Jobs and the Flow of Fuel

We see today a fierce unspoken competition between trucks and trains. It is well known in those industries and with those who ship the products, components, parts, natural resources, produce and event he fuel itself. After all the fuel competes for the cheapest mode of delivery as well. Whether it is a pipeline, rail car, tanker truck, ship, barge, etc. In the case of military, you can add in all the squadrons of flying gas stations too. The price of fuel can be the savior to an industry which is hammered by over seas competition or is trying to find a little more room to cut costs to appease a persnickety union with greater health care costs, safer working conditions (at least they often claim that), less working hours, more paid vacation time, bonuses, higher pay, etc. The money has to come from somewhere and the price of fuel and the supply will often determine the viability of a large corporation. Those companies, which use lots of fuel are very much affected by these trends. For instance; Airlines, Trucking Companies, Railroads, Manufacturing Companies, and Service Companies of every shape and size. When these companies pay more for fuel those prices are figured into the price to the customer. When such companies have long term contracts to a customer and the price moves upward to quickly then these companies have to eat that cost. This causes huge operational losses and poor quarterly earnings, which effects their market valuations due to hammering by the gambling casino stock markets when they report these losses. This in turn leads to massive lay offs. Which is not a good thing.

If you have been laid off recently, you may wish to look at your companies supply chain and distribution both too and from and the use of vehicles which use fuel and determine if high fuel prices is a part of the reason or another large factor in the fact you were laid off. Even companies you might not even think of are very much affected by fuel. Telecommunication, Cable, Garbage, Utility and even Pharmaceutical companies have vast fleets of vehicles.

Recently we saw two massive Labor Union disputes in the fire-ridden state of California. One was the RTD ? Rapid Transit District, which uses tons of diesel fuel per minute. So where will the RTD get the money to pay the workers more if the fuel prices are so high? Well last time they went on strike for five weeks and the RTD wanted to slow down talks because they were saving 5 million dollars in fuel every day the strike was on. So the longer it lasted the easier it would be to meet the demands of the striking workers. This leads to even more problems since the entire flow is disrupted by those who are suppose to be insuring the safe flow of transportation. Of course when people cannot get to work, buy things or go to school, other things suffer too. For instance; the store owners in lost revenue and the cities, counties and state in lost sales tax revenue; the State of California Franchise Tax board in lost income tax of the workers who did not work; the schools who are paid by enrollment numbers by the state and the colleges which derive income from tuition which now have more drop outs; the student loan programs because people who do not go to school obviously do not feel they should be paying for it; and we all pay in increased time stuck in traffic causing increased poor air quality because many of the people riding the buses now drive or pile into other peoples cars which make more trips. Generally the pollution of cars carbon monoxide from the burning of gasoline is twice as bad for people than the CO2 from the bus burning diesel fuels.

Many city buses today burn natural gas, some are electric, ethanol and believe it or not hydrogen. The beef with the bus drivers is they want more money? Yes so does everyone, but we are all in a recession so now, we destroy the credibility of the transportation system and hurt the taxation input of a strapped for cash state. Although this is only one of the recent strikes, the other being the grocery union. Grocery stores have huge distribution centers and some of the largest fleets in the nation. Safeway, now Safeway-Vons stores had at one time the second largest fleet in the nation hauling it's own product. Ten years ago; Safeway had 3600 trucks and Vons had over 2500. Making a total of 6100 trucks or units. When the grocery stores stop, the trucks stop, the stores close, which is okay because no one can get to work on the bus anyway? Who is going to use all that fuel of the buses and grocery trucks, which are parked? Did this lower fuel costs, due to over supply? Yes, but not when it co-insided with the need for intense amounts of fuel to put into the fire trucks, water trucks and aircraft fighting the fires California fires last year. Or when displaced people fill top off their cars and grab the kids. Still others jump in their motor homes and drive to AZ, NV or the other parts of the state. The reason we bring this up is to demonstrate that the flow of fuel affects every thing we do in life; our jobs, families, school, work and safety; not to mention our food, shelter and clothing.

