Ripped off at the pump ?

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by bronsin

Its not so much the price of gas. Its the people who drive cars and trucks that get ~20 mpg that I cant believe.

Foreign governments, the oil companies, and our government have put a gun to our heads and the publics response is

Go ahead blow my brains out!

Yea, pretty much. One will especially be able to say that when Obama gets re-elected. I say when because the bounce since Clinton's speech at the DNC seems to be holding. If I hadn't been straddling two states (part of my life in each) when the 2008 election rolled around, I would have voted for him. I now agree with him on some things, and disagree with him on most. However, the choice in 2012 is simple and it has nothing to do with the content of any issue. The president only has to do one thing before taking office.....SWEAR TO UPHOLD THE U.S. CONSTITUTION. He is the only U.S. president ever to unilaterally disregard the constitution with an action after admitting---the words coming out of his own mouth---that he didn't have the authority to make the change he wanted. He supports the Dream Act and if congress passed it people might not like it but it would still be properly codified law until challenged by others and overturned by the SCOTUS. Obama admitted that this is something that congress needed to pass, that he didn't have authority to act on any of it alone.....then he later enacts the 'Mini Dream Act' as an executive order. His support should have immediately dropped to zero after this. IMHO it isn't moral to support the re-election of a president who now essentially uses the constitution as toilet paper. I've changed the focus of the trip I'm about to take because if Obama wins, my plan is to never again visit any state that goes majority Obama in the 2012 election and therefore will cast their electoral votes for him. Such states don't deserve my tourism and tax dollars. I've been amazed that citizens aren't outraged about this. He's subject to constitutional checks and balances. He's the President of a constitutional republic, he isn't a king. Again, it has nothing to do with what the issue is, just his lack of respect for the one document he has sworn to uphold. A few days ago I saw Ben Stein in a group discussion on one of the financial channels. Finally, someone seemed as outraged as I am about this. He referred to Obama's base as his "constitution ripping up base".

I don't understand the 20 MPG car thing either. If you have 10 dollars or 10 million dollars in the bank or in a brokerage account why would you want to hand one cent more of it to a gas station than you have to?

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

Yea, pretty much. One will especially be able to say that when Obama gets re-elected. I say when because the bounce since Clinton's speech at the DNC seems to be holding. If I hadn't been straddling two states (part of my life in each) when the 2008 election rolled around, I would have voted for him. I now agree with him on some things, and disagree with him on most. However, the choice in 2012 is simple and it has nothing to do with the content of any issue. The president only has to do one thing before taking office.....SWEAR TO UPHOLD THE U.S. CONSTITUTION. He is the only U.S. president ever to unilaterally disregard the constitution with an action after admitting---the words coming out of his own mouth---that he didn't have the authority to make the change he wanted. He supports the Dream Act and if congress passed it people might not like it but it would still be properly codified law until challenged by others and overturned by the SCOTUS. Obama admitted that this is something that congress needed to pass, that he didn't have authority to act on any of it alone.....then he later enacts the 'Mini Dream Act' as an executive order. His support should have immediately dropped to zero after this. IMHO it isn't moral to support the re-election of a president who now essentially uses the constitution as toilet paper. I've changed the focus of the trip I'm about to take because if Obama wins, my plan is to never again visit any state that goes majority Obama in the 2012 election and therefore will cast their electoral votes for him. Such states don't deserve my tourism and tax dollars. I've been amazed that citizens aren't outraged about this. He's subject to constitutional checks and balances. He's the President of a constitutional republic, he isn't a king. Again, it has nothing to do with what the issue is, just his lack of respect for the one document he has sworn to uphold. A few days ago I saw Ben Stein in a group discussion on one of the financial channels. Finally, someone seemed as outraged as I am about this. He referred to Obama's base as his "constitution ripping up base".

I don't understand the 20 MPG car thing either. If you have 10 dollars or 10 million dollars in the bank or in a brokerage account why would you want to hand one cent more of it to a gas station than you have to?

The only exceptions I'll make to this are California, as I still have personal belongings there and most of my family is there....New Mexico -- that I have to drive through to efficiently get to California (but i'll try not to buy gas or food).....and any request to go to one of these 'Obama' states made by my little cousin re a family vacation. In the 80s The O'Malley family did something re the Dodgers that teed me off and I told my friends from that moment on I'm not going to be directly responsible for putting another dollar in the pocket of an O'Malley. I didn't set foot in Dodger Stadium again until 2007....after they had sold out to Fox.

[cali yaris]

In the US, the percentage of the cost of a gallon of gas that goes to taxes (I'm pretty sure in all 50 states) is a higher percentage than oil company profit percentage.

I have an unpopular view (I think). I think it should be HIGHER. Cost is the only incentive that will get people to change their purchasing and driving behavior.

