Special offer

Windfall Profits ????

By
Real Estate Agent with Century 21 Redwood DC-SP98366576

windfall

Definition

Money received which was not expected and not a direct result of something the recipient did.

 

There are mumurings that those dastardly oil company executives have earned excessive profits because of the rising price of gasoline/oil.  I will agree that the cost of a fill-up is beginning to create this sort of feeling....

                                     

 It seems like only yesterday, o.k. a lot of yesterday's, that I was working my way to owning my first car and gas was only about 30 cents a gallon. I think it is amazing that I can remember that, much less use the old guy reference so early in a blog.

I came across the following snap shot and it sort of un-nerved me that the prices seemed so reasonable. The rising prices have left my sense of usual and customary a bit dazed.   

                                                             

 

The outcry from the public is growing louder everyday. This is outrageous. How can the price of a barrel of oil keep going up? I couple weeks ago, it hit $100 per barrel. Now it is approaching $115. Hmmm, it a gallon of gas costs me $3.50 and it goes up at the same rate...yikes....gas will be over $4.00 per gallon.

     It is time for the Government to step in and hold hearings. 

 

It must be those oil companies. Or is there another culprit behind this.........

 the chinese?????      the residents of India/Pakistan ????

or maybe.....

                                                  just maybe ........

WE DID IT TO OURSELVES ! ! !

 Did we really need that?  or this? 

Did we really ever need these..?  

While I understand the angst of those of us that have to drive to earn a living, and I understand the resentment we feel towards those that are making large sums of money, I don't see why we should penalize others for our own behavior.  Why do we think that we can pick and choose when supply and demand can come into play? Throughout Europe, they have been paying higher prices for years. Hmmm, what did they do?  They introduced an efficient automobile.

                                                   

We can spend all our time blaming others, or we can realize that after a long nights rest . . .

      We have made our bed....you know the rest.....

Comments (15)

Brian Block
RE/MAX Allegiance, Managing Broker/Branch Vice President - McLean, VA
Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate

John, I agree with you!  These politicians rant and scream about taxing "windfall profits" -- yet the oil companies already pay more taxes than half the populace combined.  Why not lower the taxes that we pay at the pump?  After all the government has never produced a single drop of oil for us -- they just tax us on the efforts of the producers.

And there's absolutely no reason that anyone needs to drive around in a Hummer!

Apr 18, 2008 01:28 AM
Terry & Bonnie Westbrook
Westbrook Realty Broker-Owner - Grand Rapids, MI
Westbrook Realty - Grand Rapids Forest Hills MI Re
We all have to take responsibility for the cost of oil and our prior excessive use now we need to get to the process of finding a more efficient way to get around.
Apr 18, 2008 01:45 AM
Ruthmarie Hicks
Keller Williams NY Realty - 120 Bloomingdale Road #101, White Plains NY 10605 - White Plains, NY

By the same token - these companies certainly don't require the vast amount of corporate welfare we have been dishing out.   As far as going solar is concerned - up until now it really hasn't been at all cost effective and perhaps the subsidies that have gone to oil companies should have gone to homeowners wishing to conserve energy.  Yes, we have some subsidies....but here is a situation where the government should put less money in the hands of oil companies and more in the publics pockets in order to make conservation a national goal. 

We bungled this and I'm sure the oil drenched administration that we had - had nothing to do with the fumble ....nooooo not them. 

Apr 18, 2008 01:53 AM
Jason Sardi
Auto & Home & Life Insurance throughout North Carolina - Charlotte, NC
Your Agent for Life

I'm with you and Brian Block John.  Personally, I drive to and from work....and that's pretty much it.   I was never a 'Car Guy' and never will be.  To put it bluntly, I'll never be the their 'Customer of the Month.'  It's time, as it always will be, for us to take action and responsibility into our own hands.

Apr 18, 2008 01:59 AM
Melina Tomson
Tomson Burnham, llc Licensed in the State of Oregon - Salem, OR
Principal Broker/Owner, M.S.

