I'm confused - if the oil companies make 9 cents a gallon no matter what the price of gas is - and we aren't driving 400% more then we did before - how are they making record breaking profits?

Exactly. And the dems are trying to play this to political advantage by portray it as if the record profit is equal to recrod profit margin.

Volume of business, and they make profits from areas other than sale of gasoline. It's just the most visible one.

The oil companies don't just make money from selling
gasoline down at your corner station.

Was it Walter Williams who said stimilus packages are nothing more than trying to make the shallow end of a swimming pool deeper by taking a bucket of water from the deep end?

I just like saying "stimulus package."

Their bake sales have been going incredibly well.

And we pay for the gas/oil used to run tractors, transport food, build homes, pave streets, and oh yeah, run everything, period. In the end, you still have the oil companies making record profits while the price of everything goes up and people make hard choices. Are they still a scapegoat?

Regarding the $20 loaf of bread, your either/or situation makes no sense. Either someone risks their life to earn a markup, or no one gets food. Um, how about all the people who actually assist in crisis situations without wanting rewards? Don't tell me they don't exist. We've had enough crises in the past few years that I've heard plenty of stories otherwise.

It was hypothetical example to explain "windfall' profits and why they perhaps aren't always a bad thing, in that they bring others into the market creating competition and lowering prices.

Sheesh. Of course there are people who help for free. It wasn't meant to be a comparison to the oil companies and it wouldn't be a good one anyway.....the simple matter of fact is that the oil companies are NOT gouging ANYONE!

In 2007, Exxon earned a 7.6% profit margin. The average of most major manufacturers was 5.8%. Throw out the auto industry and that average goes to 9.2%. I can't find data for this year yet.

Over the last 5 years, Microsoft has averaged 27.9%. In March, Apple perfromed lower than expectations with only 32.9%, down from 35.1% a year ago. Doesn't pretty much everyone need a computer to get by? How dare Microsoft and Apple make so much!

Walmart, another retailer everyone loves to hate, only made 3.5% average in the last 5 years (by the way, I don't shop there, but not because I hate them).

7.6% is not a big profit margin. I really fail to see how eliminating all of their profits on the sale of gasoline would do much anyway. It's about 9 cents a gallon. Yes, everyone uses it and it certainly affects the price of everything else. But the oil companies are not the bad guys for making 9 cents a gallon.

And yes, CP, we do use it to run everything, period. Perhaps this is why we might want to think about drilling for and using our own natural resources because it is going to be a really, really long time before everything doesn't run on it. Meanwhile, everyone will continue to whine and Congress will threaten to sue OPEC and Pelosi and company will shut down debate on the issue becase they are on the unpopular side.

Believe it or not, computers are still a luxury item. Yes, you have a better chance of increasing your earning potential if you have computer skills but a computer in your home is still a luxury.

Paying the utility bills, buying food is not.