$4 per gallon gasoline this summer

[Guest endymion]

From today's Miami Herald:

$4 a gallon prospect leaves hearts a-pumping

Gasoline prices are approaching the scary $3-a-gallon mark they passed last summer and in 2005, when hurricanes ripped apart the Gulf Coast oil infrastructure and world oil supplies were stressed.

Today, oil supplies aren't pinched, but rusty U.S. refineries aren't producing enough gasoline to meet demand, which is driving up pump prices ahead of summer's peak driving season, and some fear $4-a-gallon gas looms.

Gas was $3.50/gallon today at the station on 17th & Alton.

From before the November, 2006 election:

This is what the Heritage Foundation has to say about what happens when you push down gas prices by releasing oil from the strategic reserves:

Using the [strategic petroleum reserves] to manipulate prices is a shortsighted strategy. Given that the global price is set by the supply and demand of 84 million barrels per day, 700 million barrels is not enough to make much of a difference for very long. After a few months of slightly lower prices, we would be right back to where we would have been anyway, and we would no longer have the [reserves] on hand in case of an even more severe supply disruption.

What are gas retail prices going to look like after the election in November? Republicans only need gas prices to dip for a few more months and then they don't care what happens.

Before the election, Bush was all over the news talking about gas price relief and what he was doing for us by releasing strategic reserves:

One immediate way we can signal to people we're serious about increasing supply is to stop making purchases or deposits to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for a short period of time.

I've directed the Department of Energy to defer filling the reserve this summer. Our strategic reserve is sufficiently large enough to guard against any major supply disruption over the next few months. So by deferring deposits until the fall, we'll leave a little more oil on the market.

After the election, and after the widely-anticipated price backlash from the reserve release, gas prices are a low-priority issue. The phrase "gas price", which was common in Bush Administration statements in 2004, 2005, and 2006, has not appeared in a single White House statement yet in 2007.

[Guest pod]

Heh, I don't have a car, and the behemoths I ride run on diesel.

Though if I'm not mistaken, the new A buses going from Lincoln to the PAC run on CNG...

[Bling]

ummm if so im taking the metrorail and bus to work fuck that shit

[Guest endymion]

Heh, I don't have a car, and the behemoths I ride run on diesel.

Though if I'm not mistaken, the new A buses going from Lincoln to the PAC run on CNG...

Better to burn calories than gasoline. And $4/gallon gas is definitely a reason to take mass transit if you can.

I tried that special A-line to the Carnival Center to get to Antigravity, mainly to avoid parking once I got there. No idea what powers the bus, but I have to say if that's your plan for getting to a show then make sure you give yourself two hours to get there. They claim that the special service runs every 15 minutes but it runs more like every hour and I almost missed the 8 PM show after going to the bus stop at 6:15 PM. Saw a bus go by at 6:20 but I sat at Starbuck's talking to somebody and then the next didn't show until like 7:40. It also doesn't go to the PAC directly, it stops at the Omni and you have to walk two blocks, which at night on the way back home are two scary blocks.

[Guest pod]

I take that bus all the time, and it's not like a scary block.

Never said it was on time, though. I take it if it's there, if not I jump the C, K, S, 51, 236, or 246 to Downtown, which take a bit longer.

I'd walk if I could to the office. I can but it takes two hours to walk from my place to Lincoln. I was angry one day and tried it.

[V. Barbarino]

I see this as a fantastic thing. The only way to get off of middle east oil is for prices to be high and stay high! If gas hits 4 bucks, Bob Lutz will have the Chevy Volt release in ten minutes, sure it will blow up a few times but they'll rush it to market...

[Guest pod]

You think $4 is the magical "holy shit" point?

[Guest endymion]

I see this as a fantastic thing. The only way to get off of middle east oil is for prices to be high and stay high!

Goddamnit Saleen, stop agreeing with me!! Sad and true, Americans will only stop guzzling gas when they're cornered and have no other options.

What's really interesting is that as recently as the 2006 election, the Bush Administration was playing the same dirty tricks that they used to mislead us to war. Bush was pushing down gas prices before the election and distorting what he already knew to be true about what would inevitably happen in the summer of 2007. Now we find out that at the same time they may have been trying to sway the election in other ways, like firing US attorneys involved in prosecuting corruption cases against Republicans. It's Nixon all over again, except that Bush gets away with it over and over and over.