I think the real estate decline is just the tip.  With home equity lines people purchased large cars, that now require expensive gas.  Food prices are going up like crazy, and with declining home prices...no equity lines to use as an ATM.

We are in a nasty cycle right now and like Andrew, agree that if we don't get ourselves under control as consumers, recession will be a nice word for the state of our economy.

Apr 18, 2008 02:59 AM
Bonnie & Terry Westbrook
Westbrook Realty - Ada, MI
Grand Rapids MI Real Estate
If our country can put men on the moon, we can certainly solve our energy and fuel crisis with alternative fuels and as yet undiscovered methods. We just have to make it a priority. The current gas prices are starting to get our attention - they have been seriously affecting the poor and barely-making-it group for quite a while.
Apr 18, 2008 03:07 AM
Jennifer Monroe
Indigo Home Team powered by Compass - Charlotte, NC
Real Estate REALTOR®/Broker/Designer

I'm making record profits from my investments in the energy sector, so to speak - so I can afford to drive my gas guzzling SUV. If I were to  purchase and drive a hybrid, my state would charge me a heavy tax to make up for their loss of my gas tax dollars. This IS about money and greed. Make no mistake. So I will live as I damned well please.

Someone is bound to stone me for my opinion. Fortunately, the hull of this beast I drive will keep me safe and unharmed :)

Apr 18, 2008 04:09 AM
Jennifer Monroe
Indigo Home Team powered by Compass - Charlotte, NC
Real Estate REALTOR®/Broker/Designer
Brian... Those gas tax dollars are used to build and maintain our freeway system. On the other hand, if they didn't build them, we wouldn't use them... a solution of sorts.
Apr 18, 2008 04:12 AM
Jason Sardi
Auto & Home & Life Insurance throughout North Carolina - Charlotte, NC
Your Agent for Life
I'll protect you Jennifer:-)
Apr 18, 2008 04:23 AM
Brian Block
RE/MAX Allegiance, Managing Broker/Branch Vice President - McLean, VA
Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate

Jennifer, I have no problem with an SUV -- if people want to drive them, that's their own choice and they should not complain about gas prices.  I drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee myself and not a Prius.  Sure, tax dollars are supposedly used to maintain our freeway system.  Of course, here in Virginia, there are some practically uninhabited rural areas that have beautiful brand new roads, while in Northern Virginia where most of the drivers are and most of the tax dollars come from, we suffer with congestion and outdated highways.

Surely, there are better solutions for the freeway system that can be found through the private sector than through government programs. 

Apr 18, 2008 04:28 AM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

I drive a BIG SUV.  I want a 7 seater for large families.  It also saved me what a thoughtless Deer jumped in front of me last year.

Of course gas will stay high.  Things only go up.  They don't come down.  Of course, we could:

Drill in Anwar

Drill in the Golf of Mexico

Mine Shale

Burn Coal

Build Nuclear

Put wind farm off shore from Teddy Kennedy's house

Let Iraq pay for some of their own defense.

Let the Soudis pay for some of their own defense.

Take the floor out from under corn prices so David Letterman doesn't get any richer.

But, we won't do any of those things.  What will we do??  Only that which the political contributors pay our Congress to enact laws to protect. 

Apr 18, 2008 11:28 AM
William Feela
WHISPERING PINES REALTY - North Branch, MN
Realtor, Whispering Pines Realty 651-674-5999 No.
Good post John...I here a lot of complaining, but little talk or action on conservation!
Apr 18, 2008 11:33 AM
Jennifer Monroe
Indigo Home Team powered by Compass - Charlotte, NC
Real Estate REALTOR®/Broker/Designer
I love it Lenn! I vote we burn more coal!! :-)
Apr 18, 2008 01:55 PM
Simon Conway
Orlando Area Real Estate Services - Orlando, FL
A solution is on the horizon my friends. Check out my "JC Bell" blog and you will see what I mean. As for the rest - Gas is more than $10 a gallon in the UK right now!
Apr 18, 2008 03:10 PM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

I don't care if gas is $10 a gallon in the UK.  You can fit the almost 3 UKs in Texas. 

 

 

Apr 19, 2008 10:40 AM