I saw a gas station here in the Spokane Valley of Eastern Washington advertising their lowest price gasoline at $307 per gallon. I know that’s a low price by some local standards, but it’s exorbitant in my area. How about you? What’s your breaking point before contacting your local government officials?
Let’s hold the “Carpet Baggers” accountable.
I have to use hi-test in mine. I’ve paid as much as 3.25 a gallon after Hurricane Rita came thru. that is, once I could FIND premium again.
The manufacturers have us by the short hairs. Unless we all trade for a 40 GPM scooter, we’re stuck.
I guess it’s still better than the equivalent 8.00 per gallon they have to pay in Europe.
Kirk
Our local government officials are a big part of the problem. Check out how much of what you pay at the pump is for taxes…
Gas at 3+ bucks a gallon is still cheaper then bottled water.
I’m here in “oil country” and it just hit $2.79…your right most of it is taxes
The bandits down the street are getting $3.08, but they are the highest around. I can find gas elsewhere at $2.87
I’m not pointing fingers here, but if you drive a gas guzzler or drive excessive speeds then you only have yourself to blame.
The wife and myself have 3 vehicles. My S-10 gets 26 mpg but only gets used for “truck” things.
The Honda get 30+ mpg even with 200,000 miles on it, and the 3 cylinder Geo gets 52 mpg. That’s right 52 mpg
These cars are not new, speedy, fancy or roomy. But they are practical
Gas guzzlers should be an indangered spiecies, yet I see folks driving their F-250s to the market or commuting in their Hummers
Some people need to wake up.
I have to agree with Kerry. I find myself complaining about how much it cost me to fill up as I walk to the cooler to get a 20 oz. Diet Pepsi that costs $1.30.
Hmm… Diet Pepsi: 6.5 cents/ounce or Gasoline: 2.34 cents/ounce. Which one is the bargain?
If you drink 20 gallons of Pepsi a week, I’d think your car would be the least of your problems. The impact of these high prices will be reflected in everything else as well. :shock:
My car requires premium and here in the SF Bay Area I pay around $3.55/gal, but when I campare that to my kids sucking down 4 to 5 gallons of organic milk at $6/gal, gas seems like an affordable commodity.
If things keep going the way they are, the prediction of a loaf of bread costing a million dollars is conceivable. :shock:
Given the way things work I think its something like this:
for $3 at the pumps a small amount goes to pay for gas and a large amount goes to the gov’t. Then the gov’t gives that large amount and then some to the gas companies in via tax breaks, exploration subsidies depretiation on the oil fields etc.
<Rant On>
The true cost of gas is closer to the European prices than our prices. I think it is about time that we accept the situation for what it is (one of scarce resources) and start developing some real incentives to save on fuel costs i.e. tax rebates for high milage cars, penalties for driving and producing gas hogs, public transportation that is affordable and that works. We have a local program that the utilities sponsor (they are forced to, its not out of the goodness of their hearts) that will pay for up to half the cost of insulating a house. This kind of effort will actually save on fuel. If we can send men to the moon (for a vacation, but not fishing) we can certainly figure out ways to help deal with this problem.
<Rant OFf>
jed
I’ve been amazed at the lack of indignation around here over gas prices ($2.76 gal). We should be up in arms over this.
The position that gasoline is a bargain because it’s cheaper than bottled water is a straw argument, first put forward by ABC hack John Stossel. First off, this moron is payed by the industries to go on TV and tell you everything is alright. There’s no Global Warming, No increase in School violence, food additives don’t hurt you, and tobacco companies did nothing wrong! Yeah…right! Here’s why that’s a ludicris argument.
- Bottled water does not get me from my house to work, the stores, or anywhere else.
- I don’t use 25-40 gals. of bottled water, milk, or any other bevereage in a week.
- I can do without bottled water, or milk or Coke if it gets too expensive. I need gasoline.
- The price of bottled water does not effect what I have to pay for everything else. Fuel costs are passed down to the consumer.
5… Bottled water is a luxury. Fuel is a necesity.
It does not cost them that much to produce gasoline. Part of the increase in cost is due to new EPA regulations about storage of oil and gas. Still, there is no reason for gas to be over $1.50 gal.
What should happen is that every individual in the country that can, and every non-essential business that can, shut down all cars, trucks, busses and planes for 24 hours in protest. Call your boss and tell them you can’t afford to dive to work because of gas prices. Just 24 hours, as a protest.
Of course, I know that will never happen, because we as Americans, haven’t had that kind of courage for many, many years. We have pretty much turned in to a nation of sheep, blindly accepting whatever is done to us. We never stick together on anything anymore, even if it involves our Constitutional rights. Remember when the Supremes ruled that the government can take away your house and property and give it to someone else, just because they can pay more tax (in Connecticutt)? Those judges are still on the bench! WHY!!!
Think about it!!!
Semper Fi!
I have a well on my farm here in SE Michigan and I drink from it every day. It taste good, quinches my thirst and if you want, you can bring your gallon jugs by and fill them up for 25 cents each. If I get enough takers I should be able to afford all the gas I need which is going for $2.87 a gallon today. Thank you very much.
It’s all supply and demand - the only way we can get them to lower the prices is not to buy so much - whether it’s a day that you don’t drive, combining trips and carpooling, or buying high mpg vehicles, if we buy it, they’ll charge for it accordingly.
Here in Minnesota we are hoovering at 2.73 although the state legislatures want to put an additional 10 cent a gallon tax on it now .
yea dudley
i guess driving an SUV or truck would seem excessive sitting up there on your high horse
Gas prices are a crock and we as consumers are getting ripped off by profit hungry companies, if you don’t think as I do that’s your rights. All I know now that I’m on a fixed annual income is I can’t afford to go fishing as much as I would like to due to these absurd gas prices. Shoot I get ticked just thinking about this issue.
Hobo
My turn to “stir the pot” a little.
I get tired of some people saying I’m to blame for gas prices because I drive a full size pickup.
OK, I drive a full size pickup. I don’t need a full size pickup every day but sometimes I do need it. Ok, I could buy a little car that gets more than twice to mileage as my pickup and leave the pickup parked until I really need it.
Let’s do the math together.
Let’s say my pickup gets 12 MPG (It averages better than that but lets us 12 MPG for easy figuring.) If I drive 12000 miles this year (about average for me) it takes 1000 gallons of gas X $3/gallon = $3000.
I decide to park my pickup and buy a used car for $2000. (Not much of a car but it’ll get me there.) If said car gets 30 MPG the same 12000 miles will take 400 gallons of gas X $3/gallon = $1200.
Should I spend $2000 on a car to save $1800 worth of gas? Not sure that makes much sense.
One more thing just to “fan the flames”. I also get tired of the “I’m on a fixed income” statement. I’ve got news for you. I’m a 46 year old teacher. I, too, am on a fixed income. My teaching contract pays me XXX dollars per year. Maybe not the same thing as someone being on a fixed “retirement” income but still a fixed income none the less.
If everyone saved $1800 worth of gas a year there would be alot more to go around.
There would be less demand
Prices would fall
Eveyone benefits
Not hard to figure out
Yes I think it’s very excessive. Gas hogs are not just part of the problem… they are the problem
Dudley-
I do agree with you to a point. Yes, we could all drive the price of gas down by getting rid of our gas guzzlers and buying more economical cars. But if I and 1,000,000 of my closest friends all traded our gas guzzlers in wouldn’t we drive the price of cars UP? In the end, did we save anything? If the price of gas is determined by supply and demand isn’t the price of cars as well?