High Gasoline Prices, what is your reason for it?

Low supplies are key for the companies if they want to make large amount of profits. This is proven by the cause of the great depression, which was an oversupply of commodoties, which drove down demand, so lower prices, and the big companies were losing money. The stock market crashed and the economy followed. It's a terrible system.

My other evidence for that statement, other than the historical view, is my own experience as mechanic for an oil company (only 8 months though, learned a lot, but not my thing). Everyone knew we weren't suffering a shortage of crude. That's what I worked with the transfer of crude. We actually had a lot of crude stored in tanks, but we were limited with our ability to refine it. Building a refinary costs a lot money, takes a lot of time, and results in having to shell out more money in wages and more supply which would drive down gas prices; not what the big oil companies want to do. It all boils down the oil execs and investors. (I would rather attribute it to specific people and not a general "oil company") focus on high profits.

That's my thought.

EDIT: Just wanted to respond to the comparison to European prices and let people know that the gas is heavily taxed throughout Europe compared to the U.S. A lot of that money is going back into the state. If we taxed as much, our prices would probably be very similar to European gas prices. (For example Germany taxes around 50 Euro-cents per litre, while the average U.S. tax is 12.5 cents per litre)

To me it's a Governmental control test to us the consumers to keep us under their control. If you noticed the grocery prices went up, the reason given was because the gas prices put more expense on the delivery for the goods. The prices of food still have not come down. And the stamps of course just seem to have to rise. Why? Because it's to control. These are things our Government know people have to use. I have a Senior in High School and his driving stays the same no matter the gas prices. My driving habits are short distance trips.

You can not really blame a certain country for the rising oil prices that is due to the depletion of oil resources.

So you can not really blame the middle eastern nations for the rising prices by believing they are hogging all the oil but instead blame the countries who are buying it from them like the U.S. The only way to end the oil prices is to start using alternative fuels such as Ethanol. This will however require more money to grow the crops to provide the fuel but the U.S. will have enough money as soon as they gradually stop buying oil imports. They will even have more if they FUCKIN CALL the troops back from Afghanistan and Iraq.

"PEAK OIL" is the reason. Look that up in your browser.

World oil production is flat from this year to next and will decline in future years. This at a time where China and other countries are demanding more. This forces prices up.

Sure oil companies are extracting record profits, but oil prices are a world-wide phenomenon. It was predicted by E.F. Schumacher back in the early 1970s.

Gasoline prices are definitely a lot higher now than what they used to be.

The reason for this is obviously supply and demand but also I believe big corporations could be limiting supply in order to increase prices. Gasoline is not going to last forever the way things are going and people at the top are working on ways to maximize their profits for as long as possible.

"oil prices going up"

NO ****

Look OPEC finds it cheaper to live if they raise the prices,

The Military keeps getting more oil, to much demand, enough supply but not enough refineries, "Terrorist" pose a threat to production in the middle east, heightening security, or the "terrorist" have control (in an abstract way) of oil wells, CEOs like money A LOT! The current US pres. administration. Not drilling where it is closest to home (unless you live in Alaska or rural Russia), Russia cutting off oil supply to Europe last year, and the Saudis make bush their court jester.

The US economy was on a down trend so many of the investors pulled out of US and were looking for safe haven for their money. so if you noticed, price of commodities went up drastically, gold, silver, platinum, oil, etc etc, these are speculative investments. so the increase in oil is both demand and speculation. although demand can still be supplied by the opec. but no matter how much they pump it's still the speculators money thats pushing it up.

Greed.

For some reason everyone else in this country is getting poorer and poorer, and not maknig any money. But, the oil companies are recording record profits.

I think they know they have us by the balls, just like the food counter at theme parks, airports, and movie theaters. They know we can't buy from anywhere else, so they decide to jack up the prices to make an even greater profit.

It is pretty simple.

OPEC wants more money. And in turn the Oil Companies have to pay more.

The Oil Companies want to keep their profit margin, so the prices on Gas Station rentals and gas deliveries go up.

So the Gas Stations have to charge more to keep open.

It is also very simple to fix.

STOP USING GAS!!

We don't need to. There are plenty of alternative energy sources, but people are SO afraid to use them.

Change scares people, and that is pathetic.

Greedy oil tycoons

Supply and demand have a little to do with it, but I think it's just time we found alternative energy sources. We've been using oil/gas powered everything for over 100 years.