Gas Prices are Out-of-Sight!

[Gina B]

Math is very simple. 2 + 2 always = 4 - unless you are a Democrat

they love to add taxes to our gas and everthing else

Or unless you stick one of the numbers in an absolute value sign...which nets you a classroom full of students who will insist it equals two, no matter how many times you repeat the concept of absolute value.

It's enough to give any sane person gas. For free. No taxes, no matter what party bus you ride in on. :laugh:

 

[Crabtownboy]

Gas prices over yonder has no effect on what should be done here. 8.50 a gallon is absurd.

Instead of whining and crying you ought to appreciate how good and how easy you have it in the States.

It is interesting how unhappy so many Americans are with what they have and people from countries where it is really tough are happy with what they have.

Wake up, enjoy the pleasures, comforts and your easy life in the States.

Gas is cheap in the States, even at over $4.00 a gallon. Factor in inflation and it is still cheap.

 

[Crabtownboy]

Gas prices over yonder has no effect on what should be done here. 8.50 a gallon is absurd.

Instead of whining and crying you ought to appreciate how good and how easy you have it in the States.

It is interesting how unhappy so many Americans are with what they have and people from countries where it is really tough are happy with what they have.

Wake up, enjoy the pleasures, comforts and your easy life in the States.

Factor in inflation and you will see you are doing all right. Check the chart at the link below and see how it spiraled upward under G. Bush. Was it his fault? I doubt it. There are factors beyond the control of any president that affect prices.

http://www.consumerenergyreport.com...e-dramatic-gas-price-rise-of-the-last-decade/

 

[saturneptune]

Gas prices over yonder has no effect on what should be done here. 8.50 a gallon is absurd.

No idea where over yonder is, but you are wrong. People in Europe pay up to $9 per gallon and make lots less. We are spoiled. One thing for sure, if we ever have to pay that price, people will stop with the giant cars, and unnecessary trips. One will have to think out routes, such as going to the grocery on the way to a Dr appointment. There will be no more going to WalMart a second time because on forgot the toothpaste.

 

[Bob Alkire]

$8.25 a gallon

How much of that price is tax?

 

[NaasPreacher (C4K)]

How much of that price is tax?

I think the 40% someone mentioned is about right. Plus the transport costs to an island is quite high. Other European countries have taxes of 50-60-even 70% but there have easier access to fuel so the price is not that different.

 

[targus]

Odd concept... this notion of accepting something that is unaceptable because somewhere in the world someone has it worse.

Based on that no one should complain about:

Taxes
Federal spending
Inflation
Unemployment
Food prices
Energy prices
Pollution
Drought
Flooding
Corrupt government
Restrictions on speech

Well, you get the idea.

 

[Mexdeaf]

Odd concept... this notion of accepting something that is unaceptable because somewhere in the world someone has it worse.

Based on that no one should complain about:

Taxes
Federal spending
Inflation
Unemployment
Food prices
Energy prices
Pollution
Drought
Flooding
Corrupt government
Restrictions on speech

Well, you get the idea.

What makes it "unacceptable"?

If they were to come back to life, our Christian forefathers would likely say the same- why are they complaining? We had it much worse.

 

[Crabtownboy]

What makes it "unacceptable"?

If they were to come back to life, our Christian forefathers would likely say the same- why are they complaining? We had it much worse.

There are those sad people who never appreciate what they have nor what God has given them.

 

[NaasPreacher (C4K)]

There are those sad people who never appreciate what they have nor what God has given them.

'Be content with such things are you have, for the Lord has said 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'

 

[Bob Alkire]

Instead of whining and crying you ought to appreciate how good and how easy you have it in the States.

It is interesting how unhappy so many Americans are with what they have and people from countries where it is really tough are happy with what they have.

When one cannot afford the rise in price of gas and electric, it can be a problem. When one loses their home and what they have, they are more in accord with their problems which they can see, not as much as what they cannot see.

 

[Revmitchell]

What they do across the pond is based on a different agenda then we have in the US. We do not need to consider their gas prices based on excessive taxation. Europe's high taxes do not make me appreciate anything. I am however saddened for those who live there.

 

[billwald]

The difference in gas prices between nations is mostly the difference in the taxes. The difference in the POE price of crude between nations is pennies on the dollar.

 

[Gina B]

I don't know how it is overseas, but here in the States, we have a lot of traveling to do for work, school, etc..

An example: I have five children. They go to three different schools and the schools cannot afford to pick up students, so unless you live way out or are special needs, you're on your own. I've been working at yet a different school. All the school have different start times.

