Are You Upset About High Gas Prices?

High price of gas can be combatted by taking advantage. Of the mexican restaurant 's daily lunch special of $5.99....

 

Absolutely! I'm upset by rising gas prices, especially artificially inflated pump prices that aren't consistent with supply/demand forces. Rising pump prices are driving up prices for many, many consumer goods. Yeah, I'm mad as hell about it because even if I don't need to buy as much gas, I'm still buying food.

 

Damn whining Americans complaining of cheap 4$/gal gas.

I was in Vermont this weekend, my full tank was under 38$. I pay over 38$ here in Montreal.
A solid 10$ difference on 11 gallons (37 litres)

 

I can't control congress oil companies, China, India, Obama, state government, or whether or not people drive economically.

What I can do is what I have done: trade in a mini SUV that got 24 MPG and a van that got 18 MPG for 2 Prii and preach owning a Prius to everyone I know. That was all I could control except for my single solitary vote in the next election and I'll make sure that candidates that favor increased taxes on the wealthy get that vote.

Let me know if there's a march on Washington about this and I will consider attending or maybe I'll ask my Prius bretheren in the DC area to represent me . Otherwise, smug's the word for me. Sorry, but I really do enjoy pumping my 8 gallons and moving on before the guy with the Navigator that was there when I got there is still pumping when I leave.

We've been through this once before in 2008 so anybody that decided to buy a gas guzzler after that warning shot was fired can live with their stupid, irresponsible decision and STHU. There's a personal responsibility issue here and I have no sympathy for anyone that doesn't take theirs seriously.

 

^^^
Agreed. As I've stated many times (and at least one Car and Driver has stated), no need to wait for the government to do anything (e.g. push for higher FE standards, impose price controls, etc.) One can take it upon themselves to buy vehicles that are more commensurate w/actual needs.

There are plenty of efficient choices out there yet I still see so many land yacht monstrosity class (full-sized) SUVs running around being driven solo or w/minimal cargo and passengers, including some that were bought recently, judging by their generation. When I see these land yachts lining up in a long lines at a drive through, sitting idling away in a parking lot or while paying for gas and then pumping it , I just shake my and wonder...

 

No. I've been at 40+ mpg since 2005.

I have noticed that people have adjusted to the new normal. I drive my Prius at the speed limit most of the time and nearly everyone is passing me. The last time it was over $4 in 2008, most people were driving at the speed limit.

Too bad the 55 mph speed limit (within some of the major metropolitan areas) isn't rigidly enforced. I would get much better mpg then.

 

Don't forget that the first fiscal year of any administration is problematic for assigning blame, because it begins 111 days before the new president is even inaugurated. While the new administration has some ability to modify it, the basic budget is adopted by, and nearly 1/3 spent during, the previous administration.

I seem to recall 'Obama's' FY09 budget including a $700B TARP bill, signed 31 days before the 2008 election polling booths even closed.

 

YouTube - Brother, Can You Spare A Trillion?: Government Gone Wild!

 

But as a Canadian you love taxes. That is the only reason your price is so high. Canada is the only industrialized nation with a net export of oil, I recall hearing. Taxes taxes taxes

 

Probably, fuel prices have nothing to do with fossil-fuel subsidies. So my post here is pure piracy. Nevertheless I cannot ignore John Boehner's effort to reach across the aisle:

Boehner opens door to cutting U.S. oil tax breaks | Reuters

which I vastly appreciate. Gonna get him some hot emails though I reckon

Fuzzy1 you got TARP right, but lest we forget costs of "ongoing military operations". An incoming president does not quickly defund such. It is not the done thing...

Back to the thread (sort of) hey Treb, don't read this:

Conservatives Cherry-Pick Bush's Best Year To Attack Obama Over Deficits | Media Matters for America

 

Doing so would stimulate our economy, improve public health, clean the environment, and cut off funding for terrorists. Yeah, that all would suck, wouldn't it.

 

How? Why? You didn't know about mortgage deductions and oil production credits? or you don't believe that they constitute a redistribution of wealth?

 

Please tax up to $5-$6 a gallon. I believe that level is the threshold for rapid change. Euro contries see higher than that and seem to be able to function.

 

Exactly! Unfortunately, as much as I'm trying to keep politics out of this thread (to keep it from being moved to FHOPol), it would be political suicide.

Whenever you see the news media interviewing random people, they already are complaining, mad and think that current gas prices ($4+/gal in some places) is "outrageous" and "ridiculous".

Can you imagine the anger and protests if the government tried the above? If there were only some way to educate all these people on many of the issues brought up here and get them all on the same page...

 

At the present time, doing anything to truly address any of our long term problems is political suicide. The only way to stay in office is to promise a better economy, same or better services, and lower taxes. Americans are living a pipe dream, and the devil is about to demand his due.

Tom

 

One very real problem for America is .... we have always enjoyed plentiful and low cost gasoline. We have not developed any mass transit system except is very small areas. And what we had at the turn of the century is now gone. $5-6 gasoline will devistate the economy now. Regrettably, some will not see that as a down-side.

We can all think of solutions ... but there are no easy solutions and they are all long term remidies. Every potential solution becomes mired in politics, regulations, environmental concerns, marketing and not the least of all ... cost. Perhaps the easiest of all to rush to market is electrical recharging stations. Certainly easier than natural gas, and hydrogen. But electricity generation is a real problem in many parts of the country. Each method has pluses and minuses, but not one is universally acceptable, or available, or economical feasible, or servicable ... across the country. Even positioning electrical stations all across America (while not impossible) will be very costly and would require a very long time to realize. Try to imagine also, a cross country trip where every 100 miles you need to stop for X hours and recharge. Technology must come along a bit further before that can be an attractive option.

 

u all did not watch my video post. u should. now, its all a one sided commentary with facts i care not to verify (too depressing) but one part states, that if the government stopped ALL its spending right now, every single penny AND put a 100 million PER DAY towards it.

it would take 389 years to pay off the current debt with the current tax revenues we have going right now.

ya, thats right. stop paying EVERYTHING. and 100% of its revenue towards the debt along with $100 Million a day from some benefactor....389 years.

even if its a straight all out lie. they cant be that far off, but even if they were...what if its just a mere 39 years? funny how that does not make me feel even a teeny weeny bit better

 

Put a $2 tax on each gallon gasoline. Europeans pay $9/gallon. Americans are getting it for dirt cheap yet complaining while they continue to drive their SUVs. I laugh at them. They made their beds so they will lay in it too.

As for the OPs question, no I'm not upset about high gas prices. All I personally care about is driving as efficiently as I can. I'd rather pay $6 per gallon and be getting 50 mpg than paying $1 per gallon and getting 25 mpg.

 

Well, mostly except during the energy crises of the 70s. But yeah, I suspect that a fair % of Americans (or at least the ones driving guzzlers) think it's their God given/constitutional right to it.

Yep. For reference for others, www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/international/gas1.xls has some European gas prices. Our gas is also very cheap to Canadians. Some cross over to the US just to buy gas.

 

Something is misstated, as this version is incorrect. I'm not sure if you heard wrong, or I heard wrong and unconsciously corrected it. (My link is slow, so I'm not going to download it again to check.) The error is easily detected with a simple calculator.

$100M per day, without the rest of the government's spending stream, would pay off the $14.3T debt in 143,000 days, i.e. 389 years.

However, this rate is less than 1% of current spending, or 1.5% of revenue. At the current spending rate of $3.8T/year, or $10.4B/day, that total debt is just under 4 years of spending. At the current tax revenue rate of $2.5T/year, that debt equals just under 6 years of income.

Put another way, the national debt is just barely under the annual GDP.