Don’t You Love The Concern of Our Leaders On Gasoline Prices?
All the rebate checks in the world will not erase the simple fact that the economy has tanked, and the pain felt by so many Americans is real, along with doubts about the future. The concern expressed by the White House and the Congress is so lame you would think that we really didn’t have a problem. The President should be on this problem daily, instructing all of his executive branch departments to act NOW!
Some recommendations:
Justice Department: Investigation of possible price gouging at individual service stations.
Transportation Department — More expansive program to inform drivers on gas saving tips. The Department should also be reaching out with discretionary funds to mass transit systems that are coping with millions of additional riders. Also, a thorough check to see if airlines are complying with FAA guidelines by raising their prices with little or no warning.
Energy Department: A thorough investigation of the flow of oil from foreign nations to America, and whether middlemen are raking in runaway profits.
Treasury Department - Seek information quickly on credit card company gouging during this time of extreme hardship.
Bottom Line — The economy is capsizing in a domino effect, primarily caused by ghastly gasoline prices. Is anyone working in Washington?
A TIP OF THE HAT TO PHILA AREA POLICE -
City and suburban. They work their necks off in these hot summer months to keep us safe. And what a job they are doing! City and Suburban neighborhoods are safer than they have been in decades. Once a community is safe, a community becomes more liveable. So a tip of the hat to area Police and Firefighters for keeping us healthy.
AFGHAN WAR HEATS UP AND NOBODY SEEMS TO CARE–
For the second time in two months, there are more casualties in Afghanistan than Iraq. Please remember that is the real war on terror, aimed directly at the people who attacked us on 9/11. What’s going on here? Have we lost our resolve. A defeat in Afghanistan will do more to enhance world terrorism than any setbacks in iraq. The Afghan War against the Taliban is a must win situation. Is anybody ready to face up to thst? Ironically, Barack Obama seems tougher on a possible stance against the Taliban than John McCain who is focused on Iraq. Where are our priorities?
Gas prices are off the hook Larry. The State Department today said they were certain Israel would attack Iran this year. Iran has threatened to close the straight of Hormuz. In addition to strong world wide demand, no new refineries in US in nearly 30 years, there is a real threat of Isreal attacking Iran and causing major supply disruptions- that’s the real reason why pump prices are so high. As to the “middleman profiteers” in the oil trade, I’ll leave that investigation to you Larry- who do you think they might be?
gas prices are high & we need to end our dependence on mid eastern oil blah blah blah.but we can’t drill in anwar,can’t drill off shore (though the chinesse will be at some point)& can’t convince people to do away with suv’s.more questions than answers.
bryn mawr may be safer but i live in philly.philly is not safer,not by along shot.
As far as I know the people who actually know how to get things done don’t go into politics. So Larry don’t hold your breath while you wait for Congress to do something about gas. From Roosevelt to Bush the answer to any crisis is to tell the people to go shopping. Lucky for Roosevelt we had a War to stimulate the economy. After 9/11 Bush assured us everything was OK but “don’t forget to go
shopping.” GO SHOP!!!! Jesus, we were attacked on our homeland and this guy tells us to go shop. During this recent economic downturn Bush prints some money and sends checks to each tax payer with the hope of stimulating the economy.
Again “go shop”.
If America would just stop shopping maybe just maybe the government might forget their partisanship and come up with an energy policy that would rival the race to the moon. The way things are going lately we might have to go to the moon to solve this problem or maybe just send the members of Congress there……
ttc = jr Why the pseudonym?
Larry, exactly what we need. More federal government involvement trying to fix problems. You’re old enough to know better.
America has grown bored with the war. Too many nights leading story on network news. America is waiting for Obama to pull the plug, cut and run and look the other way.
Ed, I was at King of Prussia Mall last week for the first time since before Christmas, and it felt like F-ing Christmas! What are these people constantly buying?
One thought I had was because people are doing “Staycations” because of gas prices they are hanging around home and letting the kids spend and eat at the mall for entertainment because they saved so much by not spending thousands on a beach house or flights etc.
Consumerism has a dark side, and if it stops, the economy could really free fall. There’s a lot of people who’ve never felt hard times. It’s going to be fun to watch them reaccess their lifestyles. They will find out what smug self righteous conservatives like me were taught by our parents and have practiced all of our lives.
George I’m sure you are not the type of person who says I told you so, however the majority of Americans have no clue, including myself. All I know is we have become a nation of consumers. We are constantly told to spend our income. Spending is good is America’s MANTRA.
Where did this all begin? Why do we have to accumulate all this stuff? I used to sell products to QVC and wondered why the crap I brought them actually sold. It must be an inbred trait that humans are born with, especially women.