This means that the bare minimum driving for one week day ends up being the following:

Drive first three kids to school, drive back.

Drive fourth kid to school if need be (that one IS in walking distance but one of mine also was a potential kidnapping victim, we got there in time, thankfully!) and then drive back home.

DH drives me to the school where I work, then drives back.

After a bit, it is time to take the fifth kid to school.

Reverse all this at the end of the school day.

After a bit, husband must drive to work and drive home.

There is a standing doctor appointment once a week out of town.

There is a decent distance to drive for one of our churches on Saturday.

There is a short drive to the other one on Sundays and Wednesdays.

We live in a city, so there is a lot of stopping and starting, plus stopping and starting the vehicle for all the different pick-ups.

Add in store, other doctor appointments, etc..

If we made minimum wage, it would be impossible. We spend around $350 a month on gas. Minimum wage would mean $1,087.00 a month working full time...most places out here force an unpaid 30 minutes of lunch. That would be before taxes. That would leave $737.50 for rent, food, car maintenance, utilities, etc..

We're lucky that we're not living off one minimum wage, but in some areas of the country, there are many people who are and who live in higher cost of living areas. There are professionals with decent degrees that are now working minimum wage jobs, losing their homes, etc..

Yes, the cost of gas here in the United States is a very big deal for us.

BTW, we do not have public transportation in our immediate area, so that is not an option to save money. We do not have sidewalks to walk on, even if we did live in walking distance of the schools, job sites, and churches.

It's definitely a big deal when you live in an area where you are dependent on driving.

 

[Squire Robertsson]

To give some idea of the difference between driving in the US and Europe:

Back when Mercedes Benz partnered up with Chrysler, MB designers couldn't understand why their American counterparts insisted on cup holders. Then, they came over to the States and experienced the difference. Americans had the potential for driving much longer distances than Europeans.

I just did a straight line plot on google earth. I used Stuttgart (MB's home) as the hub. I measured out three spokes approximately of three hours driving.

North 165 miles put me almost to Kassel but well north of Cologne to the west of my track.

East North East 165 miles put me on the Czech border

East 165 miles and I'm more than half way to Austria.

South 165 mile put me on the Italian side of the Swiss Italian border.

West 165 miles put me well over the French border and half way to Paris.

West North West 165 miles put me just over the Belgian border from Luxembourg.

******

As a San Franciscan, these distances get me over the Nevada border, but not even close to Oregon of Los Angeles.

 

[targus]

What makes it "unacceptable"?

If they were to come back to life, our Christian forefathers would likely say the same- why are they complaining? We had it much worse.

Why did our Christian forefathers find their situation unacceptable? What made it unacceptable to them?

Did they tell each other that they should just settle for the status quo because those before them had it worse?

Hmmm...

Probably not. :laugh:

 

[billwald]

East, west, or south, 165 miles keeps me inside Washington State. Canada is about 130 miles to the north.

Now that we have moved to a real neighborhood in a real city I can walk to most every place I need to go. Six bits gets me a bus ride to all business areas of Seattle. I will be happy when the kids tell me to quit driving because it will give me an excuse to stay home. Cities are great places for old people!

 

[OldRegular]

That's a pretty convenient memory lane you're going down. Despite numerous calls to release oil from the strategic petroleum reserves to bring down gas prices, George W. Bush always resisted it and only did it once, and not to bring down prices--after hurricane Katrina. When gas prices went over $4.00 a gallon in the summer of 2008 Bush did not release any oil.

Obama has released oil from the reserves before, back in June 2011, and he is considering doing it again right now.

The Strategic Oil Reserve is for national emergencies, period!

 

[OldRegular]

Let's put that in perspective. That was also in the days when teachers made about $5000 a year. So .35 cents a gallon was pretty expensive.

Gas has always been cheap in this country. Considering inflation and increased taxes it is still cheap. The Federal tax on a gallon of Gasoline is 18.4 cents; I have found numbers for oil company profit ranging from 2 cents per gallon to 8 cents per gallon! Then there is the state tax!

 

[OldRegular]

Instead of whining and crying you ought to appreciate how good and how easy you have it in the States.

It is interesting how unhappy so many Americans are with what they have and people from countries where it is really tough are happy with what they have.

Wake up, enjoy the pleasures, comforts and your easy life in the States.

Gas is cheap in the States, even at over $4.00 a gallon. Factor in inflation and it is still cheap.

People are unhappy because of Obamma and 4 years of the Obamma depression CTB. It is that simple.