Gas Prices

now, see you're making sense now (not like that rant earlier)

 

Several years ago, I read a book describing the various factors that go into the price of gasoline. UNBELIEVABLY complicated!!! I wish I could remember the title. Besides the crude and the taxes, there was the emotion on the futures markets, distribution, refinery costs and disruptions, and on and on.

 

Correct. There is no one single factor that's the cause of gas price variations, but many, many factors (some more straightforward than others, unfortunately), and even if you were to take away a few of them, the others would still come into play. Unfortunately, most things are way more complicated than we all wish they were, and very few real problems ever have a (true) simple answer. That's what makes the world interesting, I guess.

 

I wish California were more like Texas, i.e., no state income tax, business friendly, booming economy, better education system, roads, etc. Alas, not possible in a state with the Democrats firmly in control and 1 in 3 people are on Medicaid/Medi-Cal and policies such as sanctuary cities and generous welfare benefits have acted as a magnet for the homeless and illegal immigrants, etc.

 

Well, Texas, Houston, is only 1200 miles away and you can enjoy their trailer trash treatment of people with only a 2 day drive in your cool Prime. Enjoy their WONDERFUL weather and VERY best treatment of poor, elderly, and children! Their state provides excellent Fundamentalist education! Texas education is currently ranked 43rd, while California is ranked 3rd nationally. Maybe that's why both of my sisters and a lot of their families are leaving that Place for California and Florida! Texas is also doing very well on its way to surpassing California in smog creation, and are pushing forward with great verve in trashing their environment, especially aquifers, thanks to fracking. Texas roads are a joke, with traffic lights dangling from wires, 50' freeway onramps, signage from the 30's! Been there, done that. Yeah, Texas, another name for paradise!

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Unfortunately, that's simply not true. Leaving aside personal philosophies and feelings, such as California deciding to indeed cover thousands of people that Texas instead has decided to leave behind to fend for themselves without medical coverage (as you mentioned with Medical-Medicaid), let's just look at the business data.

Looking at 2015 (the latest full-year data I could find), the facts of the economy are this:
California's economic output for 2015: $2.42 trillion.
Texas' economic output for 2015: $1.64 trillion.

One could argue that those numbers aren't fair because the states have always had different economies. So just as with Kansas, let's look at the figures that tell the real story then. Gov Perry claimed Texas was booming faster than California (while slashing services and taxes to attract businesses), Gov Brown claimed the exact opposite. So what's the truth? Well, here are the numbers.
California created far more jobs than Texas:
Jobs created in California during 2015: 465,700.
Jobs created in Texas during 2015: 286,400.

One could then try to argue "but because the economies are of different scale, California would naturally create more jobs than Texas even if Texas created more jobs per person." Fair enough. But it's not true either -- just look at the job creation rate.

Go to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and look at the figures.
In 2015, California had a job creation rate of 3%.
In 2015, Texas had a job creation rate of 1.5%.
For 2016 (figures through November) the difference decreased slightly, but still shows the same result:
For 2016 through November, California had a job creation rate of about 2%.
For 2016 through November, Texas had a job creation rate of about 1.6%.

Nobody likes paying taxes (including me), and these are two valid philosophies that have always been at play in this country, but the data shows that while California has decided to yes, tax more and help people, it continues to grow and attract businesses and jobs at a far higher rate than Texas, which decided to slash taxes and leave people to fend for themselves.

Like every issue, there are obviously many reasons for this, but facts don't lie, and these are the facts (except of course, for those people in this country simply too afraid to ever acknowledge anything that doesn't support their philosophy; they will simply call the US Bureau of Labor's Statistics "Fake News" and live in a nice little bubble of unreality for themselves)

 

California has 1/4 of the illegal immigrant population in the country because of generous public benefits California gives immigrants here illegally unprecedented rights, benefits, protections - LA Times. One in 10 paid workers is an illegal immigrant Undocumented Immigrants in California - PPIC

California ranked third in education? Ha! Not according to this "The state ranked 41st in conditions that help children succeed, 39th in school finance, and 30th in achievement." Education: California ranks 10th to last

If the job creation rate is good in California, it's in spite of the state government. Go private industry! I firmly believe that the state with the best business friendly climate in terms of taxes and regulations, and that helps instead of hinders businesses, and that caters to its citizens rather than freeloaders is going to win economically long term.

I think we're seriously off topic here, so this will be my last post on the subject.

 

Immigration now? Sigh.

Private industry is the same in California as it is in Texas (just as it's the same in Ohio as it is in Kansas). Private industry aren't non-profit bleeding heart organizations trying to save the world, private industry are businesses in business to make money -- and the data (at least currently) clearly shows that taken as a whole, businesses want to be in, and create jobs in, areas where people and the environment are treated respectfully, not in extreme low-tax states, where those things are cast aside in favor of tax breaks. Most business owners usually live where their businesses are located.

--I'd rather b taxed to death than live in Nebraska!

I assume that was a joke, too. But curious, what are some good/interesting things to see in Nebraska (even off the beaten/tourist path) If one were to take a late-summer road trip there?

 

Oh be nice, will you!! Besides, we're picking on Texas right now, so please stay on topic!! Har, har

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Also, there are wry sardonic rascals who promote Primes living there, so that's a plus!!

 

Er, excuse me son, but you ain't got nothin on us...

Twisted: The Battle to Be the World's Largest Ball of Twine - The Atlantic

 

Well gas has gone down to 2.53gal for Arco regular here in hotter than blazes (soon) Anaheim. Gas is going down, oil is going up, now at $46/barrel. When/where will they meet?

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I have a Gen 4 so this may be off-topic.
I just filled up at $1.89 per gallon at Exxon. I think it was 5 cents lower shortly before the holiday weekend.

 

It's now under $2/gallon for regular unleaded at most stations around here. My electric mode is still cheaper, but it's starting to get close. I'm amazed at how long gas has been so low.

 

Gas is $2.51 for 85 octane at the discount station on my street. It is $2.59 at the chevron by the freeway. Luckily I still haven't had to get gas yet in my Optima plug in.

 

Down to $1.86 here

 

We're "up" to $1.71 for cash only E-10 and ~$1.81 for credit E-10 and ~$2.12 for 100% gas. About $0.10 higher than pre-4th prices.

 

We're "up" to $1.71 for cash only E-10 and ~$1.81 for credit E-10 and ~$2.12 for 100% gas. About $0.10 higher than pre-4th prices.