$3.00 Gas Stretching Tight Budgets

[Nbadan]

Single mom Esther Guzman is used to juggling her family finances. But lately, it's gotten harder to make ends meet.

The 38-year-old mother of four's monthly gasoline bill has jumped to more than $300. Guzman, of Monmouth Junction, N.J., makes $11 an hour helping others apply for low-income energy aid, and receives $400 a month in child support.

With the recent increase in gas prices, she has been forced to cut back on extras, such as the family's traditional meal out on Saturdays, trips to the movies and even visits to see her 76-year-old father, who lives in the next town over and is dying of emphysema.

Drivers across the country are paying near-record prices for gasoline. While there's a lot of griping going on at the pump, for many Americans, higher gas costs represent a minor crimp in family budgets.

But for those living paycheck to paycheck, rising gasoline prices can mean the difference between being able to pay bills and going into debt.

USA Today (http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2007-06-04-gasoline-low-income-usat_N.htm)

It's not just gas prices; grocery prices are also greatly effected by energy costs. In Texas, meat and chicken prices, slice meats and deli items are clearly on the rise, as well as fruits and veggies.

[boutons_]

The rise in corn prices from the ethanol bullshit will ripple through the prices of corn-fed animal products, and the price of foods and drinks sweetened with corn sweetener, etc. Corn and the corn industry are actually evil shit.

The price of gas needs to at least double and be guaranteed by taxes and indexation to stay at $6+ so the "market" can react to reliably high gas prices with lower consumption and alternative motors and fuels.

The coal corps are lobbying for $Bs in subsidies to get into coal synfuels which are, like corn ethanol, uneconomical (ergo, the need for subsidies) and pollute more than gasoline. So the taxpayes pay twice for coal gasoline/diesel, once to subsidize synfuel, then pay higher prices for coal gasoline that pollutes more.

What a fucking hot deal, who can resist?

[xrayzebra]

^^Neither one of you get it. So just relax and enjoy all these
nice prices.

[Nbadan]

Xray may be right...


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/Cyclone_Gonu.PNG/638px-Cyclone_Gonu.PNG
Super Cyclonic Storm Gonu, which is a Category 5 cyclone (what a hurricane is called in the southern Hemisphere) is tearing towards Oman, the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. Who knows what this might do to oil prices. Also a little fact. Gonu is the strongest tropical system ever recorded in the Arabian sea.

[xrayzebra]

I wouldn't normally post a joke and I couldn't decide if I should
post this in this thread of the one of illegal immigration. But
anyhow. Enjoy!

Subject: Fw: Solving Problems!!



Just a note to tell you that my mailbox is being flooded with mail concerning gas prices (to boycott oil companies or not)
and illegal immigrants (to provide amnesty to illegal immigrants or not, etc.).

Since I have become jaded to the various solutions proposed by the Republicans, Democrats, Sierra Club, ACLU, etc.,
I have elected to solve the problems as they affect me.

My response solves both my gas and illegal immigrant problems -- I have hired illegal immigrants to push my car!!
There's more: They're plentiful and cheaper than buying gas. Then I pay them in pesos so they have to go home to spend it.

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together?

[Lady Marmalade]

Yeah I'm trying to get out of debt and gas prices are NOT helping... BUT I REFUSE to get into any more debt soooo who knows what I'll do.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Down to $2.82 in Dallas today, the typical Memorial Day price hike is over.

[Bob Lanier]

:cry

[Oh, Gee!!]

I wouldn't normally post a joke and I couldn't decide if I should
post this in this thread of the one of illegal immigration. But
anyhow. Enjoy!

Subject: Fw: Solving Problems!!



Just a note to tell you that my mailbox is being flooded with mail concerning gas prices (to boycott oil companies or not)
and illegal immigrants (to provide amnesty to illegal immigrants or not, etc.).

Since I have become jaded to the various solutions proposed by the Republicans, Democrats, Sierra Club, ACLU, etc.,
I have elected to solve the problems as they affect me.

