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General discussion

New high point for bush!

Mar 17, 2004 5:50AM PST

Discussion is locked

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(NT) He'll be running all right, straight to the bank shouting "Yippee!"
Mar 17, 2004 5:52AM PST

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As would you and I and a lot of others.................
Mar 17, 2004 5:58AM PST

......who held interest in properties affected.

As if GWB, as an individual, was controlling oil prices. Seems to me the producers are controlling.

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Bush will manage to beat this into a fine tuned positive note.
Mar 17, 2004 6:11AM PST

I won't make any sense but it will sound good.

I noticed a link on that site you posted on the left of the page about conserving gas.

Higher gas prices are call to conserve

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/164379_pumped.html

"Americans have learned a good deal about conserving. That's a good thing when gasoline prices are going higher and higher."


That's a crock full!! When I'm on the road it looks like 90 percent of the vehicles are either huge trucks or SUVs. What's with the love Americans have for these huge gas guzzling vehicles? I have a friend that runs to town for something or other a couple of times a day and she drives a Ford Explorer. I think it gets about 8 miles to the gallon. True what people drive is their business but what they drive is drinking up the gasoline faster than it can be made and making the prices go up. And that becomes my business!

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Re: Bush will manage to beat this into a fine tuned positive note.
Mar 17, 2004 12:11PM PST

Hi, Rosalie.

When we were in oz two years ago, we didn't see a single SUV, and very few pickup trucks. What we did see was lots and lots of much more energy-efficient station wagons -- but very few of those are even available in this country.

-- Dave K, Speakeasy Moderator
click here to email semods4@yahoo.com

The opinions expressed above are my own,
and do not necessarily reflect those of CNET!

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What was gas price there?
Mar 17, 2004 1:13PM PST

I wonder if they been higher for a while. Not in absolute terms of dollars, converted to US$, but in terms of percentage of an hours average wage say.

I don't know. We in the US have spent a much smaller percentage of our income for gas and oil than many countries for decades. Most have taxes equal to or more than the cost of the gas as I understand it.

I know that totally unchained capitalism can get out of hand, but cars are so obviously built as to what will sell, it's the public demand only you can blame for what's available.

Unless you believe that the average joe is so brain controlled that he does what TPTB wish him to do.

RogerNC

click here to email semods4@yahoo.com

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Re:What was gas price there?
Mar 17, 2004 10:44PM PST

Hi, Roger.

of course the gas price was higher -- over $4 per gallon. its higher in just about every other major country than ours. That's one reason why we use the majority of the world's energy, and release the majority of the world's greenhouse gasses. How's this for a suggestion (which Republicans will of course hate). That's also one way in which they provide social services that we don't -- the high gas taxes help pay for univeral medical care etc., and give a major incentive for buying more energy-efficient cars.

-- Dave K, Speakeasy Moderator
click here to email semods4@yahoo.com

The opinions expressed above are my own,
and do not necessarily reflect those of CNET!

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Re:Re:What was gas price there?
Mar 18, 2004 12:07AM PST

I doubt it's just Republicans who will boo you for suggesting we double or triple gasoline taxes.

And I've said for years that the only bad thing that would happen from a gradual increase in gasoline taxes would be the burden on low income people. And that particularly applies to those working multiple part time jobs. They have to get to sometimes widely separated sites multiple times a day while struggling to make it. Higher gas prices will make taking a part time job to supplement a full time one less worthwhile. It'll even make taking part time work instead of government aid not to work less worthwhile.

But higher operating costs would be the only fair way perhaps to discourage low mileage vehicles. After all, why should I have to pay any penality if I have a huge vehicle I seldom use just like someone driving the same every day?

The working poor will be hurt the most by higher gas prices, whether from supply and demand or from taxes.

RogerNC

click here to email semods4@yahoo.com

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Re:Bush will manage to beat this into a fine tuned positive note.
Mar 17, 2004 1:31PM PST
True what people drive is their business but what they drive is drinking up the gasoline faster than it can be made and making the prices go up. And that becomes my business!

Sooooo, what to do? seriously, how to control that? government set oil prices? we would have to make the refiners government ran cause otherwise they'd cut back on refining till price was raised to what they wanted, that's what they do now.

Unless we either regulate oil production, importation, and refining to the point it becomes a government run facility, OR go to some type of ration system where after so many gallons a week you have to pay more, I don't see how to discourage it.

That's beside the possibility of developing an alternative fuel. Hydrogen is some peoples golden promise. But you'll either have to have it government mandated and subsidized, or raise gas prices to the point hydrogen development and cost of establishing the superstructure of delivery and fueling points is worth the investment.

Unless of course you want some sort of tax on the sell of new vehicles in an inverse ration to their rated milage? or maybe a progressive property tax on vehicles? a 15 mph rated vehicle be rated at twice the percentage of value for tax as a 30 mpg? Of course that means a rich single guy driving a two seater car will pay much less than a large poor family needing a minivan for grandmaw who lives with then to join the kids and parents on a trip to the mall.

Just don't tell you neighbors and family driving the SUV you voted for it. Wink

RogerNC

click here to email semods4@yahoo.com
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Just to say that in Britain we have a lower road fund licence fee for cars below 1000 cc
Mar 17, 2004 2:36PM PST

It is meant to encourage people to buy smaller cars with a much higher miles per gallon.
I honestly do not know how effective this has been.

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Re:Just to say that in Britain we have a lower road fund licence fee for cars below 1000 cc
Mar 17, 2004 2:55PM PST

Our license tags, which is similiar to what you're discussing I guess, are based on weight I think, and use.

But passenger cars for private use are all the same as far as I know, other than fees for personalized tags.

The weight comes in with trucks, trailers, and I don't know what else.

RogerNC

click here to email semods4@yahoo.com

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How can the U.S. keep running trade deficits of $40 billion, month after month, year after year? I am confused. - nt
Mar 17, 2004 9:13PM PST

.

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Yes, I guess you are. It is a RUNNING deficit, not a monthly one. (NT)
Mar 18, 2004 1:44AM PST