May 5th, truckers no work day.

Milton, you crack me up...

It does truly concern me though that so many people do not have a clue about how free market system works - basic info that is taught in 7th or 8th grade civics.

And, when prices go up on gas, the goverment does NOT get more revenue - the gas tax is a set rate per gallon, not a percentage. At least the Federal tax is, and the state tax here in NC. Don't know about every state - maybe some do have it by percent but every state I've lived in has it by gallon.

And since when is it the GOV'T job to fix everything? While I'm not having fun paying the higher prices either, market forces will eventually play out and a balance will be found. It will suck but it will work. I'm more worried about the Gov't tinkering too much trying to placate the sheeple who are pandered to with promises of 'vote for me and I'll take care of you'. That is what scares me the most. Eventually if that becomes the prevaling attitude, this country will decline and turn into a weak nation, or worse yet, become more and more of a nation where power of, by and for the people is no longer a reality.

I don't want to be 'taken care of' I want to make my own way in this world without the government playing Robin Hood and ending up making everything worse in the long run, and creating another generation of people with the 'I'm entitled' attitude. Times change and we all must adapt. Lilfe ISN'T fair. These are facts. As things change not everyone will be 'winners'. That's the truth too. Painful, but true.

As far as hybrids - we have 4 kids. My hubby chose to downsize from a gas guzzling 17MPG 6-seater 'cross-over' to a top of the line Toyota Camry Hybrid. It's been a win/win for all of us. The payment went up only about $30 per month from what we were paying for the old car. My company gave us a $3000 employee incentive to buy hybrid cars, so that paid the difference in price between the hybrid and what a similar non-hybrid camry would have cost. Plus we got the tax credit this year of (if I remember the correct amount) $650 . So for our family, we got out of a car I hated (he liked it but I hated it) into a really nice car we all like that saves us money every time he puts gas into it. And we still have the van for when we all have to go somewhere.

When that $ equation starts working for more and more people, (whether that's lower prices on those cars, or even higher gas prices) that's when you'll see a huge rush to hybrids or other alternative energy vehicles, and car companies scrambling to produce these models if that is where the money is.

Basic econ 101 - Supply equals demand

If the gas is in shorter supply because of higher demand, the price WILL continue to go up. There is no short term easing of fuel demand world-wide.

Also folks, keep in mind that the our US Govt does not OWN the oil that is taken out of the ground - that is the difference between the freedom democratic society of the US and the socialist and/or communist dictatorships/suppressive regimes in other oil producing countries. Therefore, capitalist and free-market pressures mean that the oil companies who DO own the crude here in the US will sell it to the highest bidder. It's their job not to give us cheap gas, it's their job to make money for their stockholders.

I'm not saying here what's right or wrong, good vs evil, only what is the truth of living in a free capitalist society. But, as you may have noticed over the past 20 yrs, communism didn't work all that well, nor make the people very happy either...Capitalism may not be perfect either, but it does seem to work better in the long run as compared to other economic systems for the overall benefit and wellbeing of the people.

Anyway, please take some time to educate yourself about the truth about how oil is produced in the US and you will understand a lot more about WHY gas prices are what they are, Then you can form an educated opinion about what you think might help in the long run. With a major election coming up in the fall, this will be a hot topic, and one that everyone should consider when entering the ballot box.
 
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Maybe I'm behind the times, but how many times do you know of teachers going on strike? I am a teacher and don't know of any (that doesn't mean there aren't any).
 
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The sure don't in SC or NC....only where the teachers have real union representation - mostly up north.

The teachers have collective bargaining agreements just like steel workers or trash collectors, etc. There are strikes from time to time but I don't remember any that hit national news in the very recent past.
 
There have been several teacher strikes in central and so. Il in the past few years. My district was one day from striking 6 years ago. It was Nov. cold, blowing and I was scrambling to find a pair of coveralls to wear, but luckily the agreement was signed that night!
 
I've got a few things to get off my chest. Disjointed ranting follows.
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First off, don't tell me about how much gas costs in Europe. I don't live in Europe, an area that all told is far smaller than where I actually do live. I live in an area that doesn't have much for public transportation outside of a train into Boston, that does me and many others like me no good at all. There are no buses, there are no trollies, it's just me and my little Ranger to get me around to various studios in the area where I teach.

