Whose Ready for $3.00 a Gallon Gas

[Modelcar]

Lotus98....."The recession Clinton caused"....! Talk about someone smoking.....The responsibility has long ago passed along to the present adminstration for the economy....Are you sure Jimmy Carter didn't help too....I would rather not bring these kinds of politics into it and won't any farther but just had to voice a bit of opinion on that....I believe his {Clinton's}, decade did mighty fine for the economy. Of course we're loosing {good}, high paying heavy industry jobs, along with many appliance manufactures moving out and the list goes on...and the figures showing new jobs gained contain many, many low paying replacement jobs that no one could make a decent living with them.....Some of that can be blamed on both political parties.

[adrianspeeder]

It was three bucks a gallon in philly last winter for 94 octane which my 92 5.0HO likes.

Do I like payin it? No, but it is my choice to drive trucks that get 13-15MPG. I just cut back on my out of control soda drinking and I am actually ahead on money. I get a little giggle while filling and a small car comes up, pays, fills, gets change, gos to leave, and I'm still filling. Sometimes the person will walk over and bug out when I start to come to triple digits on a fill up.

Some people show off with fancy eating, fancy clothes, fancy house, fancy whatever... but you could say I show off at the pump. hahahah

Adrianspeeder

[oltmannd]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Tulyar15

QUOTE: Originally posted by Old Timer

How many of you guys griping about the cost of gas had your elected representatives vote against offshore drilling and drilling on the North Slope of Alaska?

We get more than half our oil from OPEC countries. We could reduce this dependence, but the environmentalists won't let us.

Old Timer

Rubbish! If you Americans went over to more environmentally friendly fuels you'd reduce your dependence on OPEC and help save the planet. WIn-Win! As the guy from LA said, all it needs is to either adopt new technology or change life-style eg reduce dependance on car by more homeworking for instance.

I tend to agree with you, but it really isn't an "either/or" proposition. Increased domestic supply and decreased demand are not mutually exclusive.

FWIT there isn't enough oil in ANWR to make any kind of meaningful dent in the imported oil.

The way you accompli***he change is by taxing crude oil. It will artificially raise the price (you could arrange the tax to stabilize the price, too) making funding of alternatives, like coal liquification, possible as well as start those changes in lifestyle that would reduce consumption. (telecommuting, live closer to work, walkable communities, bike/cart/pedestrian paths, more and better transit, more fuel efficient vehicles, etc.)

The tax collected could be funnelled into R&D for alternatives and capital for alternaitve energy sources.

The trick is to do it in a way that doesn't cause the economy to tank in the process.

Anybody remember Ross Perot's $0.50/ gal gas tax idea? If we'd have have phased it in over the past decade and used it to reduce dependence on imported energy, maybe we wouldn't be in such a tough spot today.

[Tulyar15]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Old Timer

How many of you guys griping about the cost of gas had your elected representatives vote against offshore drilling and drilling on the North Slope of Alaska?

We get more than half our oil from OPEC countries. We could reduce this dependence, but the environmentalists won't let us.

Old Timer

Rubbish! If you Americans went over to more environmentally friendly fuels you'd reduce your dependence on OPEC and help save the planet. WIn-Win! As the guy from LA said, all it needs is to either adopt new technology or change life-style eg reduce dependance on car by more homeworking for instance.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by owlsroost

ban the sale of gas-guzzling SUV's or force them to be fitted with more fuel-efficient diesel engines instead.
Tony

No! spare the hummers!!! Not the hummers! [:D][;)]

Me love large, expensive SUVs! [8)][|)]

[Anonymous]

How many of you guys griping about the cost of gas had your elected representatives vote against offshore drilling and drilling on the North Slope of Alaska?

We get more than half our oil from OPEC countries. We could reduce this dependence, but the environmentalists won't let us.

Added to this is the fact that the oil companies have to produce a half-dozen different types of gasoline to conform to the laws of the various states for their emission control. This also cuts down on production and drives the price up.

We could do a lot about this, but, due to the above, we can't.

Good luck. It's only $2.54 here in hillbilly heaven.

Old Timer

[Train Guy 3]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Lotus098

QUOTE: Originally posted by BNSF railfan.

