@stevepea "people stopping buying Priuses" I wonder how much if this is gas price and how much is more choice in the market, combined with Toyota design choices. We have Prius being made more sedan-like when nobody is buying sedans, and the v wagon ought to be selling better. maybe people do not like the look of it (of the front end), Nonetheless I saw a lot of Gen4 in CA last week. Also everyone wants CarPlay.
Gas taxes aren't the only method of funding roads. In my area there are taxes and fees on new homes, special sales tax increases, property taxes, etc. Complicating the matter is that not all of the gas tax goes to road funding. Some gets siphoned off for mass transit and other non transportation purposes.
I was raised next to NE and have traveled back and forth through the state. Please, don't let on that it's as nice as it is or people will flock there and ruin it like they did to CA and CO.
Re: PHEV demand I see that California has a new bill proposing to extend HOV stickers to 2025 (from 2019). I am assuming that bill will pass and will assure decent Prime sales in the future. "AB 544 | Author: Bloom ... zero-emission vehicles, or transitional zero-emission vehicles to use HOV lanes for four years after vehicle identifiers are issued".
Yeah, Mr. Dee, and taxes that fund mass transit, help keep the roads clearer than they otherwise would be, so I have more quality Prime space!! Har, har!. The tough one is to keep those politicians' grubby hands off our infrastructure monies, and allow the funds to be used for their intended purposes! .
If you like HUGE crowds and waiting in line forever, they're for you! Please don't tell the grandkids I said that! .
Been there, Lincoln, you can sure see a long ways, and I bet winters are good for cross-country skiing. Me I'm a refugee from Indiana, left in 64, never looked back.....
Thanks Mr. Tracy for that update; it appears that the California Senate committee will meet on July 11th to reconsider this bill which has passed all votes so far. Come on California, I want my carpool stickers for 5 more years!! .
Wow. Sensitive point! I paid $0.84 per litre a few days ago. There are very close to 4 litres in a US gallon. So about $3.20 times conversion rate of $0.75 per dollar Canadian makes that $2.40 US per US gallon. That includes our new carbon tax. And just to burst some bubbles, gasoline pricing is only -very- loosely based on crude price. It's mostly based on refinery capacity and greed.
Well.. try reading it again! --$1.99, if only California can do that.....Wait they can if they don't tax us to death --I'd rather b taxed to death than live in Nebraska! I always roll my eyes whenever I hear anyone complain that gas is so high because of [insert just the ONE particular factor you're angry about]. Its price depends on a multitude of factors as others have pointed out, and tax is NOT the main reason why Calif gas is so much higher than in other states (other states tax their gas too, you know, and our gas costs a lot more than the tax difference). Two major reasons why Calif gas is more expensive: (a) the special clean-air additives required to help clean the air -- which I am more than happy to pay for so I don't have to live in a brown haze every day like we used to before it -- and (b) the fact that only a small number of refineries manufacture the Calif gas (if I remember right, it's only 5). So like any product, if you only have a few producers, the price is higher (plus the added cost for the additional ingredients). A lot of other factors come into play as well (including the fact that the refineries are now able to make more money selling the refined gasoline abroad -- which not only gets them more money from abroad, but also creates less supply here at home, which moves prices up). Not wanting to get too far off the subject, but if anyone is seriously interested in knowing what happens in states that adopt either "slash the taxes" or "raise the taxes" mentalities, might I suggest you do some research and compare the economic performance, ability to provide education, and quality of life in Kansas (a "slash the taxes!" state) vs California (a "raise the taxes!" state). Especially over the last couple months. Instead of going middle-of-the-road (as a lot of states are), both California and Kansas decided to be living laboratories in polar opposite philosophies for the last few years, and the results are pretty stark and clear -- though I suspect many who don't philosophically agree with what the results show, will simply cover their eyes and refuse to accept it. Kansas tax 'experiment' offers lessons to the nation | The Kansas City Star It's the end of the road for the GOP's big tax experiment in Kansas - LA Times Brownback Tax Cuts Set Off a Revolt by Kansas Republicans - The New York Times
I was just waiting for the Kansas example as I was reading your post.!!! Mister, run for office, I'm on your side!! .
And just to be fair, there are those who will (perhaps legitimately) say that it's unfair to compare California to Kansas (different size, coastal vs central, etc). Then compare Kansas to other similar states in the same region over the same period -- and the data shows the exact same result -- Kansas lagging far, far behind the other similar states of the same region whose economies have taken off -- with only Kansas stuck in a state of disaster. (Likewise, compare Calif to NY, Texas and other similar-sized large states). Okay... I'll run on a platform of "Primes for All!" (And instead of bumper stickers, I'll be handing out "Vote for Me!" Prime sun visor extensions...)