[Guest pod]

What would you say the magical breaking point will be?

[Guest slamminshaun]

What would you say the magical breaking point will be?

I say $6. Even at $3.19, demand remains the same as it was when it was $1.19.

[CrzyC1414779017]

It was $3.96 in San Fran last weekend.

[Guest swirlundergrounder]

You think $4 is the magical "holy shit" point?

No I think $5 is the Holy Shit point..

When it takes $20 to drive your car to and from work each day (if you have a truck) then people will be like holy shit..

I'm already at Holy Shit with gas prices already..

[Guest pod]

It was $3.96 in San Fran last weekend.

They all drive hybrids though? I don't think it matters too much to them. They're liberal pieces of shit out there but I envy their hybrids. Can you believe they want to ban firearms from the city?

[Guest slamminshaun]

What's most interesting about all this is how this affects our road system. One might think.....huh?

Road projects are paid for with proceeds from the gas tax. Consume less gas, pay less gas tax. Less gas tax revenue means less revenue for road improvements and maintenance. The price of gas going up doesn't affect the gas tax per gallon, it remains a flat fixed cost per gallon. The idea behind the gas tax was those who consume more gas, typically are using the roads more....at least that was the case.

Escalating gas prices cause demand of gallons to decrease, or in some cases, force people into more economical cars which essentially does the same thing. Economical cars produce less tax revenue for Uncle Sam to maintain the road system, because they don't use nearly the same amount of gas.

So if everyone cuts gas consumption by 50%, where will they get the money to fix our roads? Or, will they just let the roads waste away? Perhaps we should be taxed on a "per mile driven" basis so everyone pays their fair share?

[Guest swirlundergrounder]

So if everyone cuts gas consumption by 50%' date=' where will they get the money to fix our roads? Or, will they just let the roads waste away? Perhaps we should be taxed on a "per mile driven" basis so everyone pays their fair share?

[/quote']They can get the money by taxing smokers more per pack of cigarettes... ;D

[AndrewChibale]

So if everyone cuts gas consumption by 50%, where will they get the money to fix our roads? Or, will they just let the roads waste away? Perhaps we should be taxed on a "per mile driven" basis so everyone pays their fair share?

They can get the money by taxing smokers more per pack of cigarettes... ;D

how about cooljunkie start taxing you and bling per thread u post here lol

i keed !

[Guest swirlundergrounder]

So if everyone cuts gas consumption by 50%, where will they get the money to fix our roads? Or, will they just let the roads waste away? Perhaps we should be taxed on a "per mile driven" basis so everyone pays their fair share?

They can get the money by taxing smokers more per pack of cigarettes... ;D

how about cooljunkie start taxing you and bling per thread u post here lol

i keed !

just for that you hsould have to pay $10 per pack of smokes...

[V. Barbarino]

What's most interesting about all this is how this affects our road system. One might think.....huh?

Road projects are paid for with proceeds from the gas tax. Consume less gas' date=' pay less gas tax. Less gas tax revenue means less revenue for road improvements and maintenance. The price of gas going up doesn't affect the gas tax per gallon, it remains a flat fixed cost per gallon. The idea behind the gas tax was those who consume more gas, typically are using the roads more....at least that was the case.

Escalating gas prices cause demand of gallons to decrease, or in some cases, force people into more economical cars which essentially does the same thing. Economical cars produce less tax revenue for Uncle Sam to maintain the road system, because they don't use nearly the same amount of gas.

So if everyone cuts gas consumption by 50%, where will they get the money to fix our roads? Or, will they just let the roads waste away? Perhaps we should be taxed on a "per mile driven" basis so everyone pays their fair share?

[/quote']

Here is something even more interesting to me at least. The EPA changed how they calculate MPG, to a more real world value, so 99% of the cars will get worse MPG ratings, not a big deal except they didn't change the gas guzzlers tax. So cars like the 350z will be hit with GG tax in the near future.

Here is my post in one of my stang forums:

Doing some reading on the auto blog, the EPA now uses a stricter rating than years past, so more than likely the rating will go down for most cars. So I did some research.