Well I tell you this much. The econemy is turning around and is going down hill real fast now. More job losses are to come now more than ever now. Looks like it time to start to look to another recession. Allan.

Can I ask just what in (you know where) are you smoking? We just came out of the recession Clinton caused, we are not loosing jobs, it is easer to find someone who doesn't believe we put a man on the moon, than it is to find someone who doesn't have a job. The economy is booming, it is headed up hill fast; oil and gas will come back down when people stop betting on the price. If the government would get out of the way, that would help too. Drilling for oil would have no harmful effect on the environment. Look at a map of Alaska; the area we would drill for oil in would be smaller than the end of a pen. It would be the size of a village, in all of Alaska, the state three times bigger than Texas.
James[C):-)]

I'm happy to see someone is on the same page as me. Besides if anything happens the EPA will be there to tell them to clean up. It's just like strip-minning, once your done with the area you must put it back the way it was.

[Anonymous]

Lotus098 if you where lestening to the news americans are now just starting to cut back. And gas prices are not going to ever go back down. they will just a little over time but never like we saw back over 5 years ago. gas will never go under 2 dollars ever again. I have to agree with the others on this forum that this country needs to go drill in alaska for our oil. china will continue to dry up as much oil as they that thay can get their hands on. And if you that just for once that clinton was bad,Bush is just as bad but not worse. Yes the economy is booming now,but just for once if the price of gas keeps going up as it is now,you can be sure that it won't be for long. people will spend less(much less) on other things. And they just said it on the news. people ARE going to hold on to their money. Now I don't think that their in no chance in hell that the word rationing will ever come up ever again but.....
Don't get me wrong. I have been wrong on alot of things. But the high price of gas is causing people to cut back.


Oh my God...Chimps smoking ciggeretts. What's next[:O][(-D]. I can't believe what I had just saw. Allan.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Tulyar15

QUOTE: Originally posted by Train Guy 3

QUOTE: Originally posted by waltersrails

ITS Bull for us little guys who try to make a living and can't even do that because of these stupid gas prices. I say we just swrew the envirmentalists and drill for that oil.

( Can't even drive to work any more)

I agree 100% to drill for the oil and say screw the enviormentalists. What do we lose by drilling?

Why do you need to drill in sensitive areas when there are plenty of subsitutes for oil that could be developed? In Britain a growing number of people make diesel oil from used cooking oil. There are now a couple of plants opened which do this on a commercial scale. In ma European countries they make bio diesel from a variety of plants, notably rape and sunflower. Recently 'The Economist' pointed out that if the US put its mind into developing these fuels it could be self sufficient in oil. Some of the smarter members of the Republican party are starting to wake up to the economic and security benefits this would bring. And it would be more environmentally friendly too!

There is not enough used cooking oil too make enough fuel too matter. The big secret behind these fuels is that they cost more to make than buying oil. The government should keep its nose out of this; if bio diesel is so good, people will buy it. If they don't, don’t force them. Read my above post for the truth on this sensitive area.
James[C):-)]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BNSF railfan.

Well I tell you this much. The econemy is turning around and is going down hill real fast now. More job losses are to come now more than ever now. Looks like it time to start to look to another recession. Allan.

Can I ask just what in (you know where) are you smoking? We just came out of the recession Clinton caused, we are not loosing jobs, it is easer to find someone who doesn't believe we put a man on the moon, than it is to find someone who doesn't have a job. The economy is booming, it is headed up hill fast; oil and gas will come back down when people stop betting on the price. If the government would get out of the way, that would help too. Drilling for oil would have no harmful effect on the environment. Look at a map of Alaska; the area we would drill for oil in would be smaller than the end of a pen. It would be the size of a village, in all of Alaska, the state three times bigger than Texas.
James[C):-)]

[eolafan]

Well, we are getting MUCH closer to the $3.00/gallon mark here in metro Chicago...I paid $2.85/gallon today at my local Shell station...good thing I drive a company car...I half expect the company to tell me to use the phone more and drive less...well, we'll see.

