Alaskan Pipeline Corrosion

[ducati996]

Folk's
After reading this thread I figure I will put my 2 cent's in. I work for a large corporation that is heavily regulated by the government. After working in this environment for about 5 year's now I can honestly say that you and me as consumer's do not want any gov't regulation on anything. Example someone made the point about Mabell and the break up Since that time Japan and other nation's have blown past our communication's network to an all fiber or wireless network. The reason being govt reg. has created a world whereas the larger telco's place all their money into the new technology only to have to lease it to the smaller companies fat or below cost which forces the large telco's not to invest in new technology until recently. This has nothing to do with oil but is the best example I could come up with to show how gov't reg. is not good.

Now as far as the record profit's are concerned I look at it like this, It is the job of every buisness owner/CEO to make sure their company is profitable. If there are record earning's (no matter how high) to be had they better take it because they don't know what will happen tomorrow it just happen's that the oil companies have a product that is in very high demand right now and are getting all the press since oil is something that everyone need's. The only way to fix this is to decrease the demand but, I and a lot more like me don't want to change my lifestyle because of a few extra dollar's a week not to mention all the new homes being constructed that need oil to heat them and the contractor's that need the oil to build them. Also as mentioned by Eddie the gov't makes more off the oil than the oil companies do but, nothing get's said about that. How about the gov't quit's wasting money and using the saving's to reduce the price of oil?

This was not a post meant to bash the gov't or to say the prices are to high but, I just wanted to put my two cent's to hopefully help see this heated topic in a different light.

I totally disagree - and you brought up another hot topic for which Im quite versed in - Telecommunications - get ready to defend your position if you think all the mergers are a good thing for business and consumers - you are so wrong. Now that the FCC rolled over like a cheap cigar (I had another choice word) their job was to evaluate and protect from Monopolies. Guess what the recently merged titans thought of since all the lobbying paid off and they got what they wanted ? net neturalty and how they thought it isnt a good idea - they own the networks and those who use can now pay more, or get services blocked or tiered. and congress couldnt get a bill passed to set up protections - unbelievable because they dont understand technology.

Lets go back to the telecom bill of 1996 that opened up the lines of the local RBocs (Verizon, etc) it created a new competitive market of companies selling bandwidth or IXC circuits and verizon (Nynex at the time) would maintain the last mile. Keep in mind those lines basically paid for long ago and just revenue makers with great margins. They were forced to open the lines at a wholesale rate, so everybody could compete. Years later when Verizon had to prove they were allowing access to their lines, they were allowed to sell long distance (data & POTS) against better judgement and the caving of the FCC, they were allowed to slack off and no longer prove they were allowing competition. Over the years they got more states for LD, and were allowed to raise their wholesale rates. Of course the FCC turned a blind eye, ruined the competitive landscape and allowed the mega mergers with the last one being offerd ATT & SBC and now the last one Bellsouth....

 

[_RaT_]

"The only people objecting to building more refineries are the oil companies"

Would that be the Jimmy Jones KoolAid your drinking?

 

[LMTC]

Well you will think different when the economy goes full boar into a recession and nobody buys your tractors - because they cant afford the diesel or your prices....thats when you will cry....and I will say sorry dude you should have not been in the service industry -

No, I won't. I do not believe governments should run economies, and I particularly do not believe the federal government should be running the economy. In any fashion. My principle beliefs do not change just because the times do.

 

[ducati996]

No, I won't. I do not believe governments should run economies, and I particularly do not believe the federal government should be running the economy. In any fashion. My principle beliefs do not change just because the times do.

Ok Mr. 101 economics professor - if you feel they shouldnt run the economy how come they are allowed to spend our money as they see fit? when they spend dosent that effect the economy? Does the word deficit ring a bell ? does the word outsourcing jobs, NAFTA, and tax breaks for overseas deployment of work mean anything to the economy? checks and balances my friend. I think you were out sick that day in class

 

[_RaT_]

I totally disagree - and you brought up another hot topic for which Im quite versed in - Telecommunications - get ready to defend your position if you think all the mergers are a good thing for business and consumers - you are so wrong. Now that the FCC rolled over like a cheap cigar (I had another choice word) their job was to evaluate and protect from Monopolies. Guess what the recently merged titans thought of since all the lobbying paid off and they got what they wanted ? net neturalty and how they thought it isnt a good idea - they own the networks and those who use can now pay more, or get services blocked or tiered. and congress couldnt get a bill passed to set up protections - unbelievable because they dont understand technology.

Lets go back to the telecom bill of 1996 that opened up the lines of the local RBocs (Verizon, etc) it created a new competitive market of companies selling bandwidth or IXC circuits and verizon (Nynex at the time) would maintain the last mile. Keep in mind those lines basically paid for long ago and just revenue makers with great margins. They were forced to open the lines at a wholesale rate, so everybody could compete. Years later when Verizon had to prove they were allowing access to their lines, they were allowed to sell long distance (data & POTS) against better judgement and the caving of the FCC, they were allowed to slack off and no longer prove they were allowing competition. Over the years they got more states for LD, and were allowed to raise their wholesale rates. Of course the FCC turned a blind eye, ruined the competitive landscape and allowed the mega mergers with the last one being offerd ATT & SBC and now the last one Bellsouth....

