Gasoline prices and the BS that newspapers write.

[dumpster56]

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2007-04-19-world-gas_N.htm


Now we keep hearing how much more they pay for gasoline in Europe. Bottom line they drive small fuel efficent vehicles many diesels. The RAILROAD SYSTEM IS FANTASTIC!!

but here in america our railroads would make the old SOVIET UNION railroads look better than what we have today.

REBUILD american railroads!

 

[samclem]

Why don't we wash the nation in really hot water so it shrinks up to the size of Europe and all the cities are really close together. Then rail travel will make more sense. Follow this by razing the suburbs and moving everyone into highrises in the urban centers--that's what people ought to want, they just aren't smart enough to know it! Then, implant a chip in everyone's head to zap them whenever they desire to drive their own car when and where they want.

 

[dumpster56]

Why don't we wash the nation in really hot water so it shrinks up to the size of Europe and all the cities are really close together. Then rail travel will make more sense. Follow this by razing the suburbs and moving everyone into highrises in the urban centers--that's what people ought to want, they just aren't smart enough to know it! Then, implant a chip in everyone's head to zap them whenever they desire to drive their own car when and where they want.

Well sam lets all see what 4 or 5 dollar a gallon gasoline looks like to the american SUV driver in a year or so.

Sorry but the oil and refining capabilities here in the grand ole usof a are well stinko, the people in the part of the world that hate us well have oil, BUT paying them near 100 dollars a barrel will just keep the bad guys in power.

Yes my friend the railroads the high speed kind like the japs and french have.

 

[kcowan]

And then there is this:
Has daylight saving time fuelled gasoline consumption?

The U.S. government's plan to save energy by advancing daylight saving time -- and the copycat action by Canada -- appears to have driven up gasoline consumption as motorists took advantage of the evening daylight to hit the road, a Calgary energy analyst says.

Peter Tertzakian, chief economist at ARC Financial Corp., said the daylight policy is a textbook case of politicians "exacerbating the problems they were originally trying to tackle."

He said U.S. gasoline demand was growing at a rate of 1.9 per cent prior to the early introduction of daylight saving time, then jumped to a rate of 2.9 per cent, which represents an additional 266,000 barrels a day of crude oil imports.

As part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the U.S. Congress decreed that daylight saving time would begin this year in mid-March, rather than the first week of April, and would end a week later this fall.

Sponsors of the bill claimed the extra daylight in the evening would save electricity because Americans would use fewer lights during the waking hours. With the exception of Saskatchewan, Canadian provinces fell in line with the U.S. measure because they did not want to be out of sync with their major trading partner.

But Mr. Tertzakian looked at data on both electricity and gasoline consumption for that three extra weeks of daylight savings time. He concluded that, while there was a negligible impact on power usage, demand for gasoline climbed significantly during the period...

Yet another example of unplanned side effects by our politicians. Please save us from more interference in the economy! Now I know why gas prices have gone up this month!

 

[dumpster56]

And then there is this:
Has daylight saving time fuelled gasoline consumption? Yet another example of unplanned side effects by our politicians. Please save us from more interference in the economy! Now I know why gas prices have gone up this month!

Crude oil have averaged close to 65 a barrel this past month up over 12% since january, yes the stupid clock idea, does not help. In addition gasoline imports are way down from last year.

Get ready for well over 3 dollars a gallon this summer and just wait, one big hurricane in the gulf and baby all ets are off.

By the way the only hummer a guy needs is the one his lady gives him!

 

[saluki9]

By the way the only hummer a guy needs is the one his lady gives him!

Thanks for deciding what people "need" . Perhaps you would also like to tell us what size house we can live in, how many kids we can have, and what kind of guns aren't too evil for me to own.

WARNING: whenever people start dictating things based on "need" re-education camps aren't too far behind.

 

[lets-retire]

Hey newguy, since your into telling people what they need, what's for dinner? Are you buying? What if I don't like it? Are you going to send me to bed hungry? I moved out of my parents house so I could do what I want, when I want. Don't tell me what I need. I am not the liberal sheep who need someone to think for them. I am Conservative and perfectly capable of thinking for myself.

 

[Telly]

That USA Today article didn't mention a word about the high taxes that European governments insert into the cost of fuels there.

