Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Earp
It is called devaluation of the American Dollar and since oil is traded for $$ the price of oil goes up and so it goes gas at the pump to car tanks.
I drive a 9 year old Honda that gets good gas mileage and drive 4.5 miles daily.
So, maybe we can thank thoses that drive SUVs, RVs, PU Trucks, and drive go fast boats at the local lakes that eat gas up. 
Or, how about those who live in the country for the living and drive 60-100 miles daily to and from work?
We aint seen nothing yet!  |
*Preface - I don't know a lot about economics, so this comes from my my personal perceptions.*
Screw the valuation of the dollar crap. When people have to choose between a week of groceries and a tank of gas, that's a crisis.
Now, before I get to my point, let me clarify a few of your assertions.
- Many people live in the country because in many places, living in the city is getting very cost-prohibitive. The state where we just moved from, to rent a studio apartment (600 sq ft) was $1700. When we looked for a house, we had to move almost 40 miles out from the city limits to find affordable homes. My husband had an almost 2-hour commute, whether he took the train or drove). Sure we could move to east podunk, but the jobs aren't there. WHere we live now, it's still $$$ to live near the city. I know people who spend 4+ hours a day commuting, just so they can make the money they need to cover the basics.
- I drive a small suv, because there are safety reasons I did so. Weather is a huge concern here, and for half the year, you need four-wheel drive to deal with frozen precipiation, a higher wheel base due to local flooding (a big problem that I have encountered living near wetlands), a heavier car (ever have to put bricks in your crappy little car trunk so that you don't spin out on ice?), etc. Plus, in most sedans, I cannot see over the steering wheel or reach the pedals well enough.
Public transportation is either a non-entitiy or not sufficient enough for most people in the country, I would imagine. Building it from the ground up would be a mammouth expenditure of time and money.
So let's place the blame where we should - the big oil companies, who raise crude oil prices for every fluctation in the economy, weather, politics, mating seasons of the silver squirrel - then post record billion-dollar earnings the following quarter.
What I don't understand (
and if someone who is clued in can explain) is how the oil companies raise the cost of a barrel of oil. Let's say that two weeks ago, the cost per barrel was $60. It's at $70 today because a storm blew over a rig in the Gulf. Suddenly, Joe Schmo's Gas station raises the cost per gallon from $3.19 to 3.31, although he bought his gasoline at the $60 per barrell cost. How is that justifiable?
We can also thank the state governments who impose higher gas taxes. I happen live in a state that has one of the highest gasoline taxes. I don't know a lot about the federal govt's role or grants to states for gas price regulations or funding, but why such a difference?
Does the fed not have a say in something that I would classify as a Utility (a relative necessity such as electricity, water, etc.)?
Again, if you know the answer to this, I would love to know what the story is.
Anyway, my point is that the blame does not and should not rest only on the shoulders of the end user. Those who process and supply the product claim that their hands are tied over how much they pay to acquire the oil, yet post record profits. I know that this is a capitalist society, but I believe that as a commodity, oil should be subject to government regulation, because its demand and use are so imperative to the daily functioning of every person in this country (whether you drive or not...remember your groceries get delivered to stores, your water gets heated by some sort of fuel).
If I have misunderstood anything, please correct me. This is how I understnad the situation to be.
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