Gas rant

[DrBrown]

Originally Posted by Turk

Not that I was attacking you Dr Brown, everyone pays out the ass. But to put it in perspective.

I know, no worries mate.

But prices jumping $0.30 is hardly catastrophic for any economy, especially when it stays put. Our prices have jumped that percent on a daily basis and frequently. In January gas was around $3.00, February brought out 3.20, April was 3.40, now its almost $4.00 in my town. Thats a HUGE increase in a few months time. And if you go back a couple years its increased 100%. It has not done that elsewhere in the world.

As for your fast food being more than in the US, thats actually perfectly normal. The US based companies have to charge more in foreign countries due to taxation and imports for the foods and products. Whats messed up is you can buy 4 burgers for the price of 1 gallon of 87 fuel. HA!

Im glad to live in the US because we have freedom and we are all rich by the worlds standards so fuel prices will be tolerable in time when budgets can adjust. Americans all have cell phones, multiple cars and loads of food. So I will always be thankful for what I have, even though it may come to an end when the US empire dies. I just think the oil tycoons need shot down and their profits given back to the world.

[Turk]

We still need the oil tycoons, without them my mx6 would sit in the garage useless. State run oil companies (if they could actually be efficient) would be sweet as it would be a service and not to make billions in profit. But that is pretty damn lefty and lets not go there .

It isnt because of importation, mcdonalds here uses Australian everything(ingredients, staff), only the money goes back the main company in the states. They are all franchished anyway. It is because everything even bread/milk etc costs a fair bit more. But min (and average) wage here is much higher. The UK is a crazy example, they make [shizzle] loads more then everyone but cost of living is huge. Ive met people who go to the UK to live for 2 years working in a factory earning like $40-$50 an hour for unskilled labour, save it and come back to here or New Zealand and live like Kings .

[pearsonmx6]

Originally Posted by Scooby

I am in the process of having my truck converted to a dual fuel system that will run gasoline and compressed natural gas (CNG).
You get about the same mileage from CNG, there are lots of fill stations in Utah that support it and it costs about $0.60/gallon.
The main problem with it is that the tanks take up a lot of space. But a tank that will fit inside a tool box case for a truck bed will get me about 150 miles between fills and I can always switch to gas at the push of a button.
If I want to fill the entire truck bed with tanks I can get about 400 miles between fill ups.

you can also drive in the HOV lane if you have them over there

[SinCity]

Back in 2002 when I bought my first diesel truck the price was $0.99 /gal. Now diesel is up to about $4.59. Yes, it sucks. I doubt that these prices will be permanent.

While it hasn't been proven, I believe that the high fuel prices are due to the same people who were manipulating power prices a few years back (remember the rolling blackouts?). I think they have now gotten into the oil industry. They may even be the same people who made a ton of money when the housing industry went nuts. They may even be the same people who pushed for new bankruptcy laws when everyone took on all this new debt. IMO it is one very well planned conspiracy by business to take over everything. Big business has more control over the people of this country than the government does.

BTW, once the price of oil peaks they will move onto something else.

[mhale71]

Repost!..

[DrBrown]

Originally Posted by SinCity

BTW, once the price of oil peaks they will move onto something else.

Condoms for sure!



And how was this a repost? Im ranting, get over it!

[bigmudder77]

the min. wage should be $20 an hour that will start to help alot of people that are hardly making ends meet if they wanna keep raising every thing gas, food, living areas, but pay you crap for the farmers corn thats why most are selling to that E-85 instead of food which put the food price up which put the beef price up cause you cant not feed a cow corn there meet will be nasty

its not worded right but you get the point

every thing goes up but what we make ya the goverment is giving out huge refunes to people that work but thats gonna go right back to them with in the year cause every thing keeps going up

and ya diesel what the heck it costs like nothing to make and its more than gas (dont know if its true but i remember reading it some place)

im glad a sold mine 2 years ago it would be sitting for a while or i might of converted it to the frying oil

[Evert]

2 years ago I paid ~3.50$/1 US gal, 1 year ago ~4.50$/gal, yesterday gas price was ~6.50$/gal. That's in a country where average net income per month is ~900$.

[Davaro]

What is the current minimum wage in US?

[guitardude1568]

Originally Posted by Davaro

What is the current minimum wage in US?

Its different in every state, last i heard here in texas it was like 5.50 or something.

[nate_v8]

Originally Posted by guitardude1568

Its different in every state, last i heard here in texas it was like 5.50 or something.

Everybody has to be over federal minimum wage though which is currently $5.85, but will go up in July to $6.55. Check out the link to see.

New Federal Minimum Wage Increase for 2007, 2008, 2009

[DrBrown]

Here in Ohio we just bumped up to 6.85 I believe. It had been $5.35 since 1996 though so their increase was way late!

And these stupid refund checks are a joke. People are going to run out and spend it on TV's, car parts, movies, gas etc. So nobody is going to use it for their mortage like it was intended. But our economy is in the toilet so this 110+ billion that gets dumped back into the market will bounce the economy for a few months, then it will crash again because the Federal Reserve printed another billion dollars that they dont have and cause more shortfall. Bottom line, the majority of the problems with the US economy is the Federal Reserve system and how it inflates the US dollar.

[nate_v8]

LOL, yeh DrBrown actually I'm putting my refund in the bank account I'm using for my mortgage, so at least one person will be using it wisely. I'm from Ohio as well so I know about the $6.85 min wage increase, I thought it was great I was working at Kroger at the time, but then I realized all the prices went up with it.

[SixSick6]

And the federal increase to $7.25 is even worse. Check into the price you'll pay to get that wage increase over time and the break that the richest in the country get for it being turned into Law. The average person making minum wage should see an extra $1200-$1600 per year before taxes with a wage increase to $7.25, and after taxes about $800. It was never worth being turned into Law but people only see that they're gettign a wage increase and nothing more. Sad.

[funzie]

It is nothing new that gas in other countries is higher than that in the US. Take Brazil for example, gas there is twice more expensive than in the US, and they have quite a few oil wells. Over there they have been using other substitutes for gas for a long time, FlexFuel is just appearing in the US now, they have had it for the longest time, IIRC the max octane there for regular gas is 89, and its watered down with other chemicals, also they use alcohol and natural gas to run their cars. The only reason E85 is comming into light in the US is because all the corn farmers are pushing for it, even though its crap, but they just want to make their money.

As for the price in gas, it keeps going up because there is more demand for it, sure wars and conflict in the middle east increases the price. Somebody blows up a pipeline and the price of a barrel goes up, why? because investors are afraid that the supply will be disrupted.

The recent surges in price of gas here in the US are attributed to the large demand of gas and the weakening dollar. If the US dollar is worth less compared to other countries, then it will cost more to buy gas. This is another problem that is comming up, the chinnese currency is gaining while the US dollar is decreasing, guess what all those electronics and made in china toys will cost more pretty soon.

Since the US is knee deep in a recession, the UK and other European markets have shown signs of slowing down also, which is not good, cause it will end up spilling over to all the Asian markets, and therefore a global recession.