The SUV Full size Pick Up issue..

[Texas Proud]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Insanity What I was suggesting is a straight sales tax or rebate on new car sales, not a tax on existing vehicles.

We already have the in a few ways....

First, there is the gas guzzler tax (yes, it is still out there)...

And second, with the CAFE rules, the automakers had to discount their fuel efficient cars to 'loss leaders' to sell enough to get their number up... and make it up by charging an arm and a leg for the SUVs.... they made a mint on them as they were very cheap to make but people were willing to pay up for them....

So, change the CAFE rules if you like.... (I don't, but hey, it is an option)...


If you REALLY want to have changes... tax the heck out of gas.... it worked in Europe... people will change their decisions quite rapidly if we had $5 or $6 per gallon gas... and I would love to have this money spent on alternative fuels research..

[Texas Proud]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam I'm surprised this "test" was not loudly questioned by the audience of that forum. This "someone" is truly full of it. Even if these numbers are pulled out of thin air, this person simply has no concept of the air drag coefficient. At 105mph, he/she would be lucky to get 15mph.

He did say it was hard for him to maintain 105 as there were people in the way.... so I discount that anyhow....

But, the other numbers up to 85 mph appear close to what I get on my car.. I am probably 1.5 mpgs less as I have the sport tires and someone else changed their tires to sport and lost about 1 to 2 mpgs... so it is 'in the ballpark'...

[dumpster56]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Texas Proud We already have the in a few ways.... First, there is the gas guzzler tax (yes, it is still out there)... And second, with the CAFE rules, the automakers had to discount their fuel efficient cars to 'loss leaders' to sell enough to get their number up... and make it up by charging an arm and a leg for the SUVs.... they made a mint on them as they were very cheap to make but people were willing to pay up for them.... So, change the CAFE rules if you like.... (I don't, but hey, it is an option)... If you REALLY want to have changes... tax the heck out of gas.... it worked in Europe... people will change their decisions quite rapidly if we had $5 or $6 per gallon gas... and I would love to have this money spent on alternative fuels research..

Again IF yes IF the president really felt we needed to destroy the terrorists after 9/11 he should have championed a major gasoline tax that would have kept the money HERE instead of OVERTHERE! Yes my friends nobody was thinking after 9/11. the price of gasoline fell to 89 cents a gallon in the winter of 2001. But now the people that fund the people who hate what we are doing in the middle east get over 100 a barrel. And americans complain.

Sorry, sell your suv and buy a honda fit or civic or yaris and get 40+ mpg. But then again how will they carry all their STUFF?? like their fat overweight CHILDREN??

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Hmm, my kid is in the bottom 5% by weight for children his age.

Nonetheless, I think what I need (just to be sure) is TWO of those International SUV/pickups strapped together, with a boat on the back, four engines total just to meet the prospective power demand, two hoover scooper/shredders to vacuum up baby seals and prius's for extra energy on demand, an automated bacon cheeseburger maker with a live backup unit in the event of failure, and "9/11" stamped in gigantic letters on both sides and the top.

And I'd like to have a special dispensation that lets me pay $5 a gallon for gas right now. I dont want to wait.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cute fuzzy bunny And I'd like to have a special dispensation that lets me pay $5 a gallon for gas right now. I dont want to wait.

Guess what? Your wish has been granted. Here is the procedure:

1) Pay for your gas as normal
2) multiply that amount by $5 and divide by the price per gallon listed;
3) subtract what you paid in (1) from what you computed in (2);
4) send the difference computed in (3) to VMMXX in my taxable Vanguard account.

Thankyouverymuch. Glad to be able to help.

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I'll only do it if VMMXX invests at least 30% of assets in bacon.

Hold on while I use the morningstar x-ray feature to determine the allocation to this crucial asset class...

[FinanceDude]

Deleted by me

[laurence]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cute fuzzy bunny Hmm, my kid is in the bottom 5% by weight for children his age. Nonetheless, I think what I need (just to be sure) is TWO of those International SUV/pickups strapped together, with a boat on the back, four engines total just to meet the prospective power demand, two hoover scooper/shredders to vacuum up baby seals and prius's for extra energy on demand, an automated bacon cheeseburger maker with a live backup unit in the event of failure, and "9/11" stamped in gigantic letters on both sides and the top. And I'd like to have a special dispensation that lets me pay $5 a gallon for gas right now. I dont want to wait.

I certainly hope those cheeseburgers come in non-recyclable styrofoam containers!

[jazz4cash]

CAFE stimulated the demand for SUVs because they were initially exempt and then phased in with less stringent standards.

[HFWR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by laurencewill I certainly hope those cheeseburgers come in non-recyclable styrofoam containers!

They come in packaging made from recycled nucular waste; helps keep the food warm...

[lets-retire]

Quote:

Originally Posted by newguy888 But now the people that fund the people who hate what we are doing in the middle east get over 100 a barrel. And americans complain. Sorry, sell your suv and buy a honda fit or civic or yaris and get 40+ mpg. But then again how will they carry all their STUFF?? like their fat overweight CHILDREN??

Sorry to tell you this, but there a several middlemen in the process of drilling and refining oil and each take a bit of profit. The countries where it is pumped do not receive $100/barrel.

As we know most people on this board are hyper-consumers, so we must have all of our stuff. To suggest we leave it behind is asking for trouble.

Wasn't there a thread on here last year or the year before about how it is not the fault of overweight people that they are overweight. So now you are looking down on people who for all intents and purposes are ill. That's not vary caring of you.

