This says it all!

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/tic...416&ID=5644691

 

Drop in the bucket compared to compensation for medical industry CEO's. While Bush is allowing "good times" for the oil industry, we should, in all honesty, be more concerned with the medical industry. The "oil crunch" will go away as soon as Bush is out of office, but medical has no end in sight.

 

Big companies (oil or otherwise) have been overpaying their executives during their reign as well as on the way out the door since we as a species invented "corporations".

This is nothing new.

The CEO is paid to be responsible, and accountable for all facets of the corporation and execute business so that stock value increases, making the shareholders happy. If they coincidentally make good products and please consumers, that's a bonus.

I personally don't care what CEO's make.

What I do care about is that they are held accoutable for what they are paid for - guys like Kenneth Lay and Bernie Ebbers should not be in a position to "blame subordinates" because they were "unaware" of what was going on.

They're paid to be accountable.

On the flip side, nothing forces you to purchase Exxon or Mobil gasoline. There are other choices, often cheaper.

My cars genereally get "Gulf", as around here it's the cheapest by about 10 cents a gallon. My crewcab gets filtered junkyard gas which is nearly free. A transfer pump, some hose, and an oil filter solves the problem of crap in the tanks. Also, I try to siphon exclusively from "new deliveries" rather than stuff sitting in piles for months.

 

Okay, so the oil companies are currently highly profitable, and you want the govt to do something by making them bring their prices down. If prices tank and oil companies are taking it in the shorts, are you going to mind if the govt forces you to pay more to help keep them in business?

Same stick, different end.

Brad

 

Gents ...keep this nice

 

Hey, what happened to the Edit Post function? I wanted to go back and clean up my wording a bit (my first post sounds way more confrontational than I intended). The Edit button no longer appears in that post. Is there a time limit on edits?

Brad

 

When did the oil companies ever take it in the shorts?

 

There is a time limit on the edit function. I think it's 30 minutes.

And as for the oil companies, think about this. If we "force" them to lower their profits, then they'll just stop operating in our part of the world. There is plenty of demand for thier product in asia to keep them in green without us North Americans.

It's a choice we make between shortages and high prices. Myself, I'll take the high prices.

 

There is limits on how much profits the actual gas station makes, just not the refiner. If you think getting Bush out of office is going to change that, I personally believe you are wrong. I think when a democrat gets in office the Economy might stay afloat, but it will be done by taxing the mess out of the consumer.

 

Bear, you and I agree on a lot of things, but not this one.

If you are willing to impose price ceilings on companies as a way to enforce "fair" profits, is it not equitable to expect forced price floors on consumers to maintain the company's profits should the price go down?

And if we're willing to limit profit margins on businesses, then what's fair about allowing individuals to profit more than the businesses do? If we are going to cap business profits, then we must cap personal profits as well.

There is a reason why socialism failed...

Brad

p.s. - Everyone always rags on "big oil", but no one ever seems to get steamed over the massive taxes on fuel. Here in Texas it's 38.6 cents per gallon! At $2.74/9 for fuel that makes the taxes 14.04% of the total fuel cost. I'm sure there are states where that number pales in comparison.

 

You ain't seen steamed over a gas tax increase until last year, when the Washington State legislature, ignored a state law and jacked up the gas tax to cover a short fall in the budget and then ends up with a $3+ billion overage. Which of course they will waste on nothing but political pet projects like last time.

 

Just be glad the gas tax is based on a fixed amount per gallon and not a PERCENTAGE of the PRICE like a sales tax is or we would really be hosed.

Now I have done it!!! -Please oh PLEASE don't tell them I said that!!!

Where is that edit button that vaporizes after 60 minutes???

 

Torque1st, up here in canuckland we have sales taxes and "fixed" taxes on fuel. But since they add in the fixed taxes first, you pay sales taxes on the taxes.

Hurts my head.

 

Enviromental laws around here prevent any kind of vehicle to go out in the field with "X" amount of fluid in it. About the only things full are diffs. Gas tanks and tranny pans get punched and drained (you'll never be able to use those, though they are priced) and oil pans rarely get their plugs put back in

So, do you pay for it? And do you have to pay fuel taxes on it? Just curious

 

While I agree to a point that the government should not be able to strictly control prices, but this nation now uses fuels much the same as utilities. There are some regulations on utilities, and as long as the government is willing to enforce these regulations, prices are kept under control. Why not oil? The president of the United States, whom ever it is, has much more control over fuel prices then most people think. Fuel prices are used just like interest rates to control the economy. If it wasn't for the high fuel prices, interest rates would be at least 3/4 point higher right now. In stead of your $$$ going into banking, it's going into Bush's buddies pockets. I tend to vote Republican, Reagan is my hero, but GW flat out sucks, IMHO.