Railroads are not the answer for US passenger transportation. They only go where the rails go (okay, sometimes they go their own way without rails, but the result is never good ), and there is no way track is going to be laid everywhere!

So go back further in time... to the Stage Coach! Yeah! It can go anywhere. Change routes at will. And for urban areas, the Omnibus! And Hackney coaches too!
It's organic, must be better for us. And free fertilizer delivery too! I tell ya, those railroads ruined everything.

 

[RedHawk]

He said U.S. gasoline demand was growing at a rate of 1.9 per cent prior to the early introduction of daylight saving time, then jumped to a rate of 2.9 per cent, which represents an additional 266,000 barrels a day of crude oil imports.

Correlation is not causation. Maybe we should look at data for multiple years when daylight saving time starts earlier before jumping to conclusions about causation.

 

[dex]

Why don't we wash the nation in really hot water so it shrinks up to the size of Europe and all the cities are really close together. Then rail travel will make more sense. Follow this by razing the suburbs and moving everyone into highrises in the urban centers--that's what people ought to want, they just aren't smart enough to know it! Then, implant a chip in everyone's head to zap them whenever they desire to drive their own car when and where they want.

Your answer does point out one of the issues with the USA - Europe comparrison - Western Europe is the size of the USA from the Miss. River eastward.

 

[bright eyed]

i'd pay higher if it was for taxes to support infrastructure, mass transit, alternative energy development, environment support/protection. not for oil fat cats...

 

[RedHawk]

not for oil fat cats...

They are in the business of making money by charging the market price. If you hate paying for gas, walk, bike, stay home, or buy some of their stock and share in the profits. I hate it when people get mad at the oil companies when they are making record profits by charging $2-3/ gallon yet the same people pay $3-4 for a cup of coffee from Starbucks.

 

[bright eyed]

They are in the business of making money by charging the market price. If you hate paying for gas, walk, bike, stay home, or buy some of their stock and share in the profits. I hate it when people get mad at the oil companies when they are making record profits by charging $2-3/ gallon yet the same people pay $3-4 for a cup of coffee from Starbucks.

i don't buy $3-4 starbucks either if that makes you feel better.

and i do try to walk, bike and i work from home so there! i still don't like those fat cats though and you can't make me!

 

[justin]

i still don't like those fat cats though and you can't make me!

Do you own index funds or mutual funds? Most own some sort of "fat cat oil" stock of some sort. Probably even the socially-conscious mutual funds.

How do you reconcile your hatred of Big Oil with your desire to make a capitalist buck to support your presumed desire for FIRE?

 

[bright eyed]

yes yes, i feel like we go around in circles on this topic.

funds also own parts of financial companies that we don't like or other industries that have practices we don't always agree with.

i'm not against capitalism and neither was john smith, but we both agree that there should be some controls on it so as not to have a bunch of enrons and exxons running around.

 

[laurence]

Well I for one am very excited, the train system for San Diego is about to reach my neighborhood. I'll have a ~1 mile walk on either end from where it picks me up and drops me off, and my work has an incentive plan for using mass transit. Less gas, less cost, my car will last longer, and I'll walk 4 miles a day - perfection!

 

[bosco]

I am not the liberal sheep who need someone to think for them. I am Conservative and perfectly capable of thinking for myself.

Judging by what I've heard on the Rush Limbaugh show, I'd say you're in the minority among conservatives. Judging by election results since 1980, the conservatives have been in the majority and therefore more 'herdlike.'

Seriously, I fail to see any basis for the assertion that either liberals or conservatives think more or less for themselves. Although I am liberal and disagree with much (but not all) of what many conservatives say, I will still allow them the dignity of according them responsibility for their own thoughts. Maybe you could do the same for liberals? It really doesn't make your own opinions any more or less valid.

 

[dumpster56]

Railroads man railroads. Much of the gasoline used in america is for commuting to and from WORK! the suburbs where so many in the country live should have rail lines into their areas that follow the interstate systems.!

 

[Trek]

Charlotte is putting in a light rail system from downtown Charlotte (they call it Uptown) south to Pineville along the notoriously traffic gridlocked South Blvd. LYNX system I think it's called.