My response solves both my gas and illegal immigrant problems -- I have hired illegal immigrants to push my car!!
There's more: They're plentiful and cheaper than buying gas. Then I pay them in pesos so they have to go home to spend it.

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together?

I wonder if you'd be so flippant about the rising gas prices if a democrat was in the oval office. My guess is you'd be doing one of these :madrun every time the subject came up.

[Yonivore]

Buy a Prius and STFU.

[xrayzebra]

I wonder if you'd be so flippant about the rising gas prices if a democrat was in the oval office. My guess is you'd be doing one of these :madrun every time the subject came up.

I am not flippant about the price, but I cant do much
about it. I am lucky, I don't work so I buy a lot less
than a working stiff. I only posted the joke because
I thought it humorous. Sorry you didn't like it. Maybe
you should lighten up and enjoy a little humor once in
awhile.

Look at price of milk 1970 vs 2007 it has tripled.

By the way do you drink bottled water?
:toast

[Wild Cobra]

I am not flippant about the price, but I cant do much
about it. I am lucky, I don't work so I buy a lot less
than a working stiff. I only posted the joke because
I thought it humorous. Sorry you didn't like it. Maybe
you should lighten up and enjoy a little humor once in
awhile.

Look at price of milk 1970 vs 2007 it has tripled.

By the way do you drink bottled water?
:toast
The answer is so somple and obvious. Liberals complain about gas prices because the leftist media tells them too. If the media pointed out food prices, they would be complaining about that. I am one that has always turned that around on people at the gas stations complaining about the price of gas and point out that driving isn't as important as eating!

[SAtoDallas]

Maybe if companies were acutally allowed to drill and build new processing plants in the ANWAR and other known oil areas in the US we might not have this problem. Plus this also creates Jobs!

[xrayzebra]

^^Oh boy, someone else that see's how simple it would be to
at least increase supply two fold. Just let the people who
produce, produce!

Of course even the Communist have figured this out, Cuba and
China and just a few miles off our coast.

[boutons_]

"monthly gasoline bill has jumped to more than $300"

300/3 = 100 gallons of gas. If she were driving an efficient car, 25 mpg => 2500 miles/month. Let's call it 100 miles/day.

Does she drive an efficient car a long way? or does she drive a very inefficient car or SUV guzzler?

[Pistons < Spurs]

Down to $2.82 in Dallas today, the typical Memorial Day price hike is over.
I haven't paid less than 3.40 in about 4 weeks now.... :depressed

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I haven't paid less than 3.40 in about 4 weeks now.... :depressed

We were up to $3.12 on Memorial Day weekend. Prices did the same thing last year about this time.

[Nbadan]

We were up to $3.12 on Memorial Day weekend. Prices did the same thing last year about this time.

Only this year it started earlier and will last longer, and next year will be even earlier and longer, till it's the norm.

[Oh, Gee!!]

Look at price of milk 1970 vs 2007

so milk prices have tripled in 37 years? gas prices have tripled in less than 10.

[Oh, Gee!!]

The answer is so somple and obvious. Liberals complain about gas prices because the leftist media tells them too. If the media pointed out food prices, they would be complaining about that. I am one that has always turned that around on people at the gas stations complaining about the price of gas and point out that driving isn't as important as eating!

Rising food prices are related to rising gas prices. It costs more to ship food to your local grocery store because it cost more to fuel to the trucks that bring the food, simpleton.

[xrayzebra]

so milk prices have tripled in 37 years? gas prices have tripled in less than 10.

You forgot about bottled water, do you drink it?
:p:

[BradLohaus]

Every market has its own supply and demand factors that create prices, but don't forget the modern explosion in the money supply that has affected the price of everything.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Components_of_the_United_States_money_supply .svg

The Fed stopped reporting the M3 money supply last year, stating that the reason was that it costs a lot to collect the data, but it doesn't provide any new significantly useful data. Even if a person believes that, this also makes it easier to conceal just how much liquidity is being pumped into the economy, as well as to continue to lie about the inflation rate through the flawed CPI.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Only this year it started earlier and will last longer, and next year will be even earlier and longer, till it's the norm.

