Gasoline surges to the highest level since August 2008

[dieselbenz]

Originally Posted by bowtieguy

not sure what your what your reference is to, but mine is based on experience in employment of goods and services as well a consumer who pays CLOSE attention to prices while budgeting and paying bills(which is in reference that many married couples put the bills and budget on the wife--that's my business in our family).

i remember when gas was $4/gal previously--EVERYTHING went up in price never to return w/ the exception of deals and sales especially during this recession period.

Yeah, everybody budgets and pays bills. That doesn't mean you can predict the future or that prices will "likely never returning to previous, lower levels". Thats just silly. But as long as you believe it along with the vast majority of people, (its a very popular point of view these days) you can be certain energy prices will eventually return back down to their previous ridiculously low level. I don't know when, I don't know how but in the long run I always bet against the lemmings.

Originally Posted by Fuel Miser

"Interest in car prices for hybrids and electric vehicles has soared in only a few weeks, reports Kelley Blue Book.

For hybrids Toyota Prius, Ford Fusion, and Honda Insight, Web traffic for the week of Feb. 20 rose 124 percent over the week of Jan. 30.

Electric vehicles such as Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf saw an increase of 51.8 percent over the same time.

“That is pretty significant certainly not something we see every month,” says Joanna Pinkham, a spokeswoman for Kelley Blue Book.

Funny how it comes and goes with the price of gas. The system is self correcting.

[DRW]

If I may interject a little levity here.
The thought of political unrest in the middle east having benefits for the USA reminded me of a song from my youth. It's not 100% applicable to this thread, but it might be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJAlIHsXcLY

[bowtieguy]

<shakes head>

words like "interest, web traffic, moderate(extremely relative)inflation" really are idle intellect at it's best in this regard. when you pound real numbers w/ real people struggling...you see the windfall of economic woes. granted, the consumer making ill advised purchases is to blame as well.

[imzjustplayin]

Originally Posted by bowtieguy

that said i'm all for legislation to support business and poor in regard to higher fuel prices, but where is it? also, i do support the idea that it is one's right to drive SUVs and such, but there should be tax implications well beyond those of the fuel variety.

Subsidies for the poor only distort the market and some of the poorest people are "poor" because they're stupid with how they spend their money. I mean when you have "poor people" racking up $600 electric bills despite being on "assistance" (flat 12.5 cents per kilowatt rate, instead of tiered rate), it essentially encourages bad behavior. Just remind yourself of the trailertrash who are driving brand spankin new trucks that are lifted and are getting 8 mpg..

[theclencher]

^He knows what's going on!

Oftentimes the "poor" are poor because they are ignorant consumers.

[caeaves]

I work with customers where I get to ask why they chose their vehicle and how they use it. 95% that have the 15mpg SUVs don't do anything more than haul their 1.5 children and dog to the mall.

An annual tax on a vehicle's MPG instead of the book value would do more to change the habits of consumers and would only hurt those who need to be hurt. Those too busy keeping up with the Joneses instead of buying the more practical minivan, wagon, or 4 cylinder SUV.

This tax would favor those in fuel efficient cars and would not unduly hurt the poor unless as mentioned above they have Hummers parked in front of the trailer. But that goes back to poor choices.

Poor choices are why some people are poor. Too many kids, not willing to take promotions because they may have to work harder, tattoos in places that limit jobs available, smoking, drinking, and doing drugs.

Public service is another reason. Teachers, cops, and firefighters should receive aid over a drugged out crack mother.

And **** luck and bad health is the last reason. This one sucks and is the least avoidable for some. Again, aid should be used for the people who need it.

[theclencher]

^Yup.

All a person needs to do, if one has a few minutes to spare, is sit back someplace and watch the traffic. I have opportunity to do this on my daily walks. I'm not ****ting you, the other day EVERY OTHER VEHICLE was a Suburban... and not only that, but what percentage of the time do you ever see a Suburban with more than one or two people in it? Single occupant is by far the most common.

And to think, on a newspaper online forum re: an article about recent gas prices, 99% of the rubes are screaming "drill baby drill". Ummm... when so many are driving around solo in Suburbans, that doesn't strike me as a good time to cry about energy supply desperation.

[theholycow]

Could there be some kind of exception to the tax for people who legitimately use their trucks for work? I know a whole lot of people struggling to make a living doing the only thing they know how to do, who need to use their trucks as trucks. Taxing them out of their tools isn't good.

What about people who own trucks but leave them parked most of the time? Granted they are few, but should they drive every day in larger cars that can tow trailers and have AWD and air/hydraulic suspension for the once in a while that they need to haul something or drive on unplowed snow?

I'm not arguing against the idea, just looking for how it would work for the issues I see with it.

[theclencher]

They already have that; it's called mileage write-off, or business expenses.

[caeaves]

True.