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Quote:

Originally Posted by laurencewill I certainly hope those cheeseburgers come in non-recyclable styrofoam containers!

Nah, styrofoam is too inert. I loved the study that showed the huge negative implications of all the cardboard food containers vs the styrofoam ones. The styrofoam took forever to break down but it was otherwise fine to bury 8 brazillion tons of it and just leave it there. The cardboard produced all sorts of bacteria, molds and fungi, a lot of which were moderately dangerous. Go figure.

What I think I'll use is a packaging that can be lit on fire and thrown out the window, and its combustion will produce more cfc's than 100 old fashioned hair spray cans. That'd be good.

[2soon2tell]

I think we are sometimes a little to hard on New Guy. From reading his posts he tends to see the US as he wishes it would be not as it is. I think we as a nation have become overweight both physically and by our desire to consume and acquire stuff.

Some hard adjustments are coming in the years ahead for many people who have chosen to live beyond their means. We are already well into the housing bust with more to come. Maybe we will see some new TV reality shows on living frugally.

My comments are not aimed at ER posters who get it but to the millions of Joe and Jill Sixpacks who don't.

Just some ramblings from a over sixty geezer.

2soon2tell

[dumpster56]

[quote=2soon2tell;624823]I think we are sometimes a little to hard on New Guy. From reading his posts he tends to see the US as he wishes it would be not as it is. I think we as a nation have become overweight both physically and by our desire to consume and acquire stuff.

Some hard adjustments are coming in the years ahead for many people who have chosen to live beyond their means. We are already well into the housing bust with more to come. Maybe we will see some new TV reality shows on living frugally.

My comments are not aimed at ER posters who get it but to the millions of Joe and Jill Sixpacks who don't.

Just some ramblings from a over sixty geezer.

Thank you.

As I wish to see our country, yes.

Maybe I am missing something but sitting on those gasoline lines back in the 70s well su(ked. Never got into a wasteful vehicle after that time. Still drive 4 cyl econo boxes. Still alive, never killed in the accident that all suv drivers say would happen and I drove many many miles a year.

Bought only things that we could afford, not that we wanted for much, but if I knew I couldn't pay for it in cash over a short period of time it was not purchased. I look at those 50 inch TVs today and just shake my head 3000 dollars for a TV! What are you really going to tell me any american NEEDS one? Nope but they are marketed to have one. You know the drill super bowl sunday gotta have the TV . Then when did Children have to have EVERY last electronic gadget made ?? Read a book! Go out and play a game or just throw rocks into the pond, go fishing etc. Nope the parents of today coddle and make play dates. They even hover over them while they attend COLLEGE!!!

Something is very wrong with the karma of the country.

[FinanceDude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by newguy888 Bought only things that we could afford, not that we wanted for much, but if I knew I couldn't pay for it in cash over a short period of time it was not purchased. I look at those 50 inch TVs today and just shake my head 3000 dollars for a TV! What are you really going to tell me any american NEEDS one? Nope but they are marketed to have one. You know the drill super bowl sunday gotta have the TV . Then when did Children have to have EVERY last electronic gadget made ?? Read a book! Go out and play a game or just throw rocks into the pond, go fishing etc. Nope the parents of today coddle and make play dates. They even hover over them while they attend COLLEGE!!! Something is very wrong with the karma of the country.

You make great points, and I retract my above statement about you hating the USA and offer my apology........

[Walt34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by newguy888 Something is very wrong with the karma of the country.

It's those marketeers. For an elective I took a class in marketing once. It was an eye-opener. All about making people want stuff they didn't know they wanted. Platitudes of "adding value" via packaging and other nonsense. People spend their entire careers studying ways to make people want stuff, the proper way to light it up in stores, etc.

This is one of the results of our capitalistic society. To make money you have to sell something. My all-time favorite is $4 Pet Rocks. Now THAT is marketing!

No, I didn't buy one. But I laughed at those who did.

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walt34 It's those marketeers.

TA DA!

[Insanity]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jazz4cash CAFE stimulated the demand for SUVs because they were initially exempt and then phased in with less stringent standards.

Not only do SUVs and trucks not have to meet CAFE standards, they are exempt from many safety rules. Their not following the standardized bumper height rule causes 2000 excess deaths per year due to bumper height mismatches with vehicles that are required to meet the bumper height standard. In a collision with an SUV, the SUV rides up over the smaller vehicle maiming the individuals in the smaller car who would not have been injured or killed had the bumper heights matched.

Yea, the automobile industry discovered the SUV was a great way to get around rules and regulations designed not only to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, but save lives. 2000 lives a year, to be exact. In other words, we loose the same number of lives due to bumper height mismatches every two years as US military deaths during the entire Iraq conflict.

[Insanity]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FinanceDude You make great points, and I retract my above statement about you hating the USA and offer my apology........

FinanceDude, it's easy to get angry with someone who disagrees with you and say things that, in retrospect, might not have been a great idea. It's much harder to admit you shouldn't have said it and apologize. You're a good man.

[jazz4cash]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Insanity Not only do SUVs and trucks not have to meet CAFE standards, they are exempt from many safety rules. Their not following the standardized bumper height rule causes 2000 excess deaths per year due to bumper height mismatches with vehicles that are required to meet the bumper height standard. In a collision with an SUV, the SUV rides up over the smaller vehicle maiming the individuals in the smaller car who would not have been injured or killed had the bumper heights matched. Yea, the automobile industry discovered the SUV was a great way to get around rules and regulations designed not only to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, but save lives.

The automobile industry only sells what people are willing to pay for.