PrimateDave, Amen! I think that too many people live on credit. The best personal defense against an impending economic downturn is to have as little debt as possible. Right now, besides the mortgage, our personal debt is around $4,000.00, which I believe is too much! I know people who have $30,000.00 in credit card debt alone. Too many people lived too fast with credit and now they're all paying the price. Foreclosures, bankruptcies and reposessions abound. And now the price of gas is killing off the rest of the debt-ridden. Most industry and businesses make up for the increased fuel costs; virtually everybody I do business with has added a "fuel surcharge" to their fees. The company that hauls off my garbage charges me more, the post office charges me more, the bottled water company charges me more, the grocery store charges me more, etc., etc. You know who doesn't get to charge more? Joe Six Pack. His paycheck stays the same, no matter what gas costs! In the end, it's the individual consumer that takes it up the butt without any vaseline. I wish I could add a fuel surcharge to my paycheck every week to offset my increased fuel costs associated with the commute to work. We spend about $600.00 a month just on gas at my house. We don't even want to drive to the grocery store! It sucks. I want gas to be $1.00 a gallon again. But, it probably ain't gonna happen, so I guess we're all screwed.
Self -Employed or Otherwise Gainfully Employed - Gas Prices Eating You Up?
by flipper 115 Replies latest jw friends
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flipper
Wow ! Did this turn into a debate, or what ? LOL! I enjoyed all your comments. I will reply.
SAMIIE LEE's WIFE- I agree - most of us who are conservative anyway in our spending habits have been careful with making extra trips with our vehicles already. So that helps some. I agree too - If Bush wanted to stop this ; he could with a wave of his magic power wand he wields. There is market manipulation going on ; and I don't think it's ONLY the oil companies manipulating the market- if you get my drift.
CASPER- Well- If you fill up your diesel once a month - I guess that doesn't seem TOO bad. I bet you are using your small car more ! Yeah - I can get fired up when I see injustice happening - and it's happening at the gas pumps now !
FARKEL- If you check out your research of things in it's entirety - it really reveals a lot. Yes- I agree with you we are sitting on big concentrations of oil in our country. Then - If Bush can exercise his authority to kill innocent young soldiers in Iraq for the sake of foreign oil - what prevents him from using that same power to open up drilling on our own turf ? You say, environmentalists . O.K. I buy that. But he is the PREZ - is he not ? Oh. I forgot - perhaps he isn't- maybe Dick Cheney really is - that explains everything then.
RR- Glad you don't have to drive far for work.
ZAGOR- I agree. The gas costs are just really eating into any profits any of us hope to attain ! I drive 45,000 miles per year in my business. So you can only imagine.
MICKEY MOUSE- That is crazy what you guys are paying for gas ! $ 120.00 to fill the car up ? Jeez.
RESTRANGLED- That is a funny picture you posted ! Good idea for transportation ! LOL!
OCTARIAN PRINCE- I too look forward to the testimony.
PRIMATE DAVE- I'll have to do more research on Peak Oil. I do believe the market is being manipulated by the oil companies though - so we shall see what happens. Someone's making a lot of money off of all of us- sure as hell ain't me !
SNAKES in the TOWER- It's good you are being careful geographically in plotting out your work miles before driving. It certainly will save you $$$$ ! I feel the Iraq war is such a waste of our resources - The billions $$$$$ being forked out into that " oil war " could be better used here in the states to drill for more oil on our home turf ! Don't even get me started !
WT WIZARD- Great idea ! Ride a bicycle ! Why not !
RUB a DUB- High prices in Miami too, eh ?
DORKTACULAR- I agree we need more drilling and more refineries. And more alternative energy. Bush is Prez- He has the power to make it happen if he wanted to. I don't think he wants it.
