Who will call out oil companies first?

Posted on the gas thread, thought it was worthy of its own.
When will the first person running for President makes capping the price of gas a plank in his or her platform.
Gas is already over $4 a gallon in San Fran., if the AP is to be believed, and the high cost of gas is having a dramatic effect on the economy. Big-box retailers like Wal-Mart and Target have taken a hit since people have less money to spend.
You could also call it a national security issue since police forces are cutting back on patrols and parking cars since they don't have the money in the budget for gas.
Hard to catch terrorists if all the cops are back in the office doing paperwork.

 

My Guess on who calls out oil companies first? -- Fenian-Bastard, who will no doubt arrive shortly and post hundreds of photo's of George W. and his big oil buddies then tell us all with a straight face that this is the first president whose foreign policy was driven by crude oil in the Middle East.....

 

I'd be willing to bet that Jay wanted serious replies only, zag. So you might want to sit this one out.

 

Dennis Kucinich (sp). Everybody else has gotten oodles and oodles of money from big oil, plus he's the only one insane enough to suggest capping the cost of gas.

 

I'd be willing to bet that I was serious in my answer, KY-jelly, so you might want to sit this one out.

 

I have mixed feelings about a gas price cap.

If demand is really driving the price, then it should be left alone. How can you prove the oil companies are profiteering or just jacking up the price just to see how high they can take it?

I don't have a serious problem with gas prices. I do have a problem with how fast they've increased. If we saw 2 or 3 cent increases every month, it'd be one thing. It's the 13 cent overnight jumps that I have a problem with.

 

How in the hell do you expect that kind of reply to be taken seriously, zag?

 

The question is -- who will call out oil companines first?

I offered my answer.

And check the price of any decent bottled water in this country per gallon as compared to gas and let me know what is more absurd.

 

Congressional investigations. A White House that isn't run by two former oil company executives. The fact that for no good reason gas prices continue to climb and with no end in sight. And oil companies aren't taking their profits and investing back into the infrastructure with new oil refineries.
Exxon made $10 billion last quarter. Oil company profits have more than doubled in two years. In 2004, they were in the $14 billion range, in 2006, they were in the $36 billion range. And that's profits, not total revenue.
Congress should tell the oil companies cap gas prices using the model Nixon established and build new refineries. Or face a windfall tax bill that will cost them all billions.

Zagoshe, the question was what person running for president will call out the oil companies first. The two parties have 16 combined candidates. So, of those 16, who do you think will say something first?

 

The difference being our economy isn't entirely dependent on thousands of gallons of WATER.

 

I know what you're saying. The profits they're making is obscene. But if we as a nation won't cut back on the demand, can we blame them for charging that much?

 

Yeah, that's kind of how I feel. I think it was February or late January when gas here was $1.95, the lowest it had been in awhile. Last night, price was $3.19. So that means, in a span of about 3 1/2 months, gas here has jumped $1.24. I don't believe it's supply/demand. I also don't think it's a total fuck-job, but it's closer to being a total fuck-job than it is supply-demand.