The GT gets 17/28, which according to this formula:

If my math is correct, the Stang comes in based upon the Ford website MPG of 23.32 which is just above the gas guzzler tax for the stick. For the auto it's even closer at 22.68!

Now in the auto blog article the 350z is subject now to a $1300 tax.

So what are the 08 MPG numbers? If they fall, an 08 Stang may be hit with a tax???

Here is the chart:

Unadjusted MPG (combined) Tax

at least 22.5 No tax

at least 21.5, but less than 22.5 $1000

at least 20.5, but less than 21.5 $1300

at least 19.5, but less than 20.5 $1700

at least 18.5, but less than 19.5 $2100

at least 17.5, but less than 18.5 $2600

at least 16.5, but less than 17.5 $3000

at least 15.5, but less than 16.5 $3700

at least 14.5, but less than 15.5 $4500

at least 13.5, but less than 14.5 $5400

at least 12.5, but less than 13.5 $6400

less than 12.5 $7700

Now if Ford is posting new EPA numbers already than nothing to worry about, but I can't find that info.

[all4tribal1414779019]

looks like we'll have to switch to diesel cars...gotta save up for those bi-diesel kits out there!

wish we could fill our cars with natural gas, hence all of brazil's cars are powered by ethanol, gas, or natural gas.

give people options, the only drawback of having natural gas is the you tend to lose 75% of trunk space due to the kit that you'd have someone install, but you'd be saving a shitload of $ and much better gas mileage.

[Guest pod]

Nah. Hydrogen is the way to go.

[all4tribal1414779019]

Nah. Hydrogen is the way to go.

Straight Hydrogen, not the 50% gas/50% hydrogen mix, and id agree with ya.

8)

[Guest endymion]

Calories are in cheap and plentiful supply in the US. Try burning some of those instead of fossil fuel.

[Guest meta]

I see this as a fantastic thing. The only way to get off of middle east oil is for prices to be high and stay high! If gas hits 4 bucks, Bob Lutz will have the Chevy Volt release in ten minutes, sure it will blow up a few times but they'll rush it to market...

I think more people are going to start coming out on scooters now. I freaked out when gas hit $2.99. Its crazy. I remember a point when gass pricese were hitting $2 bucks and people didn't want tyo drive because of how expensive gas was.

If it goes to $4 or even $5. I think that there will be less traffic in miami. Good thing they are coming out with the metro rail extension.

[Guest endymion]

I see this as a fantastic thing. The only way to get off of middle east oil is for prices to be high and stay high!

Sad and true, Americans will only stop guzzling gas when they're cornered and have no other options.

Record gasoline prices great news for U.S.

By ANDRES OPPENHEIMER

Hurrah! Great news! When I filled up my car's gas tank yesterday, I paid an all-time record $3.41 a gallon, and experts are predicting that gasoline prices may soon reach $4 a gallon.

I can't wait!

I'm not kidding. I am more convinced than ever that unless gasoline prices rise above $4 a gallon, there won't be a nationwide uproar strong enough to force Washington to get serious about reducing the U.S. suicidal dependence on foreign oil.

Barring $4-a-gallon gasoline prices, America will not get serious about reducing toxic emissions that worsen global warming, and will continue to fund corrupt Middle Eastern kingdoms that deny basic civil rights to women and fund Islamic fundamentalist schools, some of which preach violence against innocent ''infidels'' in the name of Allah.

And, closer to home, without $4 a gallon gasoline, Washington will most likely continue filling the pockets of oil-rich tropical autocrats.

Venezuela's narcissist-Leninist President Hugo Chávez is a perfect example of U.S. oil-funded radicalism. When he was first elected in 1998 and gas prices were at $9 a barrel, Chávez was ridiculing critics who speculated that he would become a radical leftist. ''Me, a Communist?'' he asked reporters.

Today, with oil prices at more than $62 a barrel, Chávez ends his speeches proclaiming ''Socialism or Death!'' He claims that the United States is ''the cruelest, most terrible, most cynical, most murderous empire that has existed.'' And he chaperones Iranian Holocaust-denying President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad throughout Latin America.