[edbenton]

Fuel taxes are higher on diesel than on gas by around 10-15 cents more. It is a way to tax trucks which bring everything into final points of consumpsion except maybe coal. Why do they do it simple a truck driver needs fuel to run and so he will buy it regardless if it is taxed another 15-20 higher than gas.

[Sterling1]

What really makes me wonder is if we get $3 for gal. of gas (eventually) , why in some areas is gas being sold for as much as 20 cents cheaper than diesel even though diesel is lower on the cracker than gasoline? It makes no sense!

[Anonymous]

Well I tell you this much. The econemy is turning around and is going down hill real fast now. More job losses are to come now more than ever now. Looks like it time to start to look to another recession. Allan.

[Anonymous]

We have both a nice fuel efficient car and a truck, The truck gets used ONLY when I need to go to Lowes or HD and the pull the boat to the lake, It burns diesel fuel and gets good mpg for a truck. We use the car for everything else, its a Suzuki Aerio AWD sport wagon, we need either 4wd for AWD here as we tend to get around 160" of snow each winter. I use a pellet stove to heat our moblie home to cut my natural gas bills. I wish someone would bring out a small diesel pickup, either toyota or nissian, as I dont need a full size but the old fullsize with a diesel gets better than the smaller trucks I can afford. Love the new Chevy Colorado and the Honda Ridgeline, but I cannot afford $24k+ for a new truck, or 30K+ for a hybrid as they are going for that around here. Diesel fuel should be much cheaper than it is as its easier to refine than gasoline, since its not in this country it keeps away the smaller diesel cars that they have in europe. VW makes a 3cyl diesel car about the size of a geo metro that gets just over 100mpg if you drive it normaily, but they dont bring it here do to emission standards!!!! Lets see here, it gets over 100mpg but it doesnt meet emissions???? Who is getting kick backs on this one??? Both Mercedes and BMW make diesel cars in Europe that will out run and get much better milage than anything we have, dont sound like diesels and dont smell like them either, but they also dont get imported. Just my 2 cents

[Anonymous]

Mercedes Benz plans to sell “disotto” engines in a few years. It has a diesel’s high compression and glow plugs but burns gasoline they will be cleaner and more efficient than either diesel or otto engines.

We aren’t facing economic disaster because of technology. That evil Jimmy Carter had a crazy Socialist idea that there wasn’t an infinite oil supply. He had another crazy extreme Liberal idea that our oil addiction was financing people who believe in killing Americans. So he foolishly enacted conservation laws that would have by now cut our energy consumption in half.

Republicans scrapped his conservation laws in the 80’s for the benefit of automakers who forgot how to make a profit on cars and needed to sell SUV’s to make a profit.

[oltmannd]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar

....I doubt it there will be very many takers willing to cheerfully pay $5.00 a gal of gasoline.....Believe we're supposed to be a bit more in control then to have to do that...If not, then we need to quit spending our resources around the world making everyone else's life better.....Preparing them to take over "our" jobs from this country. such as our heavy industry...clothing...and the lists goes on and the jobs continue to go to those we've elevated out of 3rd world status....

I didn't say I'd ENJOY paying $5/gal, just that I'd PREFER it to rationing. Been there. Done that (twice!). Don't want to do it again!

[martin.knoepfel]

Diesel-engines are more efficient than otto-engines, running with gas. In Europe, there are more and more cars powered with diesel-engines. (This has to do with tay incentives, too.) I do not understand why this should not be possible in the U.S. and in Canada

[vsmith]

The irony is that while EVERYONE (general statement, not specific to anyone here) is whining about $3 gas, NO ONE is talking about higher milage standards, more fuel-efficient cars or greater mass-transit.

Seams to me everyone just likes some Cheese to go with their Whine, but in the end they will still fork over the $60 buck to fill their Ford Porkstedition, bend over, grab their ankles and say "Thank you Sir may I please have another!"

If you want to drive a big dino-car, then do so, just please dont cry about it like those dopes being interviewed on the evening news. "Oh, it cost TOO much!" as their filling their GM Gigantomatic SUV.

The days of Cheap gas are LONG gone, a fuel hungry China and India are looming over the horizon and anyone who thinks prices are gonna go back down to $2 is living in a dreamworld.

