May 5th, truckers no work day.

[AussieSharon]

The crazy gas prices are affecting people everywhere. My brother is a truck driver in Australia where gas is $1.70 a LITER. The trucking company he works for owes a lot of people money, including my brother who it took 4 weeks to get his vacation pay. He's already looking for another job as the company is showing signs of bankruptcy.

 

[theJH]

A baker buys ingredients for a pie for $10 and sells it for $11. He sells 10 pies in one day for a $10 profit or 10% profit margin. His ingredients now cost $20 and he sells the pies for $22. He sells 10 pies in one day for a $20 profit or the same 10% profit margin. According to many he is gouging and making record profits but his overhead/risk has doubled. Oil companies profit margin are somewhere around 7 to 8% hardly a gouging profit margin. Taxes on gas are 3 times what the oil companies get. The funny thing is when you hear “record profits” from politicians/oil company bashers you don’t hear them say they are getting “record taxes” not to mention all the money the middle class is making from their 401k’s.

 

[FutureChickenMan]

Quote:
May 5 is just May 5 for much of the country. I don't care what day they do it on, I just wish it would impress anyone who can do anything about it - or that they'd care at all. As long as the top dogs are making money they don't give a hoot about the rest of us.

Not the state the poster is from. Cinco De Mayo is a big deal in Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and California.

 

[FutureChickenMan]

Quote:
I'm glad somebody gets it. Maybe there's record profits from all the big trucks running around. The more they sell the more they make. Anybody remember the 70's when this happened before? Lots of people got rid of their big V8 cars and switched to little hondas and toyotas. That trend is starting again.

I'd love to see a 5 year suspension of fuel taxes though; it sure would help keep the economy going while we go through the recession that is no doubt headed our way.

 

[Miltonchix]

Quote:
FINALLY!! Someone else who understands our economy!!

Its NOT the president either people!!

 

[wynedot55]

heres the thing it would take all the diesel trucks in all 50 states to shut down for 4 dayd to make a statement.an during that time youd see people in a panic.rushing to fill their cars with gas.as well as go to the stores to get food.the stores would be bought out in a panic.the truckers strike wont do much.it cost $160 to fill up my farm tractor right now.

 

[Miltonchix]

Quote:
May 5 is just May 5 for much of the country. I don't care what day they do it on, I just wish it would impress anyone who can do anything about it - or that they'd care at all. As long as the top dogs are making money they don't give a hoot about the rest of us.

Not the state the poster is from. Cinco De Mayo is a big deal in Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and California.

AND Eastern WA! I know, I have family in Walla Walla.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Eek! My chicks are set to ship out on May 5th!

 

[CHKNFMR]

I realize I will probably catch some slack for this reply but when you "really" think about it....well, just read with an open mind please.

The gov't knows that there are certain things that are a downright necessity to survive. Gas is one of these. We can go on strike for a month, no one buys gas, no one uses cars, truck don't deliver, there's no groceries in the stores, people call in to their jobs- can't afford to show up, children stop showing up for school sports, and so forth and so on. What happens... the gov't knows that at some point you have to show up for work in order to provide at the minimum - a roof overhead. (Although the housing is bad as well, but that's another story!!) They know that at some point we will break down and do or pay whatever we have to ... to survive. We go on strike and don't buy gas, we lose our jobs, then our homes, and it keeps snowballing. So we give in and we pay whatever they charge and we cut corners everywhere else, just to cover whatever necessities we can. We don't go to the movies, we don't eat out, we don't even rent videos, or we stop traveling to optional places such as church or after school activities with our children. Because let's face it the gov't can hold out longer than we can. People not wanting to buy gas on the 5th will buy what they will need on the 4th or wait till the 6th. The gov't knows we simply can't go without for a very long period and they are not known for having any compassion for the lowly little middle- or lower-class families struggling to just make it week to week. I'm already nickel- and dime-ing it to get enough gas now just to get from point A to point B because I can't afford to get enough to last all week, either.
So as far as buying gas on the 5th goes...if my tank is low and I have to show up to work...I have no choice but to buy it. Unfortunately that's what the gov't knows too, and they're exploiting it. In all honest reality...there's not a lot we really can do about it.

Sorry to sound so pessimistic, but in this situation...not much choice!!

 

[CHKNFMR]

Quote:
Not the state the poster is from. Cinco De Mayo is a big deal in Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and California.

AND Eastern WA! I know, I have family in Walla Walla.

Is Cinco de Mayo and American holiday now???