Larry, you should run for office. You’d lose, but it would be cute?
1) Do you understand how commodity markets work and that oil future prices aren’t governed by mysterious “middle men”?
2) Price variations of about ten cents a gallon from service station to service station are not illustrative in any way of “price gouging.” What do you think “price gouging” means? I’ll tell you what it isn’t: every station charging nearly the same amount for gas with a price differential of less than three percent. Show me a station in a rural area that starts charging $8.00 per gallon when everyone else is paying around $4.00 and I might agree with you. Otherwise, why do you want to waste taxpayer dollars investigating what have been standard business practices for decades? That’s right: stations had price variations even when the prices were lower. It’s nothing new.
3) Why wouldn’t airlines be able to raise fares to reflect market conditions, Larry? They’re not public utilities that have to petition to raise rates because of their tariffs.
4) With respect to “gouging” by credit companies, do you understand the credit market at all? In the wake of the mortgage fiasco, credit is tight and costs more if you can get it. People are leery because the economy was fueled by people borrowing what they couldn’t afford. It was on steroids, a mortgage equity bubble following the dot.com bubble. When you get right down to it, all the economic good times of the last fifteen years were based on illusion.
5) While gasoline prices may not be helping things, they are hardly the causal factor in the current economic slump. The markets were down before oil and gas were up as high as they are. It’s the fact that people can’t keep borrowing to finance a reckless consumer lifestyle they can’t afford that is hurting the economy. But of course that will all be better when your pet dredging project on the Delaware is done and people can buy more goods from abroad and continue to send dollars to China, our new economic masters. Let’s look at the trade deficit. It’s just a matter of time before they start buying up American companies and real estate. Do you buy American, Larry? I do. I support American manufacturing whenever possible. I drive Fords and Mercuries. If you want to help our economy, buy American.
6) The Taliban attacked the U.S. on 9/11?
Ed…..from last posts….No, the two giants I work(ed) for were REAL employers. Tens of thousands of employees, real benefits, careers, all the good stuff. (Walmart? please! that’s the trailer park of American retail) The one I’m with now even makes products!!!!!
I agree about the American need to buy. It’s exactly why the assumption exists that giving everyone a check will save the economy. We save less than other countries and always seem to be teetering on the edge.George is on it about the shock some people are going through when they get a dose of economic reality. It’s not the way to run a national economy.
Form Jim, I live in the real world and understand your reluctance to tell me who your employer is. I sit here watching talking heads and realize that there is more going on here than what these nitwits on cable have to say.
Leo and George have more on the ball than Larry and all of his connections.
How could a prominent figure like him come up with such lame thoughts. I must say Glenn Beck is not a nitwit.
Gas prices are high because of the soaring demand & because of the Israel/iran situation. Also, as a previous poster said, there have been no new refineries or nuclear plants built in this country in over 30 yrs., and we can’t drill in anwar or offshore.
There’s no conspiracy here. The government will only succeed in making things worse.
Mr. Kane
I am the person who wrote you yesterday.
I was motivated to to write you again,
although the response i received was not what I expected. To say I was a “plant”
was disturbing to me . As a concerned citizen about the gas prices , all i expected was a encouraging response, instead I got the same bureaucracy that everyone hides behind. In closing I do appreciate your time and value your opinions. I hope in the future I would get the courtesy that I put forth. Without
that we as a free country cannot reach out to our leaders . I hope to hear from you .
thank you for your time
er
er, Sorry to hear that you are so thin skinned. Larry rarely comments here. He mostly tees up inane topics for those of us with too much free time and strong opinions to bang around for a couple days. He views himself as a catalyst. Kind of like Charlie from Charlie’s Angels.
Jack Russell found that Anderson Cooper 360’s blog embraced him and did not blackball him like other blogs in the area.
If you are a plant, yes, you got me.
Buck up big guy.
er-Larry is one of your leaders ? I stick by my original assumption.You’re 1 part of a 3 headed blogger
Yes Yankee, Larry is the leader of ER and ER is mad that Larry is not responding.
1)It’s possible ER is pulling an Andy Kaufman and trying to get our goats with weirdnes and odd overly polite phrasing of questions.
2)He is foreign and not familar with how this works, in which case he will figure it out in a few days and move on.
2) It’s Leo having a little fun, plus he’s mad about Larry castigating him recently.
George-Too impatient.I wasn’t ready to out Leo just yet.Figured this might go on for a few days,have a couple of laughs.
Did Larry really say the area is getting safer ? I live in Philadelphia & don’t consider the city being safer.