As for me. I considering trading in my truck (smallest and most fuel efficient in class) for a Scion xB, living in L.A. we have the highest costs in the country, the government is not going to do a single thing to help, so change is up to US, live with it or make some lifestyle choices.

[Modelcar]

....I doubt it there will be very many takers willing to cheerfully pay $5.00 a gal of gasoline.....Believe we're supposed to be a bit more in control then to have to do that...If not, then we need to quit spending our resources around the world making everyone else's life better.....Preparing them to take over "our" jobs from this country. such as our heavy industry...clothing...and the lists goes on and the jobs continue to go to those we've elevated out of 3rd world status....

[oltmannd]

I'd gladly pay $5/gal for gasoline rather than wait in line for it like we did in 1973 and 1980.

I remember paying $1.20/gal for gas when my salary was only 1/3 of what it is now, so $3/gal isn't without precedent.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by waltersrails

ITS Bull for us little guys who try to make a living and can't even do that because of these stupid gas prices. I say we just swrew the envirmentalists and drill for that oil.

( Can't even drive to work any more)

And that is why when I get my Truck fixed I am just gona stay home from now on.
No more Railfanning for me. My Railfanning days are over. Allan.

[Anonymous]

Cars today are just not big enough to merit consideration. SUV's and pickups are the way to go. We are a self reliant people who hates to rent trucks just to get a sheet of plywood at home depot.

I recall fondly the late 60's plymouth fury III which we used to take to the commisary for food. We would fill 6 shopping carts, have a platoon of soldiers fill it (Alot of food was for business at the time) and three kids fit in the back seat. The cavernous trunk was able to hold a 1000 dollar's worth of groceries and still have room for the errand run at the drug store.

Try that on a late80's toyota corollia with a trunk about as big as a suitcase. Heck.. the toyota could fit in our old Chrysler New Yorker's engine bay under the hood. and I am not kidding.


THAT is the reason folks. Space in the cars is too small to be worth using much.

[Tulyar15]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Train Guy 3

QUOTE: Originally posted by waltersrails

ITS Bull for us little guys who try to make a living and can't even do that because of these stupid gas prices. I say we just swrew the envirmentalists and drill for that oil.

( Can't even drive to work any more)

I agree 100% to drill for the oil and say screw the enviormentalists. What do we lose by drilling?

Why do you need to drill in sensitive areas when there are plenty of subsitutes for oil that could be developed? In Britain a growing number of people make diesel oil from used cooking oil. There are now a couple of plants opened which do this on a commercial scale. In ma European countries they make bio diesel from a variety of plants, notably rape and sunflower. Recently 'The Economist' pointed out that if the US put its mind into developing these fuels it could be self sufficient in oil. Some of the smarter members of the Republican party are starting to wake up to the economic and security benefits this would bring. And it would be more environmentally friendly too!

[Anonymous]

World oil production is 86 million barrels a day. World oil consumption is 86 million barrels a day or a little bit more. Oil consumption has increased 9 million barrels a day from last year. Three oil refineries in the US are down, one of them being the big Texas City oil refinery in Texas which produced a half million barrels of gas a day.

The price has almost doubled in the last year and there has been no slack in demand. What is wrong with this picture is the new car lots are full of large pickups and SUVs, you would have thunk my now they would be dinosaurs.....

Even my seven year old grandson can do the math, we are headed for another gas shortage soon with all of the lines all over again as demand surpassed our refinery capacity.

Don't expect any help from the government. They know the numbers. The government won't move until the gas lines and shortages occur. The first item of business would be to lower the speed limits back down to 55 MPH, doing so will conserve 15 percent of our gas consumption. And the second item of business would be to increase gas mileage by legislation..... No more big pickups and SUVs getting anything less than 20 MPG CITY....

Of course, this will only provide a repreive for a few short years, and then it will happen all over again.....

I suggest everyone do a google search on Peak Oil. Its here....

No politics involved, the price of gas is increasing due to supply and demands, the free marketplace.

Anyone who doesn't see this correctly isn't reading the tea leaves..... What's its gonna take to wake up America, being slammed by a 2 X 4?

We used to have a 180 day supply in reserves, its down to 54 days..... Yes, in March and April we used less than refined, but this summer has seen a big increase in consumption despite the prices going up dramatically.....

