$3 gas is here!

Do you even fly rockets?

Ted Novak TRA#5512 IEAS#75

No doubt!

On a related note, this morning I got the MOST pleasant phone call that totally made my day....certain friends of Ted from the NO area are a-ok!

To say the least....I beyond thrilled with said news.

Ted Novak TRA#5512 IEAS#75

Gary, I agree 100%! It's an embarassment to me as an American that this situation has been handled so poorly. Why are the bureaucrats and politicans all acting as if this was a big surprise? Don't they watch the Weather Channel??? I do, and I clearly heard them say over and over that New Orleans would be wiped out, that the levees would break and the entire city would be flooded. Somebody in government should have said, "Holy #@%~, this is serious! We better get started NOW!" The president should have dropped everything and made sure this was being taken care of, and if he didn't, his advisors should have told him to.

Why did the government tell people to go to the Superdome if it wasn't set up to handle refugees, and why did they just leave them there? Why does the government keep insisting they can't get help to them, when obviously the reporters aren't having trouble getting there? Why are police preventing people from crossing bridges that lead to dry ground?

Somebody dropped the ball, big time. Probably several "somebodies".

More generally, the rich benefit from high petroleum prices, because this forces the less fortunate to consume less petroleum, leaving more for their own consumption. This is the same reason the rich support high gas mileage cars and other conservation measures for the masses.

Well, no, it is generally the rich, who tend to be conservative Republicans. And certainly it is the Republicans who now have a firm control of the federal government. Bush's invasion of Iraq has certainly pushed petroleum prices much higher.

But the higher petroleum prices befits the US as whole more than other consuming countries, because as one of the richest oil consuming nations, the US can and will buy the oil, forcing poorer nations to conserve and do without. It would do us no good to reduce US consumption, thus lowering the price of oil, only to allow China to consume all the oil that we conserved, enabling China to eat our dinner as well as our lunch.

The US rich will always have enough money to buy gasoline for their Hummers, boats, and airplanes, and heat their homes with convenient natural gas, while the US poor are forced into the hardship of conservation. The poor will hope that they can afford to buy enough gasoline to run their chain saw and cut enough firewood to heat their homes. Indeed, I've noticed a lot more competition for firewood already.

Alan

Hit the nail right on the head Ray. Couldn't have said it any better.

When this is all said and done, then the shock will kick in :(

Ted Novak TRA#5512 IEAS#75

The politicians are stuffed shirts, if they were indeed worth being paid they'd be in the private sector. We have our trust in the wrong kind of people. As followers of CYA, they are in cover mode constantly so they have a reason to be in their office another day.

There should be a San Francisco plan for the 'Big one", a NYC plan for several emergencies within and without, a Los Angelas plan, a plan for every coastal city in the south and lower east coast, a DC plan, Nuc plant plans, chemical plant plans....there should be evacuation plans and emergency contingency plans and loss of infrastructure plans for any predicted scenario.

As a 'for instance' why was only one side of the interstate used for evacuation? A plan should be in place to use all lanes to exit, state police covering up signs and blocking off ramps. Local traffic can use local roads, speed is necessary for escape.

It is obvious we cannot rely on the Security 'czar' or fema to think things through and take charge or even have a coherrant plan for a disaster affecting a region. And forget about being ready for terrorist attacks, the hurricane gave plenty of warning. Someone had to take charge, some who tried were not trained (governors and mayors are not trained) to be in charge in an emergency, others just failed woefully. In the final analysis, you need your own escape plan, with several contingencies to adapt to in the event your initial plan fails.

This was a terrible disaster followed by a comedy of errors.

Chuck

No but the cost has risen by nearly 25% in the last five years due at least in part to funding expeditionary warfare to prop up your president.

How much did GW spend invading Iraq? $85B wasn't it? How much is being spent to help the victims of the hurricane?

Chris

There is no credible alternative!

Chris

Chris

What is the price of a gallon of heating oil? I may have to import this winter as I'll do 1600 gallons or so.

Chuck

I have no ideal. Diesel is about 95p a litre if that's any use.

Chris

It was the Mayor of NO that sent them there. What amazes me is they knew this was coming and 100,000 people had no way out. What happened to all the public transport busses, school busses, city cars and trucks? Why were they not used to get these people out. Remember this is a storm the city government said they had made plans for for decades. As far as this new racism lets blame someone else game remember the Mayor of NO is black! Second even having this discussion now is a disgrace to all of us. Lets get the people taken care of and the immediate emergency handled. We have forever to debate the what ifs.

Dennis

if you believe that, your'e truely an idiot

Buy a Venezuelen heating oil futures contract. Let it expire and take delivery :)

Jerry

A little over three years ago a barrel of oil was $7.50. Gas was still $9 a gallon in London. Somewhere near its mining cost. Now it is $65 ish and the rest is "fear premium".

Jerry

NGO

Point.

It was the MAYOR screaming profanities, and now you know why.

Jerry

Point.

I saw pictures of them captured parked at home in the later flood. They were NOT mobilized.

Point.