Gas Gas Gas?

Just curious to hear what you all think about these gas prices and how ridiculously high they are getting.





This summer is going to suck. Right now gas prices in my town are $4.20 and they just keep going up.





We need to do something about this!


I wish everyone would boycott gas !!!
Gas Gas Gas?
Go ahead start boycotting right now! I%26#039;m sure the whole country will line up right behind you.
Gas Gas Gas?
Not to mention, Exxon Mobil screwed up their relations with Venezuela and President Chavez just cut the united states off from their oil. So, that means even less that what we%26#039;ve had here. Yes, Exxon Mobil is no longer welcome in Venezuela. (We%26#039;re screwed.)
Reply:gas has already been at over 4$/gal in illinois


for over 3 wks already. i think some people are


starting to get use to it, but some people are


changing their habits and using more transit,


carpooling, 4-day work weeks are being implemented


here, and even telecommuting to eliminate the


drive.





as far as the prices tho%26#039;, it is economics - the


law of supply and demand. yes, the oil companies


are making obscene profits, but it is because


there is sooooo much volume in sales. people keep


buying gas and still keep driving. the oil


companies have no incentive to lower the price of


fuel, and they are not a public charity.





prices will fall when people quit buying so much


gas.





as far as Congress and government, i%26#039;m of 2


thoughts. the govt keeps talking about capitalism


and free markets, especially when it comes to


trains, planes, and buses. if the free market is


good for them, then the automobile needs to go


totally free market too, and that should result in


higher gas prices, as well as toll roads and


higher licensing fees.





if you think that autos should continue getting a


subsidy, then advocate that trains, buses, bike


lanes, and sidewalks get more subsidy too. too


many people drive bcs most govt money is spent for


free roads and expressways, while expecting that


railroads have to be profitable, and the lack of


sidewalks discourage pedestrianism.





as a note, us gas prices are still dirt cheap,


even at 4$/gallon, it is too cheap still. too many


people are still driving, there is still road and


expressway congestion, and there are over 40,000


auto crash fatalities a year nationwide bcs too


many people are driving and not enough are using


buses, trains, planes, and bikes.





in canada, my friends say that gas is about 1.40


C$/litre (aprox equiv to 5.30 U$/gal), and a


friend in germany reports that last week, gas was


1.50 鈧?litre (aprox equiv to 10.40 U$/gal). so, go


to canada or europe and drive, then you can


complain about the price of gas.





america has it good in comparison.
Reply:The prices are, indeed, outrageous! This price increase is also boosting the cost of public transportation. Unfortunately, most motor vehicles, including cabs and buses run on gasoline and the people who are being hit the hardest, those who must commute to work (early morning hours and distances greater than 3 to 5 miles) and the physically challenged have few, if any, alternatives to driving. Car pooling is difficult for many because people who work in one location live in many locations that are far apart from each other. To boycott gas one would have to walk, bicycle, carpool every day and/or stay home. Another possibility is that some places of employment may soon be required to pay the employee the cost of his commute over the first 5 miles (when the employee cannot select his/her work location) or give all commuting workers a tax break to ease the gas penalty on those workers because some employees get to live on site or to choose their work locations close to home. Further, the people who represent the public in Congress are going to have to be forced to get involved in taking action against price gouging stations as well as monitoring the sources of oil and the companies that are always having a negative impact on the American consumer.