Re: "W" Saves The Day!
When you advocate a single payer system, with fixed payouts for specific services overseen by the government, and advocate government control over oil companies drilling techniques, transportation, refining, and now the price they can change, yep thats really really close to socialistic. You have eliminated the free market forces. Other than the formality of government ownership, that is, in fact what you have.<br /><br />Stand by your premise if you wish, but prices are based on supply and demand. When supply goes up and demand goes down, prices drop, and vice versa. Your premium builder will drop his prices when the demand for his service drops. That is just a fact. I am thrilled that he can make a living making high quality executive homes. That is what all craftsmen strive for. A good wage for the best work. But if they don't have anyone demanding their services they will ammend their business plan to meet the actual market. That precludes you from dictating when he has made enough money. You can always stop using the product if you have a problem with his way of doing business.<br /><br />I think you can throw in the plastics industry in your conspiracy theory relating to the oil companies. They just keep getting bigger as well. Clearly the black helicopters are controlling the whole operation. So lets add it up, you were wrong on the tax rate for oil companies, who makes the most profits on oil, profits on luxury yachts, not provided any colusion between Prez and VP and the oil companies, while Ted Kennedy owns a small oil company, and you are not a socialist but want government to run the healthcare system (sorry a single payer system set up, ammended, and overseen by the government, with enforcement powers) and the oil industry. (where they can drill, how they can drill, how they can transport, where they can build refineries, who they can buy from, how they can refine, where they can sell, and the price they can charge for their product. You know - Free Market Stuff)<br /><br />Trust me that in the pump industry if you can squeek out 15% you are doing something right. 10% or less is more common. On the pump I was describing in the other post, 10% would be about what is made by the mfg'r on each unit. And there is probably 4-5 mfg'r of that type of pump. Engineered products, (custom to application) 30% is in line and 40% can be had if you can meet specific requirements. (delivery, material of construction, or other unique attributes specific to application) The installer is more likely to make 50%. So when we post record profits you can blame it on the installers, as it takes a professional with specialized equipment to install almost all our pumps. Retail is even more fun, as you must be able to meet their rigourous delivery standards or pay huge financial penalties. And if your pumps don't move, hey eat it. Heaven forbid you actually made a profit in advance of a slow season. Just pay some more taxes.<br /><br />The engine of a countries economy, infastructure and quality of life can be measured by power. Now we can take a look at the whacked out left wing nutcases, protesting at the construction sites of Nuclear Reactors, spending millions on lobbying congress to prevent the construction of refineries, oil exploration, and forcing the non-use of available fuels like coal in favor of Natural gas. So looking at these handicapps, the pathetic nature of Braziles economy, human rights violations, and quality of life and your statement is quite humorous. But hey if you can meet all the requirements and be energy independant, knock yourself out. See if your employer will create a parking space for your burrow. I bet your wife is going to love that mule ride to work each morning. That is if the PETA nutjobs don't stone you to death on the way to work. Better yet lets open up drilling off of the CA coast, in ANWAR and off of Florida. That would do alot towards independence. OOPS, here come those whacko's again. How about a little protest against natural gas fired generation plants and turning them to coal. Not going to happen.<br /><br />Profit isn't a dirty word, and if you think they are gouging, buy some stock and join the party. Better yet, start your own oil company where you only make 1%. Good luck getting a loan. But if you sell millions of gallons, you too can be called a gouger by someone.<br /><br />So now we see that the government is making billions of taxes off of the oil companies, billions off of the consumers, billions off of the support industries and you want to blame the oil companies for gouging for making 6-10% while government are knocking down tons more. But hey, the government can't be gouging. Best recheck the tax rate for oil companies vs. the average. Very neat.<br /><br />I am more than ready to find alternate sources of energy, its the government preventing it. if solar, or wind, or tidal, or cow farts will make the world a better place, I'm all for it. But it isn't that easy. Lets build some nuclear plants, fire up some coal plants, burn some timber, use heat pumps, but lets do it consistant with the laws of the country, and not the whim of the angry mob who think that they are paying an extra 10 cents a gallon more than they are "entitled" to.
