Got Gas ?
Going into the weekend I was thinking about gas prices. Gas being gasoline,petrol, vroom vroom juice or whatever you want to call it. The pundits and putzes are all blabbing so what’s one more.
This week is closing out with the USA average per gallon cost of $3.72. Obviously that is an average with regional ups and downs.
Now the latest international prices are LAST week but it’s not like prices are FALLING. The prices are in US dollars per gallon. Just for giggles and to truth out those that would then go bash the dollar in these comparisons “home” currency is in green. That’s still got to make for some pump shock moments. Currency exchange was of 5.16.
Belgium: 8.65 5.55
France: 8.25 5.29
Germany: 8.45 5.45
Italy: 8.39 5.38
Netherlands: 9.36 6.00
UK : 8.23 4.20
Japan : 5.79 601.04
My point here is that gas prices,taxes,oil prices and your wallet are universal at best. So stop bashing the USA and take a walk if you can’t deal with it all. Have a great weekend.
May 18, 2008 at 7:09 pm
A lot of people, at least in the USA, don’t realize the impact of fees and taxes on the price of gasoline. While price complaints center around OPEC (especially the Saudis) and the big oil companies, a big chunk of that gasoline dollar is going to Federal and State coffers. With the renewed emphasis on global warming, we can probably expect additional fees.
Since so much of American commerce is designed around the automobile, expect big lifestyle and demographic changes if this keeps up.
For instance, I work with people who commute 200 miles round-trip daily - in gas guzzling SUVs, no less. How long much longer will that expense see bearable/reasonable?
I live 15 miles from my job, and even that is causing me to reconsider. I don’t want to live where I work, but perhaps I should consider it. Hmmmmmmmmm…
May 19, 2008 at 12:25 pm
If you then start working out prices regarding ‘home’ currencies you can then try to get a grip on how much is tax - for example it’s much cheaper to buy petrol, ‘go-go’ juice or what you will on the other side of the English Channel or the ‘Continent’ then it is within the UK…
It has been justified as a ‘green’ tax [please note the humour your choice in colours produce...] but it’s also a darn good way of raising money and not hitting the ‘income’ of folk through income tax…
Sweden hopes to light the way by losing it’s petroleum dependency in the near future (2020 - I think) and that’s definately a way of going into the future….
On another note about Bio-fuels eating up folks food - we have had enough food to feed everybody in the world for some time it’s just we haven’t been distributing it to everybody for some years now. So what, practically would it change anyway?
May 19, 2008 at 1:16 pm
@PM thanks for the input. Yeah urban sprawl is getting another bit of come uppance.
@ Free..
When it comes to a tax a user tax is the way to go. Over here the taxes from gas are supposed to go to the infrastructure.
Owning and operating an auto over here is much less expensive and there are those that see that as a problem. Our Yankee independence is tied into owning some wheels and physically the country pretty much needs it. We have people over here that are all about green tax. They would build rail systems and mass transit and be all lovey dovey. The truth is we physically and fiscally cannot go that route. Hydrogen,CTL and electric are what will save us even if it is from ourselves. BTW although traffic is down you are still welcome to post at your discretion. Thanks
May 20, 2008 at 9:02 am
Actually - if you’ve been in my direction you’d find quite a few articles about spirituality/religion and I see this more as a political blog - so if you don’t mind a side swipe on religion here and there… on the other hand I feel a couple of political issues bubbling away under the surface and here’s one - is Hilary Clinton so guilty that they [the Clinton's] ‘allegedly’ took some White House paraphernalia that she wants desperately to get back into the White House to return said goods nice and quietly?
May 20, 2008 at 4:47 pm
I have and yes I did. Pretty deep at times too. As for here…have at it you could even just leave a link to something at your place. It’s all good w/me.