Americas Dependency: Part 1

Last week the price of oil was up to $135 per barrel. Not a good prospect for the impending holiday weekend. Car travel is down across the nation as travelers resign themselves to use more public transportation and give up the American dream of their own automobile. Since the first car was made by Ford and the advent of the mass production line was invented Americans have always seen the automobile as a status symbol and a must have item. Now don’t get me wrong, not everyone has or uses a car but millions of people do everyday. The question is when and where will increased gas prices start to hit your bottom line? Will you notice that you have less disposable income; will your errands be completed closer to home? Or will you not go on a vacation this year because the cost of doing so is becoming increasingly more expensive. Who do you go to seek help in reducing our oil dependency and search out for alternative uses to run our cars and heat our homes? Is the government or private enterprise the right direction to help our energy needs to improve our way of life and decrease the amount we spend at the pump?

I think that many everyday Americans do not realize how much they are yet spending at the pump each time they fill up, sure you might complain that you had to spend a little bit more, but what changes are you making to adjust for the increase in the price of fuel? Have you noticed other items increasing that you spend your money on as well? While the price of fuel continues to increase, so will the end products that consumers have to purchase on a daily or weekly basis. Food, clothing and general necessities all across the board continue to go up in price partly due to the cost of shipping goods and how far those goods have to travel before they reach your local store.

It’s just business and business’s are out their to make money, as stated by on Exxon Mobile rep at the shareholder’s meeting held this week, in Dallas, Texas. Exxon is not a charity and should not be thought of as such and they should have every right to make a buck or a billion plus. Right? But to what cost to the end consumer, when will people stand up and say enough, is enough.