Originally Posted By retlawfan Does anyone know what the percentage of profit the oil companies actually make? I heard (on a percentage basis) that it is very low. Should there be a specific profit margin enforced by the government? Should Congress step in and tell Disney, for example, that they can only mark up that Donald Duck doll 5%, and then sell it for only $2.35. What do you think that would do to our ticket prices to the parks? So, why penalize Oil companies for creating big sales(NOT high profit margins). If we as a nation didn't use so much gas, they wouldn't make so much profit. Take a bus to work. Carpool. Combine trips. Unless people are willing to do things like this, then they don;t have much of a reason to complain. And, for the record, I cannot take a bus or carpool to work. So, I have to pay what the going rate is for gas. I don;t like it, but have chosen to live where I want to instead of where it is conveinient. That was my choice. I choose to buy gas. I could find a different job and somewhere close by to work( to minimize or eliminate the need for gas), but I choose not to.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>Unless people are willing to do things like this, then they don;t have much of a reason to complain. << That's true. I don't like how the oil companies take advantage of situations like Katrina to jack up the prices, but you're right that the choice is ours. We've cut way back on the amount of driving we do because of the gas prices.
Originally Posted By Beaumandy You want real problems? Just have the evil oil companies shut down alltogether and see how well the world does.