INDODUDE- I agree we have to change our behavior and get more walking in, use more mass transit ( more difficult in the western U.S. as people live more far apart from each other ) , and use more fuel effecient vehicles ! I agree -
Dorktacular
Flipper, I partly agree with you. Bush has the power to lobby congress to suspend some portion of the federal gasoline tax. His father did this in the early 90s which resulted in about 15 cent reduction per gallon of gas. I think this is the most reasonable and effective action that the President can take. The other option is to tap into the US's Strategic Oil Reserves. President Clinton did this several times during his presidency, which was a rare move. The limited releases or stored oil did very little to bring down the price of gas, but it was enough of a gesture to get him some credit. Given our current situation it might be an excellent short term solution to the problem, but that oil is really meant for dire emergencies, such as a natural disaster or war were to make it impossible to import oil. While the current situation is a great hardship for most Americans, we aren't suffering dire shortages; just dire prices. President Bush could release some of that oil to make himself look good toward the end of his last term, but again it wouldn't help very much.
I am neither Republican or Democrat, but I am a fiscal conservative. The Democrats always tout their desire to help the poor or the "less fortunate". (I hate the term "less fortunate" by the way). I think one of the best ways to help the poor right now is to lower or eliminate the federal taxes on gasoline. When somebody is only making $10.00 an hour, they'd have to spend 50% of their pay just to afford the gas to get back and forth to work. The Republicans always tout the idea of across-the-board tax cuts as a means to stimulate the economy, create jobs, etc., etc. If that is what they really believe, and they really have noticed what the fuel prices are doing to the economy, they, too, should lobby for the elimination of federal gasoline taxes. If the gasoline taxes were lowered slightly, it would help the economy greatly and the federal government would make up the difference due to increased consumption. It's simple economics.
I don't know why the government or the President in particular hasn't thought of or presented this idea. I'm not a conspiracy nut, but it kind of makes me wonder what the hell's going on. The first President Bush was smart enough and ballsy enough to make it happen when he was in charge; why doesn't the son follow suit? Maybe it's because the first President Bush worked so closely with President Ronald Reagan and learned a thing or two about taxes and the economy.
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jaguarbass
Personally, I am going through about 6 gallons a week. My Toyota gets 27 mpg, so, its costing me about 24 per week.
What I feel more is how everything has gone up because of the price of gas quaddrupling since the ding bat stole the precidency. Food is very expensive. Vegetables and fruit. And job opportunities have diminished.
Things are tight at the jail I work at. They will not bring the facility up to being fully staffed which creates safety hazards and overworks those who work there. I've noticed they also scrimp and fail to give us necessary supplies like hand sanitizer, because there is a budget crisis. We are having a budget crisis in my opinion in part because of the price of gas, which has put us in a depression or to be politically correct from a republican point of veiw a recession.
At least this was no accident or missfortune Bush had 8 years to deal with the energy problem that Gore told him about and energy has quadrupled. W. could screw up a wet dream.
At least Bush is directing all his attention on Iraq, which was doing alright until he tore it up. But as long as the government is trying to govern the other side of the world, they wont be paying attention to the troubles we have here at home. Or they will have an excuse for ignoring us.
They have been fighting in the middle east since Adam and Eve and they will be fighting over there for another 6,000 years.
Back to the price of gas. And paying to work or contribute to the economy. Today I was thinking I am sick of working. I'm 55, I've done enough.
I've paid enough into social security that if I dont hit another lick. I'll get 12,000 a month for the rest of my life when I turn 62.
I was trying to figure out how much it would cost me to just sit till I am 62.
It cost me 750 a year property tax. If I turn the electricty off and buy some candles, or just be awake during the day, hang out at the library, eat at the soup kitchen. Buy a lot of beans and go fishing. Get rid of my car and ride a bike. I could stop working and wait for my social security at 62, 7 more years.
If I get sick, I might die. But I might have less stress and not get sick.
I was going to tell my wife about my idea, but she had a melt down from the stress of her job and everything else when she came home so I couldnt tell her.
I coud go to the library to suck up AC in the heat of the day. And I coud also log on to JWD from there.
If I sell my Harley and all my guitars and music equipment, I would probalby have enough to pay my taxes for the next 7 years and buy some tomato seeds and other vegetable seeds.