If you will think for a second everything you eat, every piece of plywood in your house and piece of clothing you wear was transported to you and folks that took fuel. The cost of that fuel is figured into the price of your new sweater, nails and roofing material over your head and the Starbucks coffee you drank and the McDonalds Hamburger you ate, perhaps without the bun on your new Low-Carb Diet? Generally when the average person on the street thinks of fuel, they think of gasoline in their car and the prices at the pump and how much it takes to put the hand of the dial on "F."

Folks there is a lot more to fuel and how it effects our daily lives besides your gas gage reading full or empty. The flow of fuel is a critical part of our civilization and the costs associated with it effect more than your ATM Card balance or the dollars in your wallet. Think about it.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs

---

Bilderbergs

In the words of a secret agent who has signed... Read More

Hillary Says Health Care Can Be Fixed with IT

The great leader and Senator from New York and wife... Read More

Emerging Markets, Property Law

I read an interesting article in foreign Affairs magazine last... Read More

Eminent Domain Suggested as Cost Saving Measure in DC

Washington DC council member David Catania actually suggested that the... Read More

Colts? Stadium Short on Horse Sense

The predominant discussion in the Indianapolis media over the proposed... Read More

An Environmental Voting Guide for US State Elections

In these times when states are suffering extreme downward pressure... Read More

The Truth About Power and Absolute Zero

Societies have always had a problem of what to do... Read More

The Liberal Solution: Assault a Conservative?

Ok, here is what happened: On March 31, 2005, Pat... Read More

Kudos For Monsanto Company

I applaud Monsanto for their R and D. I would... Read More

Steel Import Tariff Taxes Hurt Industry, Not Help Them

US Steel prices have cost franchisees in my company and... Read More

Should the FTC be Allowed to Regulate Franchising?

Recently the FTC, Federal Trade Commission put forth a report... Read More

Cuba: Havana the Good

When North Americans discuss Cuba, they always focus the intense... Read More

Are Social Security Private Accounts a Good Deal or Raw Deal for African Americans?

How many legs does a dog have if you call... Read More

More Devastating Than a Nuclear Bomb

Despite their signature on the Biological Weapons Convention of 1975,... Read More

Retirement Age Will Have To Be Raised Since People Are Living Longer

With people living longer we have some problems as those... Read More

Make Plastic Out of Corn

Here is an interesting thought; Corn to make Plastic An... Read More

The Public Is Enemy Number One

There is something egregiously wrong about a government that will... Read More

Jobs and the Flow of Fuel

We see today a fierce unspoken competition between trucks and... Read More

Increasing Evaporation in Ocean to Defeat Droughts

One way to increase evaporation in the ocean might be... Read More

Self Destruct Strategies in UAV Construction

All UAVs Need a Self Destruct BLOS DeviceWhat do you... Read More

Population Control and Water Supply Issues

As we increase our populations every new soul will require... Read More

Market Impeders and Market Inefficiencies

Even the most devout proponents of free marketry and hidden... Read More

Justice Department Losing the War on Street Gangs

The Justice Department is at it again; promoting themselves in... Read More

Take Marijuana Off the DEAs Docket

Quit paying the DEA to chase marijuana. We could save... Read More

Voters are to Blame for Bad Politics

When I was growing up, I actually considered a career... Read More

FTC Hurts Franchising Consumers

Last Summer the Federal Trade Commission came out with a... Read More

Anyone Awake Out There?

As we reel from the news of the recent bombings... Read More

Protecting Our Buses from International Terrorists

We know that the International Terrorists like the idea of... Read More

NASA Budget Space Shuttle Thoughts

Regarding the issues with the Space Shuttle and the in... Read More

Workers

We have read about the unemployment rate being high. Really... Read More

MAURITANIA: Celebrating Tayas Ouster? Musical Chairs No Longer Fashionable In Africa

A few hours ago, Colonel Ely Ould Mohamed Vall, the... Read More

Global/Israeli Corruption!

What depth of blind insanity has inflicted itself upon Israel's... Read More

America Needs Election Reform to Ensure Congressional Honesty

America must implement a policy on Election Reform that is... Read More