cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/49238353
“When losses happen, somebody’s got to pay for it.”
Called Freedom Fuel Network, the enterprise encompasses dozens of gas stations throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, USA Today reported, although it isn’t exactly clear which locations are open for business. Plastered in American flag decals and “Freedom Fuel” branding, the gas stations seem to be selling unleaded gasoline for the fixed-price of $3.47 per gallon, about 32 cents cheaper than the current average price in the US.
According to GasBuddy, nearby prices range from $3.85 to as much as $4.49 — no doubt reflecting the slower drip of oil from the president’s costly war on Iran, which burst back into active fighting this week.
As head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy Patrick De Haan told the Philadelphia Inquirer, the current price of crude oil means there’s no way Freedom Fuel’s $3.47 price point can turn a profit.
“Stations selling at this price, it’s not sustainable,” De Haan explained. “Generally, when losses happen, somebody’s got to pay for it.”
De Haan raises an obvious question: who is paying for it? If the stations are losing money on every gallon, somebody has to make up the difference somewhere — whether out of Trump’s pocket, that of a friendly donor, or the taxpayer’s. And if it’s a private company taking the hit, how long until they stop subsidizing Pennsylvania drivers?
Already, the stunt seems to be distorting local markets. As of Wednesday, a nearby Sam’s Club in Dresher dropped its price to match the $3.47 figure — surely good news for anybody buying gas in South Eastern Pennsylvania, but as always, the devil is in the details.
That’s socialism!111!!!11!
If it were Gueverra Gas “for the people,” I’m pretty sure quite a few here would laud it and dismiss any economic arguments as the last gasps of late stage capitalism.
Well, there’s talk of making state owned supermarkets so it’s probably possible to do that with gas. But the rationale for that is not profit and the economics seem to hold up despite that, anyway.
But they don’t price with a bullshit meme price that’s severely undervalued.
I need someone more insightful than me to explain how Trump and team could see this is a good idea for them. Obviously they’re doing it to line their own pockets, yada yada, but there are 925 days left for Trump in office and this will collapse long before then.
I must not be smart enough (Dumb enough? Jaded enough? Flat out evil enough?) to put myself in their sweaty, ass-smelling shoes to understand why.
Edit: Duh. I think ToastedCoconuts and Hegar nailed it. Mid-terms.
They just need to keep gas prices low through the mid terms, in specific states that matter to them, then they can steal back what little came out of their pockets later. I presume.
Pennsylvania is a swing state, right? And New Jersey inched closer to purple last election I think. Seems like this is timed for mid-terms
Remember too that drumpf got a full tanker free from Venezuela …
Funny meme number, gas prices go down because capitalism.
I swear to you I think this is as much thought that went in to it. They needed a headline, and they got one. That’s it. It could collapse next week it wouldn’t matter.
@FoxtrotDeltaTango
I wonder if it’s from Venezuelan oil. You know, the oil we stole when we kidnapped Maduro… someone is smart enough for a long game, just not Trump.What in the deep sleep account bs?.. account nearly 4 years old, barely posted ever. Last commented 2 years ago … until now to say the above…
They post consistently, but Mastodon activity doesn’t always translate to Lemmy activity. If you’re using a Lemmy client on a phone, check their profile through a web browser to see their full activity: https://dice.camp/@DejahEntendu