My problem is having a wife. I dont think she sees things the same way as I do.
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jaguarbass
Why does everybody think George Bush has any damned thing to do with the price of gas? Ever hear of an organization named OPEC? How about the fact that China and India are starting to use just as much oil as we are, increasing demand and, therefore, prices? How about the fact that the US Dollar has steadily declined in value for quite some time, too. Hell, if the dollar were worth as much as it was last summer, we'd probably be paying close to the prices we paid last summer
Here is my answer to your question.
If we have no problem killing people for no reason in Iraq and sacraficing 4000 plus US soldiers for no good reason except to a few republicans.
Why dont we expend and sacrafice our soldiers for our American lifestyle.
We have invaded Iraq. Lets take their oil for the US so we can get gas at a dollar a gallon.
And while were at it lets go into Saudia Arabia and take their oil so we can get our gas down to 50cent a gallon.
Then our boys will have a reason to die. We can get our economy going and dedicate Amerika to find a new cheap source of energy to fuel all our military equipment. And for our childrens children.
I think we could take Iraq and Saudia Arabia at the same time.
Just set up bases around the oil fields. Let the rag heads blow each other up.
If were going to have our boys dieing let them die to preserve the American way. So their is meaning and purpose to their death.
IF we steal their oil we can have cheap gas. I think gas is like 25cents a gallon in Venezuela. Their just a bunch of sheiks and rag head shepards over there that dont even need the oil. They waste the money we give them on unbelievable palaces made of gold with gold toilets. We need to take it, just like we took America from the Indians.
That turned out pretty good.
Thats what George Bush could do. Instead hes out golfing and falling off his bicycle.
And telling lies. And confusing everybody.
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flipper
DORKTAKULAR- I agree with you - people earning $10.00 per hour can barely afford to go to work . Let alone eat. I don't know what George Bush is thinking . Sometimes I think he is doing a circle jerk with Dick Cheney somewhere. I do hope you are right and they release some oil in reserves that has been held for emergencies. I think the American economy is in a emergency.
JAGUAR BASS- Wow ! You are going through a lot at that prison ! But like you mention- the price of oil has a domino effect on the food prices, and virtually everything else in the economy . I doubt Bush will do anything to force the Saudis out of their oil- he's a willing bed partner with the Saudis - at least in regards to oil. But like you are doing- all we can do is each of us try to save and economize as much as we can in our own little worlds ! Take care, Peace out, Mr. Flipper -
Layla33
I don't trust Alex Jones, I really believe he is a CIA Operative/Plant to misguide people and give very very small kernels of truth, but keeping the real crux of things as secret. His job is to manipulate people with fear. I have gotten this from very good authority - I can't give out by whom.
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Mysterious
I paid $40 for a bus pass which is essentially unlimited transport within the city for the month between 6am and 11:30pm. Later than that I have a bike, though I need to take it in and get the tires fixed for the season both have holes in them from idiots breaking bottles in parking lots. And there is always walking. Ive walked to work it's about 40 min broken jogging/running.
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flipper
LAYLA 33- I agree with you - I think something is up with the feds too. I truly believe the government is in a conspiracy to force the middle class into poorsville. They only want 2 groups- the wealthy and poor. No in between.
MYSTERIOUS- Well, that is good if you have the option of walking/jogging to work. And also being able to ride a bicycle to work is great too. I hope that works out for you -
Homerovah the Almighty
Yes the gas situation is bringing problems for many except the very rich folks like oil executives who probably will be getting their typical
$100,000.00 performance bonus at the end of the year.
And no I'm not making that up !
I think OPEC has had the world by the balls and they've known this for decades now, as long as the demand is going up so will their prices without any set limitations either.
Its seems more than ever that this would be the opportune time now to move over to an alternative fuel source for numerous reasons and possibly to make are countries fuel independent
on creating its own usable source, we might just give the air we breath a break and are wallets a break at the same time.