Not exactly sure what your saying here Ducati, suffice it to say, I wait for the day that SBC now known as AT&T brings service to me. They are $10 a month cheaper then my local and independent telecom company and offer name tags with caller ID. A simple thing but important to me.

 

[MossRoad]

Good discussion going here, but everyone, please, refrain from trading the insults. Thanks.

 

[dieselsmoke1]

"Exxon Mobil reports quarterly profits of more than $10.3 billion, the second-best quarter ever for a U.S. company. Exxon Mobil's mark is topped only by the company's own record, which it set late last year. Recently, BP and Royal Dutch Shell both reported profits of more than $7 billion."

As I previously stated regarding maintenance, redundancy and contengiency plans, jack the price of gas a few pennies and pay for it if deemed neccessary. Don't just sit there a fat and happy buffoon while a resource that is critical to our country's economy fails due to inept maintenance and poor planning. Where do you guess the 8% shortfall will come from?

On second thought, maybe it was good planning depending on your point of view. I have a little enery stock and will probably make money from this, but I just get hung up on the principles.

I don't begrudge Big Oil for making money, who doesn't like to make money. Record profits while the average guy using the product is reeling is a bit much though.

My personal beef is that IMO most Big Oil Co.s are sorry *** corporate citizens that sit around waiting for the next blip so they can dance around and ring the cash register.

 

[WhyNot]

Not really sure why I'm responding but here it goes any way
1. Net neutrality: Is a good thing don't disagree with you there the consumer pay's $35-$50 a month for a pipe should not matter what is stuffed into that pipe.
2. Lines paid for a long time ago: Your point? When you are in business you want to pay down your over head, just because they are paid for it doesn't mean your competitor's should be allowed to come get fat off of your investment.
3. Ruined the competitive landscape: During the week I work on special ckt's and about 95% are for clec's or AT&T and if asked in on the weekend's I do res. pot's. More and more the maint. job's are for clec's or reseller's but, after 3 or 4 maint visit's from the LEC trying to get us to fix their CPE and getting billed because the clec or reseller did not tell them they don't support what they sell, they soon realize that contract they signed to save a few buck's was not worth it. That is not the FCC's or Rboc's fault is it?
4. Back on topic: You did not argue any of the buisness point's I made So do you agree? If so are oil companies not business's?

 

[livincountry]

I think the bottom line to this and why people are in an uproar: Buying gasoline or diesel is not an option it's a necessity for everyday life.

Taxes are not options, the ~ $0.46 tax per gallon has been roughly the same over years...not fluctuating wildly day to day. That is why noone is complaining about the tax portion of gas prices.

Who knows how much the retailer makes on gas. Yesterday I found gas to be from $2.58 all the way to $2.99 per gallon depending on where I was in town. Earlier in the week they were all closer to $2.89. We have a lot of Speedways and these stations post gas prices based on who knows because they aren't consistant from location to location. I can go to Kmart and expect to pay the same for a widget at each store. Why not for fuel?

 

[scesnick]

I'm not doubting you but can you point me to that news on the web? I searched and couldn't find it. That is HUGE and hasn't made the news that I've heard. I used to own a couple rigs and when diesel was $1.46 on average for a 12 month period I was just getting by and that was a few years ago. I know the surcharges have gone up but yikes I'm glad those rigs are out of my life.
.

I know this because my father drives for Schnieder National. You will see more and more of this the higher the price goes. I may not have come out in the press as of yet. There is quite a bit of planning that needs to be done when a company of this size decides to shut down for one day.

As Livincountry says, when fuel was only $1.46 he was just getting buy as an independant driver. I have no idea how the independant owner/operators are able to do it at $3.10 a gallon now. There is one big word here that no one is bringing up and that word is GOUGHING !!!

BTW, Yes, I have changed my lifestyle already. I now drive a Chevy metro to work ( 40+ MPG) I no longer use fuel oil. I bought a wood/coal boiler to heat my home and domestic hot water.
Sure, I would love to drive to work everyday in the comfort of my 2005 Dodge diesel but I am doing my part to conserve fuel.

LTMC,
Mark my words, there will come a day when you will say "Oh Sh*T, where are those tractors I ordered?" And they will be sitting on some semi truck at the truck depot with the trucks tanks empty because the driver/owner can not afford to start the truck.
maybe then you will wake up and see there is just a sllight problem with the way this fuel situation is going.
But, hey, maybe if you call Lee Raymond he will send you a few gallons (for a large price of course) and you can get your last shipment of tractors before your doors close for good.