Costly oil pushes gasoline to 14-month high

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The effect of high crude oil prices continued to pinch consumers at the pump, with the average cost for gasoline rising 4.9 cents to the highest level in 14 months and diesel fuel soaring 6.3 cents to match the record set two years ago, the government said on Monday.

The national price for regular gasoline averaged $2.87 a gallon, up 65 cents from this time last year and the highest since August 2006, the federal Energy Information Administration said in its survey of service stations.

Pump prices are expected to climb even higher as more of this month's spike in crude oil costs is passed on to drivers.

The price of U.S. oil has jumped about $14 a barrel in October and hit a new record high of $93.80 on Monday at the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN2956110720071029?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews

[Purveyor]

1. Many can adjust their driving habits to compensate for the uptick in gasoline, few can do so

when it comes to heating oil to heat their homes this winter. Heating oil is just 'not an optional' expenditure.

People will die this winter due to the cost of heating ones home.

[Purveyor]

2. Also read: Government money short to help poor pay heating bills

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - About 30 million low-income American households who will need help paying heating bills this winter from a U.S. government program will be left in the cold because of a lack of funding for the program.

The poor, already digging deep to pay for expensive gasoline, also will face much higher heating fuel costs, especially if oil prices stay near record levels.

Consumer groups and state energy officials have sounded the alarm, saying a federal program to help poor families pay heating bills will have nowhere near the money needed to cover those expected to seek assistance.

The government's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, known as LIHEAP, only has enough funding to cover 16 percent of the 38 million poor households eligible for the program.

The current $2.16 billion LIHEAP budget in only $300 million more than what the program had when it was created by Congress in 1981. Despite higher energy costs, the Bush administration has proposed cutting the program's budget.

"We've got in essence the same level of funding, yet increasing energy costs," said David Fox, executive director for the National Low Income Energy Consortium.

---eoe---

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=3753611

[Amonester]

4. Hey! The Chimperor wants $200 billions for his havemores.

And the "New Direction" Dems gave him $97 billions last May because they were afraid to be catapulted as "not supporting the troops" by the "no news" havemores.

It seems "impeachment is off the table" to keep the powder dry (and the heating oil tanks empty).

[SpiralHawk]

3. "Smirk, smirk, smirk" - republicon homelander oil cronies

"That's like, totally too bad and stuff for you, smirk, noisy American proles. Smirk, smirk, smirk."

- Republicon homelander oil cronies