Crime is down because the criminals can’t afford to buy enough gas to make a getaway.
Also many criminals do not keep their tires properly inflated because of the burdensome expense. The good news is that many high speed chases have been avoided or quickly circumvented because the police can easily capture getaway cars running on flat or improperly inflated tires.
Larry meant Philadelphia was a safer place for the criminals, not the rest of us. (Lack of free air not withstanding)
hello Larry,
a tip of the hat to the police and fire,and also to the trash collectors(sanitation workers)that is a tough job in the summer heat,right leo.
*****
here’s some summer stock,,
attractive women in the news:
1-Lara Logan cbs world news-smoking hot with an accent.
2-Dana Perino bush press secretary-I watch with mute button on..
3-Chelsea Clinton ready to enter politics-very smart and great looking.
*****
must see tv:
major league baseball all star game at yankee stadium who will throw out the first pitch.
*****
JR, You’ve adopted Larry’s new style by splitting ideas with asterix, nice touch. JR, you really need to check Meghan McCain, she’s smart and would be a heck of a lot more fun if you ran into her at the Irish Pub on Walnut Street. Also, thought of you the other day when I saw a Powder blue Schwinn Continental bicycle in NY. Everyone is riding bikes these days, which is good, I’m seeing a lot of new high tech folding bikes that people carry onto the train. The upside of these fuel prices is that there are tremendous business opportunities to adapt to higher energy prices, and every one of these new business opportunities reduces green house gases and all the global warming myths that Al Gore fantasized about in his movie.
High energy prices will spark American igenuity and animal insticts to finally find real solutions to the shortage of fossil fuel. God Bless America and God Bless the Jack Russell Terrier!
George-thanks for the kind words,the price of gas and septa strike is what started me on biking to work 37th and chestnut in 1976/77,septa didnot let you put the bikes on the bus.
Now I’ve been biking thru pennypack park for fun and excercise and it feels good.
I have a black schwinn mountain bike though not as good but I am not 25 anymore either,if anyone see’s me in the park say hello.
i think i told you in 1980 i rode to cape may and back it took 6 1/2 hours each way.
here’s a good idea a Larry King middle age bike athon what do you think george,bike riding is fun it makes you feel young again.
George how did you like my comment about the trashmen,and how about lara logan she is hot.
George i think Larry is in his summer stock mode.
george thanks for your kind words again,I enjoy your postingd you are a much better blogger the I am.
correction should say: Larry Kane middle-age bikeathon it would be bloggers that cross the lines.
The visual of Larry in cycling shirt and spandex shorts too much for this early in the morning.
Is er actually George Clooney?
Biking is great exercise but not practical for commuting in summer heat.
Why do all bikers feel need to wear spandex?
JR, maybe you should listen to Dana Perino instead of just gawking. You might get a different perspective.
ooojim,
you’re right I should listen to her,but if she is like the last three, it wasn’t much to hear,she is easy on the eyes though.
you don’t have to wear spandex to enjoy bike riding.
you’re right large and small companies would do well to have shower facilities for people that want to bike(walk or run) to work,i find bike riders are sharp and ready to work the full day,healthy people help cut the cost.
I can see it now a Van with The Larry Kane Report banner leading the charge of middle age bike riders on an annual bike- a-thon to A.C..we will let leo lead the pack because he can go on and on and on..
JR, Larry has his own racing team with blue jerseys, sponsor and everything. Team Viagra. They may not be competitive but they are always smiling…
If involved in a racing event lasting more than 4 hours, please see your doctor…
JR, thanks for the high compliment! I just checked out Lara Logan, very nice and apparently very smart, just read her career profile.
I miss my Schwinn Varisty, but I have been riding an old Raleigh 3-speed that I got out of my neighbors trash, all it needed was new tires (and of course air) and now it’s a vintage ride, a little Pee Wee Hermanish, but it turns heads.
Getting Larry to lead us on a bike tour will be a tall order, but if we make the argument to call attention to; gas station owners who price gouge , health benefits of biking,and enviornmental benefits, maybe we get sign him on. After the race we can have the first annual Bloggers Breakfast at the I-Hop and Larry can regale us with tales of yore. I’m in JR, now you just have to convince Larry!
Guy,
You are forgetting that Larry is very parochial. He won’t be interested in a bike ride unless it is a Tour De Philadelphia. AC is in NJ.
Plan to start at the SEPTA station at 69th Street. Follow Walnut Street all the way into downtown and end up at Penns Landing.
I’m not “er.”
I am who I am.
