that have proven time and time again to be nothing more than thieve's. My Policy would be; Until we are able to supply our own oil need's, if you step out of line and continue to put the screw's to us, remember who you ALWAY'S call to bail you out of trouble (man made and natural disaster's). Lest we forget the our own greedy *******'s that live amounst us and work on "Wall Street", WE bailed you out of certain disaster. No CEO to my knowledge has been even tried (never mind convicted) for the crimes they committed against all of US. You would think there would be some sort of lingering thankfulness from the bailout, but no WE owed it to you I guess. I am getting pretty tired of supporting the lazy and greedy in this world. There's a pile of folk's that can be glad I'm not President, cause it would get "ugly" fast! Just as I think it should, starting right now! I guess this will be condemed as being barbaric, right wing, republican (whatever that means) un-educated banter, but it is what it is. You reap what you sow, I think they call it Karma. Rant off !!!! Frank

[clt_capt]

Electricity pricing is generally controlled by Utility Rate Commissions. There are some exceptions, but that's generally how it works.

The Power companies have to justify the cost of electricity to the local commission - they are allowed to make a certain profit, but they are not allowed to gouge... This also holds for Water, Sewage, Garbage in many areas...

The thing that frosts me so much about the petro companies is that they are raking in HUGE profits by not building or maintaining their infrastructure - You always hear that the reason prices are so high is that there is not refinery capacity -WTF?

You have got to be sh&tting me if they can't figure out how to build a new refinery with $10 BILLION/Qtr in profits... Absolutely disgusts me.

But by God, Congress can go after Barry Bonds for steroid use but they cannot bring the Oil Companies in for Questioning?

[seapower]

In for questioning??? How about bring em in for a "soap in a sock" beating in the back room. As the old saying goes, "the beatings will continue, until moral improves". Why is it that the rest of the world, just sit's back and takes the screwing???? Frank

[seapower]

You make my point, there is a general concensis at a "regulation" of price. I'm not huge on the idea of Gov't getting involved in my life, but just tell me where else (except on this matter) that they aren't holding rules, regulations and law's over my head. What makes this crowd any different. Look's like we all have alot to loose! By the way I like your BB analogy, yep makes sense to me!!! Just like the $29,000.00 toilet seats, from days gone by. Frank

[clt_capt]

Frankly the shareholders of these oil companies should be raising hell - They all have aging infrastructure and they are doing nothing with the profits to re-invest. Just sitting back and collecting bonuses...

the minute the profits drop, they will be looking for a bail-out and be deemed "too big to fail"

The news today says that Washington is considering dipping into strategic reserves - Why? There is a glut of unprocessed oil - but no refinery capacity? WTF???

[Peter Mancuso]

We talk about this alot and the general concesus is that speculators and futures investors drive the price of a barrell of oil thru the roof.
They make big money when a barrell of oil sells for $104. So what if you and I have to pay $4.00 a gallon.
I think that there should be some kind of regulation set in place.