Originally Posted by RandyT0001

Our government is not supposed to "help" us when it comes to gas prices. According to certain political affiliates the "free market" is supposed to govern the price of gas. So if you use less and the supply goes up prices should go down but that has not happened because the oil companies can just sell it overseas to people that will pay the higher price. The mantra "Drill baby, drill" that was repeated several months and years ago was an idea that if American oil companies could get no cost leases from the government to drill for oil in government lands we could lower the price of gas at the pump. Not going to happen. All that would do is allow the American oil companies to drill and pump out oil in public lands at no cost or compensation to the American public but they get to sell it to foreign companies and other countries to make bigger profits. The problem is that the "free market" does not exist like we were taught in school, the oil companies as a group through interactions through and by their industry lobby manipulate the suppy and price of oil. They maintain this power by "lobbying" our government (paying huge sums for campaign contributions, congressional vacations, conferences held in vacation resorts, etc.).