Now, on to FREE AIR. I think that Larry’s stance is misguided populism. Not to mention that there’s tacit elitism involved. Everyone knows that Larry inflates his tires with PURE NITROGEN, owing to it’s alleged benefits in increasing gas mileage. But who can afford $25 to fill tires with the predominate gas in our atmosphere?
If Larry really cared about the little guy, he’d be advocating for FREE NITROGEN.
I think the recent stream of earth shaking challenges on this site has take its toll on the regulars here. You guys need to get outside more and get some real ‘free air’
Fire up the grill and have a relaxing July 4th.
Have you noticed that the blog section has replaced Larry’s picture with that of the up and coming queen of opinion
Karen Heller? She did a thing on cheese steaks the other day that got over 100 responders. Larry has jr, Leo, me and a few others. You know who you are. I have kept telling Larry that his middle of the road approach was a loser. He “could a been a contenda”. He is from Brooklyn ya know.
Jr, I forgot to mention since you are into newsy women a poster of Karen Heller
would look good hanging on your bedroom wall. You could hang it right next to one of Hillary in her pants suit. I think Karen wears pants suits too.
I’m in for the bike ride.I’ll bring my floor pump so in a sense you’ll all get FREE AIR.I,however,will not be in spandex.I’ve never warmed up to that look.
JR,I’ll be looking for that black Schwinn in Pennpack.I’ll be on the Surly Cross Check,pimped out with Cane Creek headset,cranks etc etc.
Hey Ed, I just checked out that Karen Heller blog you mentioned to see if I wanted a poster too. She’s got a bit of mileage on her, so I’m going to pass. What I did notice was that on June 23 she had a post talking about how city council gets 90 days off per year and they have it so easy etc. Larry’s Supremes post was a direct lift of Heller’s idea. Larry got quite a few more post than she did, and he’s better looking, so we should probably let it slide. However, Larry don’t let that happen again or we’ll report you to your buddy Joe Biden!
I look at the blog section of Philly.Com and ask myself where is the diversity. This arm of the Phila Inquirer
run by a consortium of investors, prides itself in being a diverse entity,
yet where is the diversity? The bloggers are all of one religious and political persuasion. How diverse is that? We need a different point of view which would counterbalance the system now in effect.
Hey ER, bring the diversity if you have it, you are welcome here, you have no idea who we are. Make a point about something that reflects your diverse view and lets see what the response is. Otherwise you’re just a pussy making false accusations.
Stop bugging me about FREE AIR Yankee Pirate. Air is free. Gas stations should not charge for changing your tire pressure. It’s a ripoff.
Call your Congressman, if you find him or her.
George: “just a Pussy. Have you lost it! Can’t you debate without losing your cool. I mean - look at me. I can be thin skinned like you, “but just a pussy.”
George you can do better than that.
LK
er -
Plenty of diversity at the Inky and DN…
And don’t get sensitive about curious George and his pussycat comments.
Hang in there -this is a tough crowd.
Larry
Ed: Karen Heller will be pleased by your admiration.
Larry
Other, other, other Jim:
Team Viagra? I understand you want to try out!
Leo: Your writing is improving, but you need to join a political group or campaign. Your attack mode is worth of Karl Rove, except you try to do it with intellectual sarcasm.
I appreciate that.l
And I am not thin -skinned (ha)
Thanks Larry for your comments and critque. Perhaps I should have used the politcally correct term “wussy”, but as you know they mean the same thing, and I don’t like to mince words with someone who hurls insults without offering substance. I enjoy your blog and respect that you offer it and tolerate us, it’s a nice release from everyday work.
I’d encourge you to write with a little more edge and sharp critque on the issues and be less “safe”. You are at the point in your career where you can lay it down straight and I think it could attract more high minded debate here. I do read your stuff everyday and will suspend my hard -ass persona for a moment and admit I like and respect your work- but dont tell anyone!
Larry, I would be proud to join Team Viagra. Not a user like you yet, though. Where do I bring my Huffy and spandex?
Larry,we’ll have to agree to disagree.er,how do you know anyone’s religious or political persuasion ? One part of a three part blogger.
Mr. Kane
I agree that this is a tough crowed.
I have had many tough experiences.
To be called a ” Pussy ” by one of your writers is ok with me. I hope they can step up to the plate> And back it up.
What is ithis nonsense about. You write your thoughts and this is this response that I get . All I will say is that I am not impressed with that. Never mistake kindness as a sign of weekness. I wanted
to discuss matters with you but you viewers seem to be on the offensive.
I am well i wnon’t go there . If you dont
have an intellegent thing to add than dont east your time.
If you feel the need to attack me than I will be more than happy to meet with anyone who has AN AGENED WITH ME