Anyone NOT Worried About the Upcoming "Crisis"?

[aka-mad4themouse]

Ok what's a NIMBY?

Not
In
My
Back
Yard

 

[MrMarv]

NIMBY--Not In My Back Yard.

 

[heartbeeps]

... Off-topic, but I hate that phrase: "on a fixed income". With a few exceptions (i.e., salespeople who work on commission), we're ALL on a fixed income. Some are fixed higher, some are fixed lower. My boss pays me the same thing every month -- most people's bosses do. But people use the phrase "on a fixed income" to mean on a LOW income. Rant over.

I apologize for offending you and others by using the words "fixed income." It was meant to imply those folks who have no POTENTIAL to make more money whether it be by getting an additional job, a different job, or even getting more education to earn more money. It was meant to imply folks for example like the elderly and/or the disabled that are OUT OF THE JOB MARKET. It was not meant to imply "low income." As far as I'm concerned, it could be fixed low or high or anywhere in between.

I was only going by the industry-standard definition of "fixed income" provided by Wikipedia. Wikipedia defines the words "fixed income" as - ... The term fixed income is also applied to a person's income that does not vary with each period. This can include income derived from fixed-income investments such as bonds and preferred stocks or pensions that guarantee a fixed income. When pensioners or retirees are dependent on their pension as their dominant source of income, the term "fixed income" can also carry the implication that they have relatively limited discretionary income or have little financial freedom to make large expenditures.

So, given that definition, I'd say over a period of years, a retirees income is "fixed"; his/her pension (if he/she gets one) is not going to increase! Whereas those not on what I'd call a fixed income do have the POTENTIAL for an increase - maybe not every year but over time.

I had no idea something that's used in the media day-in and day-out would be offensive to folks on a Disney board. Once again, I am so very sorry I set you off on a rant. Please accept my humblest apologies. I have certainly learned my lesson!

 

[MoniqueU]

This thread is bumming me out.
Also I stopped watching the local news years ago because of all the dramatic stories. I only watch Fox now. Most of their news right now is political, not my favorite kind, I watch for the crime news stories, anyway very little about gas prices and grocery prices is being covered there right now. I don't know what news outlets the rest of you watch but the media I watch is not all doom and gloom.

As posted earlier I am worried about our family and our friends. I know tons of people out of work, the list seems to grow weekly. We are watching every penny and eating in more. We still may not be able to cut our budgets enough to get by. My husbands job is not a fixed income low or high. He is on straight commision tied very closely to the economy. He works more hours then anyone I know and can't get a part time job to help us. I am legally blind and can't really think of anything I could do to help out. I just hope we get through this. I havent seen the price at the pump since saturday but I think the price increase here has slowed.

 

[Mo-Yo]

We have all the oil we need right under our feet but politicians prefer donations into their campaign accounts from lobbyist who don't want drilling rather than fix the problem.

I highly doubt the environmental lobby is more powerful than teh oil lobby. Otherwise we would have much better incentive programs for developing fuel efficient cars and alternative power sources like solar and wind.

 

[speedyf]

I highly doubt the environmental lobby is more powerful than teh oil lobby. Otherwise we would have much better incentive programs for developing fuel efficient cars and alternative power sources like solar and wind.

I agree. I think the lack of refinery building can be attributed partly to envirnomental and NIMBY concerns.....but, probably the biggest part was money.

When oil was at $20 / $30 / $40 per barrel, the return on investment for a refinery costing billions to build would have been bad. The margin made on refining oil was supposedly a slim number. No one really cared because gas prices were not high.

Just like with the decisions of Disney, the oil companies do what is best for the shareholders. It seems that now that oil is up above $100 per barrel, it may be more cost effective to build a refinery and the return on investment may be a little better. This is all speculation on my part from reading bits and pieces online.

Speed

 

[MrMarv]

Environmentalists (and their Democratic cohorts) have prevented off shore oil drilling for over twenty years. For them to beg the Saudis to increase drilling under the threat of lawsuits is asinine and then some!!!

To expect them to help us due to self-inflicted acts of stupidity which have only served to exacerbate problems within our faltering economy (with the domestic automakers among the biggest vctims) makes no sense.

 

[crisi]

Environmentalists (and their Democratic cohorts) have prevented off shore oil drilling for over twenty years. For them to beg the Saudis to increase drilling under the threat of lawsuits is asinine and then some!!!

To expect them to help us due to self-inflicted acts of stupidity which have only served to exacerbate problems within our faltering economy (with the domestic automakers among the biggest vctims) makes no sense.

The GOP controlled both houses of Congress and the White House for several years and took no action either.

 

[karinbelle]

The GOP controlled both houses of Congress and the White House for several years and took no action either.

True, True!

Eight years of GOP is where we are now.

 

[disney_family_1247]

Our political class has chosen not to drill for oil in this country, where we have vast reserves, making us dependent on foreign oil.

My dad is a Petroleum Engineer for the US government, and I know for a fact that we are drilling for oil in this country. I would rather pay more for gas today than have more of our environment destroyed so that we can drill for more oil...I agree that journalists sensationalize everything; who needs half a dozen 24 hour news channels anyway?

 

[MattM]

Due to the constant threats of lawsuits, etc from the fringe environmental groups, the GOP wasnt able to do anything.

