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Report Your Local Gas Prices Here (retired discussion, please see the new one)
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An extra buck a gallon probably wouldn't go towards road maintenance, at least not all of it. As it stands right now a portion of your state and local fuel taxes is probably getting diverted for other uses like schools and law enforcement. The fed portion is used to dispense pork and as an inducement to keep states in line. All I would want for that extra dollar a gallon is for it to be revenue neutral. Have some bean counter figure out how much this would generate and reduce property taxes and income taxes enough to offset this. Or just issue registered drivers a check at the end of each year. Same amount for everyone regardless of how much gas you burned. This would be the most effective way to use market forces to encourage conservation and stimulate R&D into alternatives.
We have a government that sends conflicting messages when it comes to an energy policy. On one hand they encourage conservation and talk about the political and economic dangers of being addicted to oil. At the same time they make it a priority to keep gas relatively cheap and affordable. The two are incompatible. Anyone with the most basic grasp of economics would realize this. Lower prices = increased demand and consumption. Is that even disputable?
Yeah, I just checked out www.marylandgasprices.com and it looks like nowadays, the cheapest gas is out on the Eastern Shore (Ocean City, Cambridge, etc) or up around the Laurel/Fort Meade area.
Where in Southern Maryland are you, TPE? When I was a kid we lived down in White Plains (off Route 301 between Waldorf and LaPlata) for a year. And my Mom & stepdad live down near the 5/235 split in Mechanicsville.
That has been my gripe from the 1970s. You have the part of government that want the tax revenue from fuel sales and the environmental side that want us to cut consumption. Plus lobbyist on both sides spending money like water. You are trying to limit the use of a product that the producers want to sell more of. Until the supply actually diminishes people will use it. Artificially limiting its use with more taxes is not smart. And hoping for the government to cut taxes if they have a new source is dreaming.
Artificially manipulating the market with taxes is generally not smart but probably unavoidable. Example, look at the mortgage interest tax deduction that basically put the real estate market on steroids. The result is that it is very difficult for first time homeowners, which is probably completely contrary to the original objective but somewhat predictable. The fact is that the government has to generate revenue to operate. This requires people to pay taxes. Paying taxes is in a sense no different than a fine. No matter what you tax it will somehow impact the market. Even income taxes result in people restructuring their finances to reduce this tax burden. So if you must have taxes and they will impact the market you might as well have it do so in a desirable way.
And hoping for the government to cut taxes if they have a new source is dreaming.
On the federal level this would be dreaming. On a state level you could let people vote on a referendum of whether they would approve higher gas taxes for a reduction in some other tax.
So, you are saying that the Europeans manipulating fuel taxes to make diesel the fuel of choice in Europe was not smart either?
Anyway.......
USA Average gas price is UP to $2.19
Lowest reported price in USA is still:
$1.83 in Travelers Rest SC
Diesel cars in the EU have just evolved as the best choice in vehicle propulsion for using less fuel. According to all I have read the EU embraced diesel as it is less damaging to the environment, GHG. We are not concerned about CO2 as we did not sign up for that game.
PS
Diesel is more expensive in the UK.
http://www.aaroadwatch.ie/eupetrolprices/
Not according to this page. And look at all the other Euro countries listed - diesel is lower or the same in virtually all of them.
Diesel prices across Europe
Diesel became a popular fuel in Europe only because it costs less to drive a diesel car.
Other pages which list diesel as being popular in Europe because it's the lower cost fuel:
In Europe, where gasoline is taxed to bring it to more than $5 a gallon and diesel enjoys some tax advantages, there's a lot more incentive for drivers to pull up to the diesel pump.
Charlie Freese, General Motors' executive director of diesel engineering, said that even if environmental regulations were identical in Europe and the United States, the difference in fuel prices would keep the use of diesel here well below the European levels. It's also why he won't make projections as to how well diesel vehicles will do in the U.S.
"What's driven a lot of the penetration (in Europe) is the fuel price," he said. "My crystal ball is not that clear. If you look at them on economics, the small cars will not provide payback on diesel (at current gas prices). But there are things that diesel does that customers seem to like." From:
CNN Money article
And:
For one thing, Germany desperately needs the revenue generated by the tax to narrow its yawning budget deficit. For another, Germans are not really protesting the levy, which adds 15 cents a liter to the price of gasoline (all told, taxes account for two-thirds of the price of gasoline in Germany; diesel fuel, which is more efficient, is taxed at a lower rate to encourage its use).
