ultrarunner said:
Maybe someone can correct me... but, I thought the reason gas costs 2 to 3 times more in Europe is because it is Taxed much more over there?
Gas is taxed at higher rates than in the US. But there are quite a few people talking about raising our taxes on fuel so that we will drive less or buy cars with better milage. People might buy a new car for the mpg but it sure is not going to stop people from driving. And how much money/fuel is used to build a car?... Most people don't have a choice regarding the miles they drive.
I sure don't see car prices being the same today as back in the 90's. My 1990 Dakota cost 13K. The 1995 Chevy full size 4x4, extended cab, diesel, and 5 speed was 27K. My 2002 Ford F350 was 37K. A similar Ford today is over 50K! From 1995 onwards that is a 10-11% price rise per year. Inflation in that time was/is very low. Small fuel efficient car seem to have held their price but they are loss leaders and are made because of Federal mandates on milage.
The refinery business is a low margin one. Not a lot of money to be made percentage wise. Recently the margins have gone up though. I can understand a company not wanting to open a new refinery. Where are they going to be able to put it without the evironmentalists having a fit? I live in a county with a lot of "environmentalists". They protest the nuke plant to our east that provides a lot of power for this area. I think if they are so against nuke power they should unplug from the grid. This would be a good time of year for them to do so. Then maybe they might like nuke power.
The nuke plant has or was going to have a low level waste dump. The plant is built on a huge chunk of land that even now is pretty much out in the middle of no where though that is changing. The waste was mainly going to be from xray machines and such. But the environmentalists raised a stink. Personally I want to be able to get xrays when they are needed. I want my kids to be able to get one. The dump was/is reasonably located and safe. But these people are all about Chicken Littlism. I'm sure they did not get dental or medical xrays after all that isc onsumption and would add to the problem. Yeah Right.
People complain about high gas prices for some reason. But buy bottled water that has huge profits margins and most bottle water is just treated tab water. Nobody complains to Pepsi and Coke about their margins. The soda companies certainly have low risk pumping out bottled water compared to looking for oil.
The big oil companies are loosing money dealing with Russia and Venezuala. Both countries are taking over the local oil companies and fields. Which is costing the oil companies billions. And it will cost us as well as the confiscated oil fields loose production due to incompitence. This is already happening in Chavez land where many of the oil workers have left the country.
People don't look at WHAT they get when they buy fuel.
I spend about $200 a month of fuel for the truck. Before the higher prices it was about $100 a month. $200 a month gets me peace and quiet. It keeps the idiot neighbors far away. I don't get wakened up at night when my drunk neighbor drives home. Or when he played loud music. Had a party. Set off fireworks at 2:00 in the morning. If I was still back in the "city" I would have been up most of Weds night due to the inconsiderate idiots setting off fireworks.
This past week I cut down and cut up three large trees that had died. Looks like at least a cord or two of wood. It cost me about $1 in gas and oil for the chainsaw. Moving the logs took three hours, so maybe $7. 5 hours of work cost me $8 in fuel. The logs I could barely lift myself or not at all. I had to roll them to the tractor since the trees where in the septic field and that is a No Go Zone for the JD. The work I did was most certainly worth hundreds of dollars if I had to do it by hand. It would have taken me days to move the wood by hand. And it had to be moved UPHILL. I would have paid quite a bit of money to move those logs moved by machine. $8 was a steal even when the fuel is around $3 a gallon.
I certainly don't want to pay more for gas but neither do I want to pay more on my mortage, vehicle prices, food, insurance, power, etc. I'm more woried about my health bills than fuel bills. One I can control. The other I cannot.
Later,
Dan
