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Are You Upset About High Gas Prices?

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by Rebound, Apr 23, 2011.

  1. Rebound

    Rebound Senior Member

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    I drive a Prius. I'm laughing my butt off.
     
  2. J5A

    J5A Active Member

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    Not nearly as upset as the people that chose to buy a new, <36mpg vehicle in the last two years.
     
  3. amm0bob

    amm0bob Permanently Junior...

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    Not upset... cause my commuter car is a nice little Prius.

    <------ Driving this isn't as cheap as it used to be...

    Neither is it in the Jeep or minivan...

    Filling the boat is just stupid coins.
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    nope. but i wish it was tax money going to tranny infrastructure instead of profit going to goldman sachs.
     
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  5. Skoorbmax

    Skoorbmax Senior Member

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    No. Until/unless it impacts my ability to stay employed I could hardly care less. It is of course a lovely thing driving around at 50 mpg knowing that a year ago I was getting less than half that and I took advantage of an absolutely stellar opportunity to get a new Prius when those falling prey to the fear were too scared, so Toyota had to incentivize.
     
  6. Tink

    Tink New Member

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    Very much. I have a fleet of 1 ton and 3/4 ton diesels, Freightliners, and a plane. But 60+ on my personal driver is at least a little break.

    Don't forget, high fuel makes groceries, clothes - virtually everything, more expensive.
     
  7. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    +1

    Yes, I am upset.

    It would be one thing if the pricing was on a planned basis and the profits were going toward planned government energy policy purposes. Instead it is only lining the pockets of corporate execs, stockholders and speculators.

    The higher prices will begin having an impact on people's driving and buying habits but at a very steep increase in our cost of everything else we need or wish to buy.
     
  8. okiebutnotfrommuskogee

    okiebutnotfrommuskogee Senior Member

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    I don't mind it for my personal driving, but it is bad for our business vehicles. Also, like the previous poster pointed out -- it will drive the prices of everything up.
     
  9. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    no i am not and its not because i have an EV. using more gas than we can produce domestically is undermining the financial foundation of this country. so the higher it goes, the less we will buy which is more money we save in interest payments on the money we borrow

    every dollar spent on gas made from foreign oil leaves this country and must be borrowed (from China most likely) to replace it so we can buy more gas. basically gas is purchased using borrowed money, so that $4 at the pump you are paying is actually costing you so much more.

    I am not promoting EVs. whether you walk, use mass transit or ride a bike i dont care as long as you dont have to buy gas.
     
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  10. mikewithaprius

    mikewithaprius New Member

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    I did just spend $30 for the first time on a fill-up, but overall, no. I realize other prices will go up in the long run and I'll be affected, but I'm getting into a cool, low-cost living situation next year, with food also purchased completely from local farmers and producers, so again at a low cost. My hope is over time to wean myself from the non-sustainable or non-renewable parts of society. It may be impossible to be done completely (especially owning a car!), but I'm going to try anyway. As it is I walk or bike wherever I can, and try to avoid my Prius.

    I'm lucky enough to be employed enough that even if gas doubled, well, I might not like it, but it certainly won't kill me.

    I also secretly like it going higher over time, making people aware of their energy use. Even if people stop using so much for purely financial reasons, it's still a good thing. Flip side of that coin, I know lots of people are hurting financially these days, and it's tough to think about people choosing between driving and food. Conundrums...
     
  11. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    My wife planned for higher prices, that is why I own a Prius.*

    *This is the brutally honest version.
     
  12. amm0bob

    amm0bob Permanently Junior...

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    Mine today was $41.75...

    The pump cut off at $41.61... but, I always try to go to the next whole coin when I fill up.
     
  13. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    What high gas prices? Let's talk when it hits $8/gal. Then we will be paying normal prices. We are still enjoying extremely cheap gas for a nation that has so little of it. .
     
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  14. Trebuchet

    Trebuchet Senior Member

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    You do realize that high fuel prices affect you more monetary wise than when you are at the gas pump filling up? No? How about the price on any commodity shipped? Those costs are transferred right to you the consumer and while you may be in the economic position to laugh about it many poor people are not.
     
  15. Trebuchet

    Trebuchet Senior Member

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    You can ameliorate but not avoid the cost of high fuel prices in this manner. And while you have the ability to do so many poor people can not. This is the same problem with the rush to convert to green energy. The people that will be hurt the most are the poor.
     
  16. Felt

    Felt Senior Member

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    Yes, I am upset. BTW, I feel so smart having purchased a G3.

    From everything I have read ... the gasoline price rise is not significantly due to crude shortages, or even Arab oil. A major factor is the decline in the value of the dollar. We all need to be concerned about that. I cannot understand why the fed is continuing to print and flood the market with dollars. Inflation will effect us all. Gasoline cost is merely the outward sign of a much more serious matter. Said Another way: Are You Upset About the Decline of the Dollar?

    I regret that the administration continues to demy the production of domestic crude. Sure, I (we all) completely support the development of "renewable resources" but I will not live long enough to witness those resources meeting our energy needs. (But, we need to start immediately) And, I strongly object to draining the strategic reserve. The price of gas is not a "national survival emergency" .... the reserve is to protect us militarily from outside invasion.

    BTW, look at the identity of the most dedicated critics of wind generation .... environmentalist ... you would think they would be the strongest supports, but not so.

    I've said this on another thread and will repeat it here. We need a Manhattan type project. Assemble the finest and most brilliant minds .... and develop cold fusion. That needs to be our national priority. Then we can become energy independent; all cars can be EV's; our home heated/cooled with electricity ... and petroleum reserved for air travel and lubrication.

    Take you shots!
     
  17. Troyroy

    Troyroy Member

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    I had to respond to this post.

    Why should the profits of fuel go to government programs. The government does not own the oil, The oil is owned by corporations with stockholders, that is where the profits always go, to the shareholders that own these companies.

    Washington is not upset at gas prices, with the increase in price so does the tax that the govt collect go up, want to lower the price, lower the tax on gas.
     
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  18. mikewithaprius

    mikewithaprius New Member

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    Yeah, Trebuchet, good point. That's where my moral conundrum lies. I hate this idea of occupying a "higher" place in society by virtue of luck. Sure, work plays into it, but I was very lucky to be born into the situation I was. Nothing extraordinary, but probably better off than most people, and later it's allowed me the freedom to choose things like a Prius, locally grown food, etc. A little increase in gas prices could easily be the breaking point for a family.

    This is one of those things you feel you could write a book about, but this isn't the place (more like I want to go to bed haha). For the time being I can only do my small part.
     
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  19. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    Or raise the tax on gas now, use it to fund alternate energy or at the very least use it to fund more "cash for clunker" type programs to get people out of 10mpg vehicles into 25mpg vehicles.
     
  20. mikewithaprius

    mikewithaprius New Member

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    I believe gas tax for most places, and definitely at the federal level, is cents per gallon, so the tax collected is the same regardless of fuel price. In fact, with higher prices and people presumably cutting back on fuel use, less tax will be collected.
     
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