 

[lets-retire]

Judging by what I've heard on the Rush Limbaugh show, I'd say you're in the minority among conservatives. Judging by election results since 1980, the conservatives have been in the majority and therefore more 'herdlike.'

Seriously, I fail to see any basis for the assertion that either liberals or conservatives think more or less for themselves. Although I am liberal and disagree with much (but not all) of what many conservatives say, I will still allow them the dignity of according them responsibility for their own thoughts. Maybe you could do the same for liberals? It really doesn't make your own opinions any more or less valid.

Fair enough. Here's where I am coming from. Liberals tend to do more thinking with their hearts. Touchy feely and all that. "Oh the baby seals are so cute we must save them." We must understand why the criminal did what they did in order to help them." "How can we be so cruel to let these poor people suffer with low paying jobs?"

The Conservatives think less with their hearts and more with their heads, although I must admit many don't have much in their heads to think with. "I don't care why the criminal committed their crime. They knew, or should have known it was against the law, but they did it anyway. They should be punished." "I don't care that the poor person doesn't have a well paying job. What choices did they make that led them down that path." Believe it or not many poor people are not stupid. Many made the choice to drop out of school, do drugs, or just refused to play along with the system. Whether it is right or wrong the system is what we have. If you fight it from the start you will most likely come out on the short end.

I don't subscribe to the "winning the birth lottery" theory. Look at people like Martha, who with her intelligence and talent, made herself successful. She didn't make excuses, she just did it. Her story is played out time and time again in our society. Unfortunately the press doesn't grab those headlines they only report how the system failed to help those who refused to help themselves. Look at the poor. How has the system helped them. It hasn't ended poverty, in many situations it has made the people more dependent on the government for their subsistence. A good indicator of this was Hurricane Katrina. Many people blame FEMA for not helping soon enough. Coming form a very hurricane prone area I know FEMA is a follow-on agency. They do not and can not help immediately following a disaster. They position their resources hundreds of miles away from where the storm is expected to hit so they don't lose their resources. Do not expect them for at least three or four days. If they get there faster then great. Most people on the gulf coast wanted FEMA to help as soon as the storm was over, and complained that they weren't helping.

Sorry for going on a tangent. Rant off.

 

[CCdaCE]

Railroads man railroads. Much of the gasoline used in america is for commuting to and from WORK! the suburbs where so many in the country live should have rail lines into their areas that follow the interstate systems.!

Look at who the #2 or #3 diesel consumer is. I think it's the railroads... behind the armed forces.

If we didn't go to war, and shipped everything by water. Phew, we'd have fuel!

-CC

 

[Non sequitur]

Liberals tend to do more thinking with their hearts.

The Conservatives think less with their hearts and more with their heads,

Amazing. I didn't know this. Am I the only one?

 

[martyb]

Thank God! I was starting to think I was the only conservative around here! Good feeling to know I'm not the only one lol! I'm pretty sure we're outnumbered here though, guys. I really only want to spend my time on this board reading and learning about FIRE, and sometimes interacting with those who have successfully pulled it off. I suppose that it's inevitable that some conversations might turn political & that's OK too. I can handle it, & don't usually feel compelled to get on a soapbox, BUT I CAN!!! I have noticed that there are one or two posters who constantly seem to feel compelled to come out swinging with a leftist agenda at the drop of a hat, if you will. They seem to use every issue possible to get in a dig at the President or any persons/groups they deem associated in any way with conservativism/Republicans etc. in any fashion. It's America & we can espouse pretty much any opinion we want, but you libs that are constantly squealing about the big, bad conservative monster that's to blame for everything wrong in the world are really overdoing it. I won't mention any names................but get a grip. The sky is NOT falling!

 

[d]

Liberals tend to do more thinking with their hearts.
The Conservatives think less with their hearts and more with their heads

Amazing. I didn't know this. Am I the only one?

actually, i didn't know there was that much thinking going on ... is there any evidence?

 

[Telly]

Any job I've ever worked, a train or bus did not go there. But one area I lived, the train tracks and trains created a real pinch point for vehicular traffic. Traffic could back up for a mile at crossings in the extended rush hour. In that case, trains were increasing the amount of gasoline used, and greatly increasing pollution with all those idling or crawling car and truck engines! And this effect was replicated all over.