T. Boone Pickens is warning that the crisis will hit before Christmas. He's one of the world's richest men. As far as there is a lot of oil in the ground, that's true. But its becoming harder to pump the oil, and we have reached our capacity to refine it..... He suggest we don't use our natural gas to produce electricty, which should be left to coal and nuclear power. We are after all the Saudi Arabia of coal....

We also need to look at how we package products with plastic. The days of plastic containers for milk and sodas should be gone. Trees are a renewable resource...... But there is no will in this government to do any conserving until we're out of gas.....

We also need to think like the Europeans, 20 MPG is not good gas mileage. They think at least 30 MPG, if not 40 MPG. In fact the Volkswagon Lupo diesel gets 60 MPG, whereas the best selling car in Europe last year was the Volkswagon Polo diesel, which gets 50 MPG.....

Diesels engines get approximately as a rule of thumb 33 percent more mileage than gasoline engines..... The Europeans have diesels in their Passats, Boras (Jettas), Golfs, Polos, and Lupos..... every sized car one can imagine from Volkswagon. Why haven't American car manufacturers done the same?

Yep, they are still attempting to sell their gas hogs sitting in their new car lots. Dinosaurs all.....

The news media has warned us... The facts are common knowledge.....

Our consumption has passed our capacity to refine oil..... The Saudis are pumping as much as possible to fulfill demand. Yet, they are balking at pumping more, as we don't have the ability to refine it.....

Yes, repealing the oil depretion allowance has finally caught up with us. What a stupid move by the Carter administration..... Burn the hand that provides us the goods....

[Train Guy 3]

QUOTE: Originally posted by waltersrails

ITS Bull for us little guys who try to make a living and can't even do that because of these stupid gas prices. I say we just swrew the envirmentalists and drill for that oil.

( Can't even drive to work any more)

I agree 100% to drill for the oil and say screw the enviormentalists. What do we lose by drilling?

[edbenton]

Another answer would be raise the CAFE standards on light trucks which would cover SUV's and Mini-vans right now it stands at 13.5 mpg is all for light trucks. Raise it to 20-25 mpg and that would help also. A Ford Excursion gets 16 mpg on the highway and that is with the diesel engine in it 10 mpg with the V-10 in it. I have a Chevy Venture mini-van and it gets 25+ mpg ont he highway. I can carry just as many people and the Excursion and still have room for all the luggage. Hybrids will help also lower fuel demand but our attitude towards needing a SUV to haul 2 adults and 2 kids needs to change. I was raised in the era of Station Wagons and they had more room than the SUV. My in-laws have 2 SUV's a Ford Explorer and an Isuszu Rodeo I had more room in my old Honda Prelude in the back seat than I do in either on of those vechiles. I am 6-6 and still fit in the back seat of my prelude with the seats all the way back. I can't even fit in the back seat of either one of the SUV's listed and in the front seat I am kissing the dashboard. God help me in a accident in either one of those if the airbag deploys. Sorry about ranting on my soapbox but oit is time for a massive change in this country I have seen the damage our current energy policy causes 1800 dead to sdecure our oil supply in a country that 10 years ago we did not even buy oil from. [soapbox][2c][banghead]

[Modelcar]

...WWII ration stamps....A, B, and C and T {tractor}, were very restrictive...Not much allowed per week, but people went along with it...of course {the exceptions, black market, etc..}, but people knew we were in a fight for our life....and country and everyone went all out to do their part....Attitudes were different.

[waltersrails]

ITS Bull for us little guys who try to make a living and can't even do that because of these stupid gas prices. I say we just swrew the envirmentalists and drill for that oil.

( Can't even drive to work any more)

[Murphy Siding]

rrnut282: ethanol is not a real answer here. Ethanol receives approximately a $1.00 per gallon tax break in S.D.. I'm sure that other states are similiar. $1.00 per gallon, mixed at 10% per gallon = 10 cents per gallon subsidy. In S.D. the is a lot of E-85 fuel that is being touted as an answer. Most newer vehicles are able to use it. It sells for about 15% less ( due to subsidy, no doubt ) but gets somewhat lower gas mileage.