Saving Money as Prices Increase

[jyoutz]

The point is, it was stated the Government builds and maintains the roads and that is not true. The government owns no road building equipment. Private contractors do and are awarded jobs based on competitive bidding, last time I checked at least.

Umm yes, federal fuel taxes are given to states and states generally contract that work. But states and counties do some of the smaller work themselves.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Actually, in the town I lived in last the town was down to 12 DPW workers (from 40+) and used private contractors to plow most of the roads. The state hired private owner/operators and trucking companies to plow the State highway. So unless there was more than 4" (the level at which they called out the privateers) we lived with snowy roads for a day or so.

Here in central PA the township has even fewer workers. But the taxes are much lower.

The gummint used to do a lot of stuff on payroll, but that was a poor use of money. Gig workers are disposable. When the project is over, you don't have to pay them any more. Privatization of government services was a big movement 40 years ago. Nowadays some states even have private prisons.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

As of June 10, 2022 Exxon is worth 423.19B. So they are getting a return of 1.29 %. In the real world that is not a great return on your money. So, yes they made a lot of money, but they have a lot invested.

The only problem I see is the size of the companies. Blackrock and the other large investment firms are too large and need to be broken up. Perhaps the large oil companies need to be broken up as well.

You can prove anything with statistics, can't you? What Exxon is worth is irrelevant, because that's just the total share value. Total share value is what a few day traders say it's worth. It measures neither assets nor investments.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Haven't read all 32 pages, but the next time someone complains about the "rich oil companies", or the "obscene windfall profits", just remind them that the gov't takes 18 cents from every gallon, the oil company makes about 4 cents. And this doesn't include the other 41 taxes the gov't imposes on drilling, refining, and delivering the gas. And what did the gov't do to "earn" those dollars, compared to the investment, labor, equipment that the oil companies put out to make their 4 cents?

So tell me, who is making the obscene windfall profits?

Oh boo hoo, the poor oil companies.

Oil: A big investment with big tax breaks

Oil and gas investments can provide unmatched tax deduction potential for accredited investors.

www.investopedia.com

 

[Larry Caldwell]

The point is, it was stated the Government builds and maintains the roads and that is not true. The government owns no road building equipment. Private contractors do and are awarded jobs based on competitive bidding, last time I checked at least.

Private contractors don't build anything. The work is done by labor. According to your logic, whoever pays the labor is irrelevant.

 

[coobie]

Umm yes, federal fuel taxes are given to states and states generally contract that work. But states and counties do some of the smaller work themselves.

Yes they do.Michigan has many state/county employees patching roads on a daily basis..

 

[5030]

Private contractors don't build anything. The work is done by labor. According to your logic, whoever pays the labor is irrelevant.

Whatever. I was just commenting on who does the work and who pays for it. Nothing more. You pay for it but you have no say in disbursement.

 

[5030]

Nowadays some states even have private prisons.

Which you fund btw.

 

[ultrarunner]

Fuel taxes build roads. Nobody else builds them except government.

Lots of private funded and maintained plus there are private toll roads and even bridges such as the iconic Golden Gate.

It would be nice if fuel taxes would not be siphoned off for rail, ferry and other projects such as bike paths and bike bridges…

 

[jyoutz]

Lots of private funded and maintained plus there are private toll roads and even bridges such as the iconic Golden Gate.

It would be nice if fuel taxes would not be siphoned off for rail, ferry and other projects such as bike paths and bike bridges…

I guess it depends on what area of the country. We have no private built roads except in housing subdivisions.