Does anyone here remember the gas crisis in the 70's? I do, I sat in gas lines, waiting to buy gas. Why didn't the powers that be in this country start back then developing an automobile that was fuel efficient (don't bother answering, it's rhetorical. Because they wanted to continue to keep us dependent on oil, no matter where it came from)? Why didn't they develop better public transportation, ala Europe? Now they claim it's the lazy American's fault that they drive gas guzzlers (it's what's mostly offered), the economy is bad, it's all our fault, remember!

I was listening to the radio today and suddenly it came to me what's really going on here. They're trying to force us to accept drilling in Alaska, off the coasts, etc. That's what this is all about. Now I'm not against the drilling, provided it's done in an environmentally conscious way - but that's just the thing, I don't trust any of them to do anything that will cost them money to make money. They're all in it up to their eyeballs, both the government (both parties, not just those evil Republicans) and the oil companies. You watch, once we start drilling and they get their way, the price of oil and gas will come right down.

I'm just sitting here stewing, and waiting for the other shoe to drop.

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Does anyone here remember the gas crisis in the 70's? I do, I sat in gas lines, waiting to buy gas. Why didn't the powers that be in this country start back then developing an automobile that was fuel efficient (don't bother answering, it's rhetorical. Because they wanted to continue to keep us dependent on oil, no matter where it came from)? Why didn't they develop better public transportation, ala Europe? Now they claim it's the lazy American's fault that they drive gas guzzlers (it's what's mostly offered), the economy is bad, it's all our fault, remember!

Actually, I do remember that. And I remember the truckers parked their rigs in protest, too. Prices came way back down, though not sure it had to do specifically with that. Anyway, I don't WANT public transportation. That means I have to live in a heavily populated area and put up with deisel fumes and lots of other people I'd rather not be around. Yep, that's me, an "equal-opportunity people-hater", as my grown son would say. I don't want to live in cities, where public transportation works. I don't want to live in Europe. Europe is IRRELEVANT to my life. Might as well be some alien planet.
I do my part. I don't work, hence no daily commute. My husband is a disabled vet who is retired and doesn't work. We rarely drive. I can't go out to eat or to movies or just drive to look at scenery. I grow my own food, I have chickens and I barely survive. I can't have a hybrid vehicle. I dont WANT a hybrid vehicle. Might as well have a motorized tinker toy. I have a 4WD truck because I live in the mountains and I need it to haul lumber because I cannot afford to pay someone else to build things for me, I must do it myself. My truck is 15 years old and long paid for. My other vehicle is 13 years old and paid for and gets 22 mpg. It doesn't go very far off my property, either. I am not part of the problem, but just the tiny amt of driving I must do is killing us! I said it before. It's time for an American Revolution. IF there are any real Americans left to do it... you know, the kind with guts. That's my rant for the day. No need to argue with me because frankly, Scarlett, I don't give a ....​
 
Hey, here's an idea. WRITE CONGRESS. I'm about to bombard them with e-mails & letters [since I'm not a taxpayer it won't do much good], because we've got oil we could drill off our OWN COASTS to last us YEARS and YEARS. Bush proposed this, our lovely members of congress blocked it.
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Bush proposed we build refineries out of closed bases. Guess what? Yep, congress blocked it.
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It'll only be a year before I start driving, no matter what job I have (thanks again to the governments regulations only allowing you to work so many few hours a week with a workers permit) it's going to be HARD to pay fifteen bucks a bag for feed, not to mention six or seven dollars a gallon for gas. :thun I say protest this. Write the congress, write local government officials. Let the haji's take a bath in their oil.
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OH, and republicans aren't evil. *grumbles about the liberals who're all too busy worrying about saving their trees than the elderly who can't buy gas enough to drive to the pharmacy to pick up their prescriptions because of social security nothingness and NOT DRILLING OFF OUR COASTS.*
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NewChick, I know Republicans aren't evil, I am one, but so many think that the R's are the party of the rich - they don't live here in the bluest of the blue states, Massachusetts, which is filled to the brim with extremely rich Democrats, many of whom made their money in the stock market, or by inheriting it - they've never known anything but money, think the rest of us are just in their way......and they drive huge SUV's while they proclaim their environmental consciousness
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The hypocrisy astounds me sometimes.
 

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