What are the facts supporting the need to increase gasoline and fuel prices? Why is nobody telling us why?

The government can't do anything about it. The number 1 reason for gas prices being so high is that speculators are buying up gasoline futures on the commodities market. That is driving up the price, it is being bought and sold like gold and silver. The next reason is that we are so dependent on foreign oil, not always middle eastern, alto of what we use is South American, Mexican, and Canadian oil. If we could drill for oil on our own soil, we could become much less dependent on the world market for oil.
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quoting david lettermans 'top 10 things saddam hussein would say if he were still alive': "I might have been a brutal dictator but at least i kept petrol prices low".
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"Exxon Mobil reported a $40.6 billion profit last year, the largest profit in U.S. history, and the company's former president received a "$400 million retirement package"

http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/22/news/economy/house_oil_execs/index.htm?section=money_latest

They try to blame it on hurricanes and anything else they can manage to think of to excuse their greediness. The fact is there is no real excuse. Profits are up to an all time high. Bonuses and salaries are at an all time high among the execs. Read the article.
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http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/22/news/economy/house_oil_execs/index.htm?section=money_latest

because my dear, while europe and the rest of the developed world woke up to the effects of burning fossil fuels, taxes began to rise to encourage more efficient consumption and encourage new energy innovations. However your nation (usa) did nothing! it continued to consume the worlds resources at a huge rate, without developing any alternative options, now as oil becomes more scarce it becomes more valuble thus more expencive, along with ongoing war expences, and an economy on its knees the usa has to find money somewhere, and so it has finally decided to tax gas
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Here is the facts and your are not going to like it.

This country has decided long ago to have a love affair with burning oil like there is no tomorrow.

Than came the envorimental movment that decided to restrict supply just a bit with no oil wells and no new refineries and stop building nuclear power plants but hey oil is still cheap and that is no big deal.

Well the world change China, India, and other devolping nations start increasing their demands.

Still we thought we were immune so we did nothing about our demand in fact our demand keep going up.

Well we hit the wall and those in the Middle East found all these other markets and start upping their prices.

Now comes 9/11 since is show how shaking our supply lines are traders going after it making a killing.

The supply is going down because we still refuse to change our habits or desire to increase.
The demand is going up therefore we now have the prefect storm and prices go even higher.

People want simple answers to they turn to government and demand action.

They haul in the oil companies and say bad boy.

It doesn't matter that oil companies cut is about 4% and the government is about 19%.

We want simple answers we want one bad guy in the story.

Sorry there isn't we all had hand in this so we all get to have the rewards of it.
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