The Gulf Spill, Who Really Pays For It?

[jdmidwest]

BP was committed to 20 billion for the Cleanup and the after effects of the cleanup. Who do you think is really gonna foot the bill? Us, the consumer. Gas jumped here 16 cents this weeks and is forecasted to reach 7 dollars a gallon as a result of the spill according to some reports. It breached 4 dollars a gallon a few years back when OPEC decided to make a little profit. We are fortunate to have lost all of our BP stations locally last winter when they pulled out of the local terminal forcing many to rebrand their stations. I had always liked BP gas for its stability and additives that most stations do not put in to the fuel.

I am sure they probably own a majority of the refineries along our supply line and will recover their losses with interests at our expense.

[Flysmallie]

BP was committed to 20 billion for the Cleanup and the after effects of the cleanup. Who do you think is really gonna foot the bill? Us, the consumer. Gas jumped here 16 cents this weeks and is forecasted to reach 7 dollars a gallon as a result of the spill according to some reports. It breached 4 dollars a gallon a few years back when OPEC decided to make a little profit. We are fortunate to have lost all of our BP stations locally last winter when they pulled out of the local terminal forcing many to rebrand their stations. I had always liked BP gas for its stability and additives that most stations do not put in to the fuel.

I am sure they probably own a majority of the refineries along our supply line and will recover their losses with interests at our expense.

Oh yeah, we will pay for it. No different than the banking bail out that we are paying for. That's the way it works.

I just returned from the gulf and it really is sad to see it in this state. Saw 3 BP stations close to where we stayed that had changed to Shell stations by the end of the week. I stopped at one early one morning to get a cup of coffee and as I drove back by it about 2 hours later it was a Shell station.

[eric1978]

Yep, they've got us over a barrell, so to speak. But as long as they're forking over money to the victims in the Gulf, it'll be a little easier to swallow. Those people need help, and it's not their fault. I don't think most of them have seen a dime yet. We'll see how it plays out.

[Outside Bend]

I hate to be the one defending oil companies, but do you really expect them to operate at a loss so you can afford a tank of gas? Did you expect they wouldn't try to recoup their losses?

[eric1978]

I hate to be the one defending oil companies, but do you really expect them to operate at a loss so you can afford a tank of gas? Did you expect they wouldn't try to recoup their losses?

Expect? No. But in all fairness, Tony Hayward or whatever his name is - and all the rest of the BP and Halliburton millionaires - should be sleeping in cardboard boxes before we have to pay a penny more for a gallon of gas. I said "should."

[Flysmallie]

Expect? No. But in all fairness, Tony Hayward or whatever his name is - and all the rest of the BP and Halliburton millionaires - should be sleeping in cardboard boxes before we have to pay a penny more for a gallon of gas. I said "should."

Now Eric is that anyway to treat poor old Tony? He told congress that he only made six million dollars last year. That's darn near poverty isn't it?

[KCRIVERRAT]

C'mon... the poor guy is so stressed out he had to relax at a yacht race! The poor crooked, stupid son-of a-................ GUN!

[Outside Bend]

Expect? No. But in all fairness, Tony Hayward or whatever his name is - and all the rest of the BP and Halliburton millionaires - should be sleeping in cardboard boxes before we have to pay a penny more for a gallon of gas. I said "should."

I agree completely...but I'm not going to hold my breath

[Al Agnew]

Actually, if capitalism and free enterprise and competition really worked when it comes to multi-national companies, of course BP would go out of business and our price at the pump wouldn't raise much. The other companies would keep getting "their" oil out of the ground for the same cost and get the same or similar price for it (well, maybe for a short time they'd get a higher price because for a while oil would be a little scarcer since one big company wasn't pumping oil anymore, but the other companies would soon ramp up to take up the slack). Or BP would try charging more for theirs to recoup THEIR loss, but we'd just go to a cheaper quick shop. But we all know that won't happen. When was the last time you saw ANY difference in the price of gas depending upon the brand name on the pump?

Exxon-mobil made $52 billion in gross operating profit last year, according to Forbes Magazine.

Exxon-mobil paid zero U.S. income taxes last year.

[Phil Lilley]

I deleted my post - I had posted a link to the exxon home site and what they said they paid in US taxes but in searching further I found a mirage of articles talking about how they (exxon) moved money around and possibly avoided paying alot of taxes. I say possibly cause I don't think anyone knows for sure but everyone sure has an opinion one way or the other!

It's not my fight so I'll stay out of it.

Back to working on my high school reunion stuff.