Remember when fuel prices went sky-high earlier this year? (How could you forget!) The airlines increased their fares dramatically, then started adding baggage charges for the second bag, then added charges for heavier luggage too. Why are the charges still in place?
UPS added a fuel surcharge to their delivery services about a year or more ago because the fuel costs were increasing. I shipped a package Monday..the charge is still there!
Costs for groceries skyrocketed because suppliers were saddled with additional costs for fuel for delivering the goods, and those costs were allegedly reflected in the costs of the products on the shelves and in the freezers, coolers, dairy and meat cases, etc. Why isn't the price lower?
Now that fuel has dropped to a price that is lower than it was 18 months ago, you're still getting charged for all of the items above. In short, you're getting screwed!
The explanation I heard the other day is ludicrous at best. One company stated they pay for their fuel ahead of time so their underground tanks are full of expensive fuel so they have to keep their prices up until they recoup the cost of it. Well, let me say this. bulls**t! I know they have twenty trucks with 100 gallon tanks which equates to 2,000 gallons rolling capacity. They have 10,000 gallons underground capacity which means only 5 complete fill ups or so and the tanks would be empty. Based on their radius of operations, I'd say that would be about two weeks or less of use, so they would be putting less expensive fuel in the tanks in about 7 days or so since they never let the tanks run dry. (If they do, that would be rather moronic as any mechanic would tell you!)
So, they're keeping the rather large profit they're now making until and unless they reduce the price to the stores, and the stores will keep the profit until they reduce the price to you. Strangely enough, it didn't take all that long for the prices to go UP, but it sure will take a long time for them to go down, if they ever do! The stores tell you they don't mark up until current shelf inventory is gone, but we all know that's a crock of bull, since they all use computerized checkouts, and the UPC is the same on new and old stock. They change the price in the computers and the computer can't tell what's old or new. Years ago it was true; your mother likely looked on the shelf for the can or package with the lower stamped price or label, as grocery stores actually priced up or down based on their cost, and profit margin. When computerized checkstands came into use, that went away.
As for fuel, sure, some companies thought they could beat the fuel price increases by buying huge quantities of oil at a fixed price in what is known as "key card" operations. They paid ahead for thousands of gallons of fuel at a set price on the day they paid for it. If the price increases, they still pay the same set price regardless of how high the price goes. Operations like this were featured on television news as innovative ways companies were keeping their costs in check a few months ago, when fuel prices were headed towards $5.00 per gallon. All well and good, except that fuel prices took a precipitous drop! So people who locked in fifty thousand gallons of $4.00 a gallon regular unleaded, were left holding the bag as fuel is now $2.00 or less in some places. But, they still want you to pay the difference in their product price, because they screwed up in their guesstimates!
It's no different than the futures buyers and speculators who caused the fuel prices to skyrocket in the first place. They made a ton of money when fuel went through the roof, and it was the skin off our backsides that made it for them. But hear them cry when the prices dropped and they lost their market accounts. Same with the Middle Eastern oil producing countries and their emergency meetings. My God, (or in their case My Allah, I guess) the price of oil is falling..how can we screw the world a bit more. After all, all we have to sell is sand if they don't buy oil! We need more luxury hotels and Mercedes cars..quick..help us..we're becoming underprivileged. If oil goes below $50 a barrel, can we ask Obama for a bailout too?
Once again, America, quit having such a short damned memory! Remember who screwed you, and quit being quite so forgiving! I believe it is Christian-like to turn the other cheek, to people. But NOT to corporate entities who do not care about people. Humans should have love and compassion for other humans. But not to corporations. Corporations are greedy, self-centered predatory entities that feed off people, and when the bones are picked clean, the person is discarded like trash. Don't believe it? Ask any of the workers being dumped by their long term employers. Downsizing, smart-sizing, right-sizing, or whatever they want to call it, it was caused by corporate greed, and the executives and CEO's at the top are to blame. Corporate executives who get fat paychecks while the others get laid off. One executive bonus that could employ many workers over the year. In my opinion, when a company has a layoff, there should be a law that any executive bonus or perks be distributed to the laid off employees and not to any company employees. And that the State or Federal government audit the company books to be sure it is done! Why should some stuffed shirt company brass profit from the layoff of a worker? If you can't afford to pay the worker you can't afford a damned bonus or deferred compensation, stock options, or phantom stock or anything else.
Of course, this is America. I guess it's okay to lay off a worker while the COO of a company gets a big bonus as he drives a nice car and lives in a big house after he lays off workers who end up living in a cardboard box. Hmm, I did say America, didn't I? This does point out my title for the blog...read it again....What's Really Wrong In America!
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