Oil, Gas And Lies, Lies, Lies!!!!

A recent report reveals that the US created zero new jobs last month. The last time this happened was in 1945. The unemployment rate is still at 9.1% but some people think that number is way to low and the real number is more like 12.5%-19.5%. I think that what ever the real number is along with the down economy and the rising prices of just about everything the collapse is near. Just look at the news you can find some truth in it like the storms and how a big number of oil rigs had to shut down in the gulf and how that is going to drive up the price of gas. Why? If you hear the talking heads in Washington tell the story of oil and how we need to drill for more here in the U.S. and how drilling more will not help us because we get most of our oil from outside this country. Then why will the cost of gas go up from us stopping the oil platforms in the gulf for a few days? Lies, Lies and more Lies!!!! I'm sure the shut down of the oil rigs will cause some problems with supply but as with all storms the whole area shuts down. You have a big storm and the roads shut down and you have less people driving so the need for gas goes down, but just a little because a big number of generators and chainsaws will be used and the big rush before the storm to buy gas, but how does this matter if we get almost all of our oil from outside the U.S. and even if we didn't get most of our oil from other countries can't other states just up there oil output to offset the short fall? I don't get the whole lie about the cost of gas vs. the oil short fall thing because the price at the pump goes up ASAP on oil that is months out from any storm problems. It's just one more way to rape us at the pump, how many oil refineries do we have here in the U.S., contrary to popular belief there are many, spread all over. According to the EIA, 149. However, they are not all dedicated to refining oil into usable gasoline, and 149 still aren't enough. The real problem, however, is not that there aren't enough refineries (which, once again, there aren't,) but that the refineries we have are not working at maximum capacity. Regularly, their parent companies will shut them down or scale them back, dramatically reducing their output. The oil companies say its due to refinery age, repairs, etc. There is much debate, however, as to whether or not these actions are actually deliberate in order to boost prices at the pump.  What adds further weight to the debate is the fact that dozens of refineries have been closed in the past 15 years, which doesn't add up during a supply shortage or price spike caused by the same, with increase in demand. It is also widely known that in the mid-1990's some refineries were closed as a direct result of refinery overproduction, during times of surplus, which was due to a loss of profits by the relevant companies. This further makes recent industry profit spikes quite coencidental, now that those refineries are closed and production is strickly controlled, shortage or surplus with every barrel with limited refineries, which can be slowed for any reason. Regardless, production of gasoline and related products is affected, and to be fair, 60%-70% of U.S. oil is imported.