Hate to tell you this, but over 82% of Right-wing majority employing businesses are locally based and non-exportationally dependent, meaning not so much of a transit cost. Yeah, higher oil prices do benefit the Republican party, sorry.

 

Is it just me? I have never heard any political party say that their idea is to destroy business. They all talk about the opposite, creating jobs. That statement is just un educated and meant to produce an aurgement. I will say nothing further about it.

 

HelterSkelter,

Your stat is correct, but it is a mistake to draw to many conclusions from it wrt to party preference of gasoline prices.

The US economy is very dependent on consumer spending. If spending goes down, the vast majority of business in the US suffers. That is why people say -- quite rightly -- that the US economy keeps afloat on cheap oil.

Just look at the past five years. How many proposals to increase gasoline tax have come out of the repub camp ? I'll be surprised if you find more than two. The hawks have considered it, to decrease foreign oil reliance, but they have been smothered by the business lobby every time.

 

Even at 3 bucks, filling my Civic is like filling my old Ford V8 at $0.99/gal !!

 

Hi Dave,

I have done somewhat similar calcs ..

Although I personally have never owned a gas guzzler, I remember my mother scrapping by to put gas in her 12 MPG POS in the late 60's. At the time, the cheapest gas to be found was 24 cents/gallon, and she made $20 a day. Those two gallons cost her 2.5% of her income. I never heard her, or anybody else for that matter, complain about the cost of gas.

Fast forward to today: Taking inflation into account, if no real increase in gas had occured, gasoline would cost about $1/gallon. So a 36 MPG car would have the exact same normalized pocketbook hit today, as my mother's car 35 years ago.

That would be your civic
Which brings us back again, to the same sorrowful conclusion. US consumers have no one to blame but themselves.

 

In Quebec,Canada, I've seen prices this weekend range from $1.30/L - $1.47/L.

Saturday I went on a short trip, and was running low on gas, but could have made it to my regular gas station. I saw a place advertising for $1.02/L so I pulled in and told the attendant to fill it up. AFTER he filled the tank, he informed me that it the price was $1.45/L and it was going to cost me $55 to fill my little civic! I complained, and told them I wasn't paying that since their sign said $1.02, and the police were called. the cop told me since the gas was already in my tank, I had to pay for it, at the price they were charging, otherwise I could go with him (in handcuffs).

Anyone else seeing gas stations getting away with robbing people like that? Having signs a lot lower, and not informing people before pumping?

 

Nasty story, garwain.
In the US, this would have been easy. I would have paid by credit card, and then disputed the charge with the credit company. I also keep a little camera in my car, and would have taken a picture of the sign price for documentation.

What price did the pump display ?
Did you take down the cop's name and ID ?

The bright side, of course, is that your didn't really end up paying much more than you anticipated. But small-town police bullying is always hard to tolerate. Perhaps you can write a letter to the town mayor ?

 

6.55 $/Gallon (1.55 euro / liter)

Holland is exporting gasoline to the USA, which drives up costs here dramatically. All Bush has asked his citizens is : please conserve. The LEAST i would expect from him is a drastically lower speed limit. It realy feels as if we are going to pay for the american SUV-drivers, so there gasoline stays "reasonably" priced.

The american SUV driver is destroying the world energy infrastructure!
btw : i don't hate americans, donated to the american Red Cross this morning for help to the poor citizens of NO.

 

Most people I talk to in America have a lot of resistance to the suggestion of driving slower or driving with something smaller. The stuff I say here would start a fight! I am getting more positive inquiries about hybrids and the like however....

I'm starting a gallery of drivers doing ridiculous things - sort of like the 1960's show Candid Camera.

The sun and the tint washed out a perfect example of the huge pickup truck driver reclined in his seat like he is in the living room holding a remote, probably half-asleep. It was a Dodge Ram cruising at 80mph. It's a matter of time before I capture one....wouln't you love to interview someone like that complaining about gas prices, then show a picture of them like that on TV?

 

Make sure you let us know when you start posting some of those in Share. I can't wait to see what you get!