If you truly think the problems we are experiencing now are soley due to 8 years of the GOP, then you are astonishingly misinformed. If thats what you believe, then why has the price/gallon of oil increased from around $58/barrel in January when the Democrats took over to near $128 today?

I think thats a slight case of Bush-Derangement. This has been in the making for the past 40 years.

 

[Mo-Yo]

I think thats a slight case of Bush-Derangement.

You can say that again!!!

But I think our definitions of the syndrome are vastly different.

 

[bdcp]

My dad is a Petroleum Engineer for the US government, and I know for a fact that we are drilling for oil in this country. I would rather pay more for gas today than have more of our environment destroyed so that we can drill for more oil...I agree that journalists sensationalize everything; who needs half a dozen 24 hour news channels anyway?

You're partially right about drilling. We are drilling using existing wells that have been in place for decades. We are not , unfortunately, drilling in new locations where there has been oil discovered in the last couple of decades. There is an awful lot of untapped oil, some experts say more than we have already have access to. We do not "destroy" the environment by drilling for oil. That is a falacy put forth by those that don't want more drilling, i.e., mainly over the top environmentalists who really have no clue what they are talking about. Give me an example of where the environment has been "destroyed" by drilling. Please, I get tired of hearing about how we're destroying the environment by drilling for oil, when we're not. I'm not talking about spills that have happened, I'm talking about actual drilling locations. And I have posted this before, more oil leaks naturally from the bottom of the ocean than has ever been spilt in the history of man.

 

[IluvKingLouis]

Due to the constant threats of lawsuits, etc from the fringe environmental groups, the GOP wasnt able to do anything.

If you truly think the problems we are experiencing now are soley due to 8 years of the GOP, then you are astonishingly misinformed. If thats what you believe, then why has the price/gallon of oil increased from around $58/barrel in January when the Democrats took over to near $128 today?

I think thats a slight case of Bush-Derangement. This has been in the making for the past 40 years.

Ummm, GOP pretty much controls the Supreme Court, and fringe environmental groups are not sitting on a pile of cash, so this argument makes no sense.

Yes, I do think gas prices being where they are, is a result of this administrations energy policy. I believe they had hoped to both profit and provide our country with cheap gas when they invaded Iraq. However once Iraq's pipelines where sabotaged, cheap gas was no longer part of our economic policy. But the oil companies were still able to benefit from the sharp rise in the price of oil, so all was good.

It would be interesting if Cheney's secret energy policy was made available to the public.

 

[Mo-Yo]

Give me an example of where the environment has been "destroyed" by drilling.

Here are some examples of how the environment is being damaged, (though not YET destroyed) and the reasons why we would not benefit economically from the drilling in ANWR:

Oil Drilling Is Harming Arctic Ecosystems
March 27, 2003 (Adapted by Victoria Schlesinger and Kathleen M. Wong, California Academy of Sciences) - Oil exploration has permanently
harmed the ecosystems of the Arctic, according to a new study. A blue-ribbon panel assembled by the National Academy of Sciences has shown that 30 years of roadbuilding, noise, and oil exploration has affected the behavior of animals, harmed vegetation, and caused erosion.

www.arcticrefugeaction.org/newsroom/myths-vs-facts.pdf

 

[MermaidsMom]

If you truly think the problems we are experiencing now are soley due to 8 years of the GOP, then you are astonishingly misinformed. If thats what you believe, then why has the price/gallon of oil increased from around $58/barrel in January when the Democrats took over to near $128 today?

This point and this point alone needs to be broadcast 24 hours a day on all of the networks. This price increase did not happen by chance. With the rest of the world seeing the direction of our Presidential campaign, get ready to be fleeced on a lot of things in the future. They smell weakness because it's clear there is no will to defend ourselves if the GOP isn't there anymore. Sure they aren't perfect, but the alternative will be disaster.

 

[loco4dis]

This point and this point alone needs to be broadcast 24 hours a day on all of the networks. This price increase did not happen by chance. With the rest of the world seeing the direction of our Presidential campaign, get ready to be fleeced on a lot of things in the future. They smell weakness because it's clear there is no will to defend ourselves if the GOP isn't there anymore. Sure they aren't perfect, but the alternative will be disaster.

Amen, sista!

 

[crisi]

You guys really think our government has that much control over the price of oil? One of the huge issues is that the dollar is worth much less than in was, due to our spending ways (both Democrats and Republicans have been spend happy - just on different things). When the dollar is worth less, the cost of things from overseas goes up.

 

[las3888]

Due to the constant threats of lawsuits, etc from the fringe environmental groups, the GOP wasnt able to do anything.

If you truly think the problems we are experiencing now are soley due to 8 years of the GOP, then you are astonishingly misinformed. If thats what you believe, then why has the price/gallon of oil increased from around $58/barrel in January when the Democrats took over to near $128 today?

I think thats a slight case of Bush-Derangement. This has been in the making for the past 40 years.

Again, great post...we think alike...

 

[Mo-Yo]

This point and this point alone needs to be broadcast 24 hours a day on all of the networks. This price increase did not happen by chance. With the rest of the world seeing the direction of our Presidential campaign, get ready to be fleeced on a lot of things in the future. They smell weakness because it's clear there is no will to defend ourselves if the GOP isn't there anymore.

Where in the world would you get "information" like this?