The Gas Prices - What do you think?

While everyone is trying to put the blame on gov't, prez's, overseas oil cartels, and Auntie Beholden's first cuz Porky, let's look at something. Following is an excerpt from my editorial in an upcoming issue:

    “Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand.
   And they covet fields, and take [them] by violence; and houses, and take [them] away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.”
Micah 2:1-2
   With these words, the prophet Micah told of a class of people who made a habit of figuring out ways in which they could oppress their fellow man, and through that oppression, steal (legally) what the “common” people owned or had worked for.
   I’m afraid that the times that had arisen then, over 2,000 years ago, have returned to us with a vengeance.
   While corruption and manipulation have always been with us, since it is in the sinful nature of man, in recent years there are those who have literally lain awake at night figuring out ways in which they could line their pockets, and take away from the average joe what he has worked so hard for.
   Everyone has heard of Enron, and how the top executives figured out devious ways in which to manipulate the books, and make the company appear to be doing well, while at the same time siphoning off millions of dollars for their own personal gain. And how, when the news of this manipulation was beginning to break, and stock prices were falling, they “locked up” the average share owners ability to sell off, while selling off their own stocks, reaping even more benefits.
   So too, have most people heard of the same type of schemes perpetrated by Tyco, WorldCom, and many others.
   It hasn’t been just the big corporate entities doing it, either. All of the companies enlisted the help of various officials with their accounting “overseers”, such as Arthur Andersen, to overlook the questionable practices, or stock brokers who were willing to manipulate or pass on prohibited information, ala Peter Bacanovic and Martha Stewart.
   But are you really aware of how widespread this practice of cheating the “little” guy is? Have you looked at, or questioned, some of the things currently happening?
   Have you noticed that when OPEC (the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) announces, 2 months prior to a meeting, that they might reduce the amount of exports, that the price of gas immediately jumps? Mind you, we’re talking about something that hasn’t even occurred yet. Ah, but some will say...the futures market is shaky, and such news will drive up the prices for future oil purchases.
   Ok. That’s in the future. The futures market may have to pay a higher price for oil they are buying 6 months or a year down the road. But the price of gas goes up today. Even though the oil being refined today was bought 6 months ago at a price substantially lower than the projected price 6 months in the future.
   Hello? Does something seem strange there?
   Walmart, or Kmart, or Sears, or any other retailer can buy a quantity of goods today for a unit price of, say, $1.00. They distribute them to the stores, and then buy some more....but the unit price for the future purchase goes up to $1.25. What do they do? Continue to sell what they bought for a dollar at that price? No. They immediately increase the retail price to accommodate the $1.25 figure for future goods.
   What does that mean to you. Let’s suppose that the $1 item retails for $1.33, a mark-up of 33%, typical in the retail arena. But with a $1.25 “cost” figure, the markup of 33% becomes .4125¢, which added to the $1.25 makes the new price $1.66, which is a 66% markup over the actual cost of $1.00!
   Back to the gas....rest assured that if the price of oil comes down, the price at the pump will NOT drop....at least not as quickly as it went up. It might be months before any reduction appears, and then it will not correspond to the actual decreases.
   Of course, all of the companies, whether oil, gas, or retail, have “good” excuses. “Well, it doesn’t really mean anything if there is a glut of oil on the market, because the refiners doesn’t have the capacity to refine it, which just means that there still won’t be enough gas to go around, etc., etc., etc., etc.”.
   “Oh, there’s a shortage of wheat this year because of too much rain, or not enough rain, or...........”. And so a loaf of bread suddenly costs $2.00 a lb. Even though we export billions of tons each year in give-away programs.
   “Well, there is such a scare over the mad-cow disease that we had to kill off some of our cattle, and now there’s not enough milk cows producing.....”, so a gallon of milk is now $4.50.”
   And what about the insurance companies?
   “Oh, your insurance just went up by 50%.”
    “Why?”
   “Well, because you were a day late on paying the premium.”
   “Yeah, but I don’t have any tickets, or wrecks, and I’ve never placed a claim.”
   “That doesn’t make any difference...your rate is based upon your credit score and whether you pay on time.”
   “What does that have to do with driving?”
   “Nothing, but the law says we can do it.”
   And let’s not forget the politicians. “We’re gonna lower your taxes this year”, they crow. “See how we’ve reduced the property tax rate for all you struggling homeowners....we cut the rate by 15%!”
   And what they don’t tell you is how they increased the property valuation by 25%!
   Notice again the telling words of Micah, “...when the morning is light, they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand.” Simply because these people, and companies, have the power and ability to get away with just about whatever they want to, they do it. They dress it up, put bonnets upon it, make it appear to be feasible and customary or reasonable, and pillage and plunder the poor folk.....you and me. And call it anything but greed.

   Woe unto them..................