[mitchntx]

Katrina is gonna cause a $.20 spike in fuel costs .....

[Sam Strano]

$3.55 for premium this morning. I can't believe I was paying $1.39 for premuim exactly 2 years ago. I'm considering looking around for a beater.

I realize the cost of oil is way up, and that a lot of the refineries were hurt by the Katrina. Both of which hurt badly at the pumps.

But, I've been keeping an eye on CNBC in the mornings.... Crude Oil is down about $1.50 from what it was *BEFORE* Katrina hit anything at all but had already shut down the Gulf Oil Rigs. CNBC has a "gasoline" tab on the screen most of the day. I just looked, and it's showing around $2.38-2.40. That appears to be wholesale price, yesterday it was $2.69 or so. So while that's dropping, the prices keep climbing at the pump. If we add 15% to the that price for a retail figure, you come up around $2.75 a gallon. Still outrageous, but better than the $3.19 and $3.29 regular is here right now. I firmly believe we have been and continue to be raped for fuel. Let's not forget that the oil companies have been making record profits all along the way be closing refineries and being able to say "oil prices are high".

Everyone is effected by the price of fuel, whether they are car folks or not. We are a fuel based economy. Everything runs by car or truck. All the goods you get are brought by trucks burning diesel. You get to work in a car, and most of live too far away to get to work otherwise. If something is not done, the economy will be wrecked and very soon.

I wrote to my US Senators months ago about the increases in fuel not matching the increases in Crude prices, and how it was hurting me since I use my truck for work and drive a lot. I mentioned my concerns about how the economy will be hurt by folks putting what used to spending money into their tanks. I got an answer from Rick Santorum, and that was basically..... we don't care, and can't do anything about it. That's crap.

Might I suggest everyone take the time to figure out how $3 or $4 a gallon fuel will effect you life and put that on paper (or your computer screen) and send it to your Senators and Representitives.

This is crisis stage, and Republican, Democrat, or Hippie you need to let your government know that you will be hurt. Otherwise we'll keep on this road until we just can swing it anymore and the economy collapses.

Bush is big on lowering your taxes because you best know how to spend you money. But it's ok if that money goes to the oil company coffers and pads their profits? It's ok if that money goes to gouging gas stations?

Please, please let you government know what's going on outside of DC for the folks that don't make $200k a year and get lifetime pensions!!!