This year it started about 3 weeks before Memorial Day, and is now regressed a scant week and a half afterwards.

Last year it started about 3 weeks before MD, and lasted over a month. Good call.

[StylisticS]

so milk prices have tripled in 37 years? gas prices have tripled in less than 10.
How about less than 5. Gas in central Texas was 89 cents. Now it's $3.00. :lol :lol :lol

[Oh, Gee!!]

You forgot about bottled water, do you drink it?
:p:

yes, Xredherring. oops, I mean Xray

[Oh, Gee!!]

How about less than 5. Gas in central Texas was 89 cents. Now it's $3.00. :lol :lol :lol

it's all good if you're Xray

[Nbadan]

That's the Right's cynicism showing again. They think that everyone can just buy their morning coffee at Tesoro instead of Starbucks and pay the additional monthly costs of gas with little or no sacrafice, but the long-term mean price of gas always manages to creep just a little bit higher...

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

That's the Right's cynicism showing again. They think that everyone can just buy their morning coffee at Tesoro instead of Starbucks and pay the additional monthly costs of gas with little or no sacrafice, but the long-term mean price of gas always manages to creep just a little bit higher...

Actually I feel bad for anyone who feels like they need a $2-$3 cup of coffee to get going in the morning.

[Nbadan]

The real point is is that we've built our major cities all wrong. Suburban America will be our true downfall. We should have built our cities so that most people can work, live, and play all within a 5-10 mile radius. The interstate system and subsidized oil once made it easy and affordable for avg. folks to commute, but today 5% of the world's population, us, causes 30% of the world's pollution and uses about the same amount of the total worlds output. This is what can't continue.

[Yonivore]

The real point is is that we've built our major cities all wrong. Suburban America will be our true downfall. We should have built our cities so that most people can work, live, and play all within a 5-10 mile radius. The interstate system and subsidized oil once made it easy and affordable for avg. folks to commute, but today 5% of the world's population, us, causes 30% of the world's pollution and uses about the same amount of the total worlds output. This is what can't continue.
Shoulda, coulda, woulda...let's just start the fuck over! eh, Dan?

[jacobdrj]

The real point is is that we've built our major cities all wrong. Suburban America will be our true downfall. We should have built our cities so that most people can work, live, and play all within a 5-10 mile radius. The interstate system and subsidized oil once made it easy and affordable for avg. folks to commute, but today 5% of the world's population, us, causes 30% of the world's pollution and uses about the same amount of the total worlds output. This is what can't continue.
What you see as a problem, I see as an oppertunity:
People will invest in local areas, and cause suburbia to build into metropolisses, some less fortunate cities, like many auto towns of the midwest, will begin to repopulate because of their existing infrostructure, which will allow for such a scenerio.

Economics will dictate, and life will go on.

America didn't build her cities wrong: based on prices of gas and the crappy living conditions inside cities, it was the right choice at the time to build out instead of build up. Building up has huge liabilities too, mostly having to do with safety and living conditions (not every building is a Trump condo). 9-11 showed just how vulnerable a high rise can be. (that is just 1 example).

And there are other solutions: When I went to Washington DC, I didn't know what to expect. I heard the city was in bad shape, but I was shocked to see just how vibrant it was. All it took was a serious push for security, and a Metro (subway) system that boggles the mind. In other words, with proper planning, the suburbs can still exist, with the introduction of cheap transportation, in the form of rail/mag-lev systems. Crowding and pollution can be reduced, all while keeping the existing infrastructures, and adding to them.

And yeah, we can also buy a Prius... I never understood why people buy SUVs: they are cramped, cost a lot, and until recently, were prone to rollovers... The fact they are cramped seems to indicate they are only for people who have short-person's complex and needed to compensate...