[b20vteg]

Originally Posted by cali yaris

I have an unpopular view (I think). I think it should be HIGHER. Cost is the only incentive that will get people to change their purchasing and driving behavior.

makes sense.

[goliath1812]

Originally Posted by cali yaris

I have an unpopular view (I think). I think it should be HIGHER. Cost is the only incentive that will get people to change their purchasing and driving behavior.

it may change driving habits and purchases, but I still don't think it will make prices drop at all. people here talking about Europe, where most drivers have economic boxes, and look at their gas prices. substantially more than here.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by cali yaris

I have an unpopular view (I think). I think it should be HIGHER. Cost is the only incentive that will get people to change their purchasing and driving behavior.

Cost is the only thing that will get SOME people to change their purchasing and driving behavior. I want the highest possible MPG while still being comfortable and this applies whether gas is $1.80 per gallon or $5.00 per gallon.

I might feel the way you do if I lived in Sweden, but here in the U.S. I don't trust any level of government to use the extra revenue that would come their way with those higher prices to efficiently use those dollars toward the best interest of the general public, or, in some cases, use those extra dollars toward the best interest of the general public at all.

You do realize, as a small business owner, that some people might take a dollar they were planning on spending at Micro Image and and use it to buy that more expensive gas instead because they don't have the money for both.

[Kioshi]

Originally Posted by cali yaris

I have an unpopular view (I think). I think it should be HIGHER. Cost is the only incentive that will get people to change their purchasing and driving behavior.

For once, i agree w/ you. +1 for you

In other countries, gas prices are much higher than compared to here and Canada. Yes, i may still complain a little seeing gas prices go higher, but its the aggressive drivers who i usually see on freeway and laugh at.......poor sap in the BMW cutting people off, must be pissed he had to pay $90+ to refill

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Kioshi

For once, i agree w/ you. +1 for you

In other countries, gas prices are much higher than compared to here and Canada. Yes, i may still complain a little seeing gas prices go higher, but its the aggressive drivers who i usually see on freeway and laugh at.......poor sap in the BMW cutting people off, must be pissed he had to pay $90+ to refill

If such prices were implemented this would drive up the cost of some dietary staples, as such goods are often trucked to their destinatiosns. What would you say to the person who is struggling to afford those staples?.....Or is that what food stamps are for.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Kioshi

For once, i agree w/ you. +1 for you

In other countries, gas prices are much higher than compared to here and Canada. Yes, i may still complain a little seeing gas prices go higher, but its the aggressive drivers who i usually see on freeway and laugh at.......poor sap in the BMW cutting people off, must be pissed he had to pay $90+ to refill

I remember when you made that 'BMW cutting people off' post. I doubt that guy, nor Cali Yaris' neighbors, care too much about what they are paying for gas

[Kioshi]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

I remember when you made that 'BMW cutting people off' post. I doubt that guy, nor Cali Yaris' neighbors, care too much about what they are paying for gas

I'm sure they do, they dont live in Hollywood or anything, just in regular suburban neighborhoods. People around me are cheap, even if they have the money they will complain about it...take my word for it, seriously.

If gas prices went up, sure the prices of goods would go up naturally, but it would force people to rethink how they drive, how they spend, etc...

People want to go waste $650+ on a new iPhone when they can save that money for something more beneficial..imo, start saving/throw in CD account, etc.

Force is what people need in this country....kind of like how stores are forcing people in a way to bring their own shopping bag.....believe me, I'm no hippie haha, I'm wasteful, just giving methods that have worked well for other countries compared to the USA.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Kioshi

I'm sure they do, they dont live in Hollywood or anything, just in regular suburban neighborhoods. People around me are cheap, even if they have the money they will complain about it...take my word for it, seriously.

If gas prices went up, sure the prices of goods would go up naturally, but it would force people to rethink how they drive, how they spend, etc...

People want to go waste $650+ on a new iPhone when they can save that money for something more beneficial..imo, start saving/throw in CD account, etc.

Force is what people need in this country....kind of like how stores are forcing people in a way to bring their own shopping bag.....believe me, I'm no hippie haha, I'm wasteful, just giving methods that have worked well for other countries compared to the USA.

I added the 'too much' because I don't think they'd care enough to change their behavior.

I've spent quite a bit of time in Fremont, and I agree with you that there are quite a few people there who spend money on silly things. I also agree with you that there are a lot of people there who have money, but are cheap, and like to complain. The impression I get from patronizing businesses there is that many of these owners and clerks are tired of dealing with such people. Your description of these people made me LOL.

