"gas companies are making record profit"

You mean the oil companies? If so then they aren't *neccessarily* making record profits because they have to buy the oil (which as we know is not cheep - *especially* these days). It *sounds* like they're trying to find the most inexpensive prices themselves. This thing goes up MUCH higher on the food chain but I personally don't put a lot of blame on our own oil companies. We need to drill for it in our own country AND off of our shores while being as respectful and protecting as much as possible to the environment. *I* mostly blame congress. They're too busy kissing every lobiest's - *cough* - "butt" - to care about what "WE THE PEOPLE" want and *need*.

I wasn't going to post a link to this but since it's now brought up (sort of) to anyone interested, you can go to a website called:

http://www.americansolutions.com/

I'm still doing some research of my own BUT there is a petition going on that pleads for congress to lift the ban that congress imposed on us and to allow us to drill here in our OWN country and off of our shores - to allow us to use our OWN resorces. It's supported (seems to be anyway) by people from all kinds of political backgrounds so it's not a republican nor democrat website. I've already signed it but everyone needs to make their own decision about it.

I know we're ALL very busy with our own lives but I ask that you all at least do your best to "study" what this group is trying to do with this petition. If you scroll down to the near bottom of the petition page, it gives some facts on their intensions. I think there are other things this group may be trying to accomplish as well other than the "drill here, drill now, pay less" petition but I'm not sure what it all is. I was just interested in the petition myself.

Julie

I fully agree, we need to be tapping our own resources. I have two sisters that live in Texas, one in Midland-Odessa, when I go see her, there are hundreds of wells just sitting idle.

When I made the comment about gas companies making record profits, for the past year, companies like Exxon, Mobil etc are posting 30 billion dollars profit a quarter. Now in my business world, profit is after all expenses are paid and that's the money you can take to the bank. It's crazy.

People think that the Gas prices just effect your car, but they don't look at how much more they are paying for food in the stores etc.

Just so you know if we completely turned to the oil in Alaska we would exhaust the US would exhaust that resource in 6 months. We had to study all that in Geology.

I'm fortunate. Our minivan runs on E85 ethanol gasoline so my gas prices are usually $.50 less than Unleaded (although the heat and flooding is messing with the corn crops this yr!). So our bigger gas-guzzler is a little more economic to drive. Regardless, I'm trying to make my schedule and that of my wife & kids match up better so we're only running one vehicle at a time and that we run all our errands at once - and hopefully not every day out and about. Short trips are actually worse because m.p.g. on most cars suck in town.

I am spending the rest of the summer sitting on 160 acres of land! Not going many palces, just looking and loving it! Hubby is spending on gas thou, but his job in PA. isnt that far from where we staying. Miss all you, hope to see ya soon. Love, teresa