High gas prices saves lives...

[burritos]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080711/...ths_gas_prices

Professors Michael Morrisey of the University of Alabama-Birmingham and David Grabowski of Harvard Medical School found that for every 10 percent increase in gas prices there was a 2.3 percent decline in auto deaths. For drivers ages 15 to 17, the decline was 6 percent, and for ages 18 to 21, it was 3.2 percent.

Less traffic, less accidents, less pollution, less traffic related deaths, push to alternative energies, conservation... I don't care if the oil ceo's rake in the profit, high gas prices is the path to utopia. Ok, maybe not utopia, but it puts us on a better path.

[dehati]

Very well said. I am for increase in the gas prices. The reason is less dependency on IRAQ and oil by way of enhanced R&D on alternative sources.

[fotomickey]

Yes, I notice that in Vancouver, Canada too
Marginal decrease cars on road .... especially less speedy driver.
People driving & brake more gentle (including myself)
Less Tail-gate & Cut-off by others (people seem accustom with slower driving pattern)

That will really help reduce Lethal-accident rate (since most people finally honor the City-Limits)... its a good sign.

[cyee]

heck.. at 2.3% decrease for every 10% rise in gas prices, just raise gas prices by 440% and no one will get killed.

[echase]

And if bullets cost $5,000 dollars apiece...

==========================

Once fuel becomes expensive enough cheap stuff made in china, etc wouldn't be so cheap... If we got our collective lazy rump we could afford to once again know in our hearts that "Made in The USA" [should] mean quality, technology and value.

Then we could use all of our wonderful technology and science to lead the world out of dependence on fossil fuels. Our nation would truly emerge on top, our economy would compound it's might and quality of life would improve for peoples around the world.

The wars we fight in an awakened society should be limited to those of ideas, not bigoted ideals, and certainly not economics. But I digress.

Expensive gas without counteractive technological advances has a horrendous economic effects on the livelihood of the common man. It is a privileged few that both are aware and can afford our fine car.

For your average hardworking Joe, life is hard. The economy is growing cold, and you've got to feed the SUV and still take proper care of your family...

We won't even get into that slick mortgage.

So while I know it is the best thing for our world—for the oil industry to burn itself out—it's still rough to watch.

I'm thinking it's a good time to plan a garden. It could get ugly.

[Malarkey]

I'm lucky. I'm in a position where dedication and hard work give me a very nice income.

A lot of people are not and can not be in that position. The current high gas prices are wreaking havoc on them.

I think it's pretty horrible to be happy about the price raises and hope they go higher when people are now having to decide how to tell their children that they can't afford basic necessities due to the rising costs across the board as a result of higher fuel and food costs.

I'm all for a cleaner environment and I'm *hugely* for lower dependence on oil (foreign or domestic). I also put a lot of personal effort into renewable resources for my own home and continue to make lifestyle choices based on conservation. I agree that raising gas prices will further help some types of environmental improvements, but I also think it will put a nice big roadblock right in front of many, many people's ability to do things like attend college and take advantage of other opportunities that are tied to income.

[F8L]

Originally Posted by Malarkey

I'm lucky. I'm in a position where dedication and hard work give me a very nice income.

A lot of people are not and can not be in that position. The current high gas prices are wreaking havoc on them.

I think it's pretty horrible to be happy about the price raises and hope they go higher when people are now having to decide how to tell their children that they can't afford basic necessities due to the rising costs across the board as a result of higher fuel and food costs.

I'm all for a cleaner environment and I'm *hugely* for lower dependence on oil (foreign or domestic). I also put a lot of personal effort into renewable resources for my own home and continue to make lifestyle choices based on conservation. I agree that raising gas prices will further help some types of environmental improvements, but I also think it will put a nice big roadblock right in front of many, many people's ability to do things like attend college and take advantage of other opportunities that are tied to income.

At face value some of that makes sense but I know far too many "poor" people that buy DLP TVs, iPods, car stereos, weed, beer, cigarettes and Starbucks to consider them truely hurting. Lifestyle changes will be in order for sure but I doub't such a large portion of U.S. citizens will be truely devestated as the right-wing media likes to report.

[sleonardelli]

Originally Posted by dehati

Very well said. I am for increase in the gas prices. The reason is less dependency on IRAQ and oil by way of enhanced R&D on alternative sources.

It's not just Iraq, it's OPEC which, BTW includes Venezuala.

[burritos]

Originally Posted by Malarkey

I'm lucky. I'm in a position where dedication and hard work give me a very nice income.

A lot of people are not and can not be in that position. The current high gas prices are wreaking havoc on them.

I think it's pretty horrible to be happy about the price raises and hope they go higher when people are now having to decide how to tell their children that they can't afford basic necessities due to the rising costs across the board as a result of higher fuel and food costs.

I'm all for a cleaner environment and I'm *hugely* for lower dependence on oil (foreign or domestic). I also put a lot of personal effort into renewable resources for my own home and continue to make lifestyle choices based on conservation. I agree that raising gas prices will further help some types of environmental improvements, but I also think it will put a nice big roadblock right in front of many, many people's ability to do things like attend college and take advantage of other opportunities that are tied to income.

Nice sentiment. However the electorate did not demand from its elected officials to do something(alternatives, conservation, getting off of the oil addiction) before the inevitable occurred(unaffordable gas). Now the free market is going to fix what us procrastinating americans didn't when we had the opportunity(post 9/11 unity). And as long as African suffering exists, my sympathies for American suffering is mildly tempered at best.

[galaxee]

Originally Posted by F8L

At face value some of that makes sense but I know far too many "poor" people that buy DLP TVs, iPods, car stereos, weed, beer, cigarettes and Starbucks to consider them truely hurting. Lifestyle changes will be in order for sure but I doub't such a large portion of U.S. citizens will be truely devestated as the right-wing media likes to report.

as credit availability dries up, those folks won't have the credit (that is, what they like to call "money") to buy expensive unnecessary crap they are entitled to own. lots of newly risk-averse credit card companies are realizing that offering someone who makes $20k per year a credit line of $18500 is high risk even though it may be highly profitable if/when they screw up. they are lowering their card limits- and between that and the loss of home equity, people all of a sudden are having to make major lifestyle downsizing efforts.

half the reason those people are so "well off" (when you look at stuff, not at financial health, that is) is because they're stupid enough to buy everything on credit, and because for a long time lenders were about as selective as the streetwalkers in the bad parts of town here...

unfortunately, lots of folks have forgotten what's important and what isn't... my mother once told me that she felt manicures were a necessity when we couldn't find enough money to simultaneously satisfy the hospital and our kitchen. i hung up the phone immediately, i was so disgusted. perceived or real hardships are being reported all over. would you believe that people are quitting use of their gas-powered leaf blowers and opting for a RAKE, i mean what is the world coming to. but what we have is a bunch of panicked, confused, entitled people wondering how on earth they could live without cable tv, hbo, and 4 cell phone lines.

the truly hurting ones are the ones that were smart enough to live within their means in the first place, and are finding those means don't go nearly as far as they once did thanks to the slowing of the economy (which is in part caused by shrinking credit/buying power of the mindless marketed-to masses). while the minority, they are still out there in force. i can tell you from my perspective it sucks.