From:
More bolstering of my point
Finally, let me say: Gary, the popularity of diesel cars in Europe being mostly the result of lower prices for diesel cars is not my OPINION - it's a fact repeated many times over by people who know the truth.
diesel fuel, which is more efficient, is taxed at a lower rate to encourage its use)
Why do you suppose that is? Why are we so far behind the rest of the world when it comes to global warming? Why do the Europeans push diesel cars and we try to avoid them?
Could it be they know more than US?
As of today in Great Britain.
Petrol = $6.33 USD
Diesel = $6.71 USD
Still a bargain with 37% better MPG.
Dueling charts
35 Euro countries listed, and diesel is cheaper in 29 of the 35 countries.
This is not my imagination Gary - diesel is cheaper "over there" and that's the reason those cars are more popular there.
I think they either know more or aren't as beholding to the same special interest groups that we are. In addition to promoting diesel their higher fuel taxes in general are also an indication of greater enlightenment.
Why are we so far behind the rest of the world when it comes to global warming?
Is your position that human activity is contributing to global warming? Maybe I'm confusing you with another poster but I could have sworn you were on the other side when it came to this debate.
How much is gas where you are?
A few stations are going to $2.27 instead of $2.29.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
OPEC oil was $55 last week. Time will tell.
Let's entertain this GOP conspiracy theory for a moment. The national average for unleaded is $2.20/gallon right now. I can't believe the Republicans with their almost total control over the oil market can't do better than that. The price has been lower than $2.20 for 11 of the past 24 months with no pending election. We've had no major hurricanes, inventories are relatively high. What gives? With these conditions the GOP should easily be able to get the price down to at least $1.50. They aren't even trying.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
It's ok, though... after Election Day, prices will start going back up again.
My response was relevant. If you're going to appoint yourself the thread police then at least go back to where a tangent started.
And no one appointed thread police but a host just reminded everyone that the discussion is prices not other topics. I
wasam following the hosts requests and staying on topic in this discussion. If you wish to discuss further you are welome to email me--in my profile, read.$2.29 in General Dayton area. But that will break down quickly as some stations are not up and some only went to $2.27.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Us old politicos know that less than 2% of those likely to vote will be affected by much of anything in the last three weeks of any election. Gas prices would have now begun going back to "normal" having had their predictable effect on the electorate.
An interesting study would be to see what average gas prices are in the four pivotal states still in play where 2% will make the difference in the outcome.
Regular unleaded prices here in Santa Monica CA were inching back up to $2.20 a gallon.
Interesting theory. Hard to disagree with an old politico. I'll watch the Virginia race where the Republican candidate is in a virtual dead heat with his opponent. Good news for Virginians. They can expect their gas prices to continue their decline for the next two weeks. Or at least not go up. According to gasbuddy.com Virginians are currently paying $2.05 a gallon.
I filled up Monday evening @ Jewel for $2.039 regular; Tuesday creeped up to $2.059 and last night saw it was $2.139. The BPs, Citgos were worse. They were the same Monday @ $2.039 ~ $2.049 and yesterday they were $2.199 ~ $2.209. Speedway was higher @ $2.299.
Phoenix lowest is $1.99 with most of the low ones being $2.03 or $2.05
2.19 instead of 2.17 here.
Do a gas chart
Choose LA, San Diego, and USA Average and choose a 3-yr chart.
There are at least three times in the last 36 months where the Los Angeles and San Diego average prices have equaled or been below the USA Average. And many many times when there was just a few cents difference.
CA gas prices being as low or below USA average is not unheard of.
Most areas of the country which refine a lot of their own gas get a break. That's why the Oklahoma region usually has some of the lowest prices in the country. Missouri must be in that "refine our own" category too because their prices tend to be low also.
apparently CA and NY have the highest state gas tax caps at 60 cents per gallon. That must be where the "shaft" is coming from. :shades:
There was a time not too long ago when the UK was an oil exporter yet they still had very high gas prices compared to ours. I suppose the logic is by discouraging domestic use there is more to export and more money coming into your country. It makes some sense. Its the opposite approach that Venezuala is taking. I think gas there is something like 20 cents a gallon and the rise in consumption is pretty steep. Chavez may need to put the brakes on that because exporting oil is how he funds his socialistic utopia. If it all gets used up domestically where's the money going to come from?
Corporations aren't charities, until it's time to dole out some American style socialism/corporate welfare...