If you rent, there are few places (in the U.S.) where a place to stay can be cheaper relative to how high the incomes are than Fremont. People there can "rethink how they drive, how they spend, etc." as you point out. People even in "regular suburban neighborhoods". Fremont, for a few years, was the safest city in the U.S. with a population over 200,000 people. Nearby San Jose has the highest median household income of any large city in the U.S., and the median household income in Fremont is higher than it is in San Jose........Now, get on a plane and fly to Jackson, MS and spend some time South of I-20 or fly to New Orleans and spend some time almost anywhere in the 9th Ward (New Orleans East, Lower 9th, etc) or some other similar parts of New Orleans and tell me that more than a relative handful of those citizens can "rethink how they drive, how they spend, etc.". They can't. For the ones who have cars, the extra cost of that more expensive gas could push them over the edge. People need to make their own way but, IMO, they don't need policies in place that are going to make it harder for them.

P.S. Someone distracted me yesterday while I was finishing up this reply and I neglected to make the point, specifically, that I was trying to make by bringing up people in parts of Jackson and New Orleans. I also made this point in a couple of previous posts. Namely, that so many goods (including staples like food,etc.) are trucked in this country that the cost of those staples will rise along with the intentional rise in gas prices and effect all of those vulnerable people in Jackson, New Orleans, and other places (not just the ones with cars who buy gas directly).

[cali yaris]

You do realize, as a small business owner, that some people might take a dollar they were planning on spending at Micro Image and and use it to buy that more expensive gas instead because they don't have the money for both.

I'm perfectly fine with that. Especially if four million (random high number)\ other people who never heard of me moved closer to work, and we became less dependent on foreign oil.

We are 30% less dependent on foreign oil than we were four years ago.

No thanks to my black Hummer-driving, no-turn-signals, speed-on-my-street, take-up-two-parking-space neighbors.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by cali yaris

I'm perfectly fine with that. Especially if four million (random high number)\ other people who never heard of me moved closer to work, and we became less dependent on foreign oil.

We are 30% less dependent on foreign oil than we were four years ago.

No thanks to my black Hummer-driving, no-turn-signals, speed-on-my-street, take-up-two-parking-space neighbors.

I re people like your neighbors as well. There seem to be even more of them per capita in the Houston area. My area seems to be the only part of the Houston metro where huge SUVs and trucks aren't out of control and one sees an abundance of Prii (Yes, in 2011 Toyota decided that the plural of Prius is Prii). Part of the reason for this MIGHT be that 58% of residents in my area were not born in Texas. I agree that driving less is the best and probably the most green way to help end our dependency on foreign oil, but there are other avenues/methods that will help. Given how many goods are trucked in this country, increasing the price of gas will hurt some people re necessities who can ill afford that increase. I also doubt it would change the behavior of people like your neighbor.

[Damo]

Right now in Western Australia Im paying near-on $1.50 per litre.
To you Americans, thats around $5.68 per gallon.

[edmscan]

Originally Posted by Damo

Right now in Western Australia Im paying near-on $1.50 per litre.
To you Americans, thats around $5.68 per gallon.

That's about on par with the highest prices I am seeing here in Canada. Not as bad as some places (ie Europe) but still overall pretty high.

I would love to see gas at a better price like in some places in the US. Oh well .. maybe someday.

[edmscan]

Just thought I would post some information. I found it interesting ...


(U.S. dollars per gallon, including taxes)

Date-------Belgium---France---Germany---Italy----Netherlands----UK------US
09/10/12 --- 8.26 ----- 7.70 ----- 8.54 ---- 9.13 --- 8.82 ---------8.39------4.12

Yikes .. now those are high gas prices.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by edmscan

Just thought I would post some information. I found it interesting ...


(U.S. dollars per gallon, including taxes)

Date-------Belgium---France---Germany---Italy----Netherlands----UK------US
09/10/12 --- 8.26 ----- 7.70 ----- 8.54 ---- 9.13 --- 8.82 ---------8.39------4.12

Yikes .. now those are high gas prices.

Extremely interesting! Mean for each country? Median for each country?.....or do these figures have some other basis? What is the figure for Canada?

[edmscan]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

Extremely interesting! Mean for each country? Median for each country?.....or do these figures have some other basis? What is the figure for Canada?

Don't know .. it wasn't stated. But I can help with Canada .. typical gas prices range from $1.19 per liter in Edmonton (4.50 per US Gallon) to Montreal $1.53 per liter (5.79 per US Gallon).

However .. I have seen on GasBuddy.com that lower prices can be found.
For example .. people are posting gas prices in Montreal as low at $1.35 per liter.

For example in Edmonton people have posted gas prices (http://www.edmontongasprices.com/) as low as $1.14 per liter, however I can confirm that MOST stations are at $1.19 today.

So .. even the cheapest gas prices in Canada are more than the prices in the US, and as a result we continue to see Canadians cross the border to fill up. I know that my parents (who live in West Vancouver, BC), do fill up their tanks in Washington state when they go there on weekends.

I personally live way too far from the US border to take advantage of cheaper US gas prices.