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Just need a few subsidies now and then (KTVA). The self-reliant Michiganders who settled the farms around Palmer did okay, holding on long enough in most cases for the subdivision developers to buy them out. :shades:
Gasoline prices hit record, pushed by bets that prices will rise (LA Times)
handoutentitlement, right?Subsidies aren't necessary to succeed. Growing the right crops in the right mix is the best bet for success. Personally, I think potatoes, sunflowers, and peonies are the way to go. As a short day plant, sunflowers might seem like an odd choice, but we have a few northern-adapted varieties that are pretty consistent producers.
Right now, it's about $4/gal.
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Gas prices in Southern California rose again on Monday, leaving some drivers paying over $5.00 per gallon.
CBS2′s Amber Lee reports the average price of a gallon of gas in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area climbed for the 25th consecutive day to $4.29 – over 50 cents higher than last month, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.
One gas station in downtown Los Angeles was offering regular unleaded at $5.19 on Monday, prompting at least one potential customer to exit his vehicle, snap of a photo of the station’s prices – and then drive off in search of cheaper gas.
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2013/02/18/5-gas-returns-to-southland/
>Analysts – who noted that gas price increases don’t usually occur until March – blamed refinery maintenance issues for a reduced supply that has drive prices upward over the last few months.
5-13 years ago the article would have had stories about the president and vice-president having been connected with the oil business implying they somehow jacked up the prices to benefit their friends in the industry. Now the articles blame whatever the Oil Industry press releases suggest is at fault.
RUG here at $3.75. Hardly a month ago it was $3.29 in portions of the area, having been down to $3.19.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Of course, lots of electric utilities are asking for permission to raise their rates due to less power being used (weak economy, more wind and solar). Maybe this is one last gouge before the number of hybrids, diesels and "ecoboost" higher mileage cars hit a significant percentage of cars on the road.
A major factor for some is that the EPA is requiring them to shut down coal-fired plants which are cheaper to operate.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I made the decision to convert over to an all-electric heat pump back in the fall of '08, when home heating oil hit $5.62 per gallon. And, wouldn't you know it, as soon as it was finished, and it was time to start turning it on in the cold weather, fuel prices plummeted while electric rates soared! :sick:
Things have leveled out since then though. I used to average about 450 gallons of oil per year, and the last time I checked, I think heating oil around here is a bit over $4/gal. So, at today's rates, I'd average around $1800-2000 per year in oil, plus the ~$300 service contract on the furnace. My electric bill is higher, to be sure, but not that much. I'd estimate maybe $500-600 more, thanks to the heat pump. It might actually save me a bit of money in the summer, because I used to run 3 window unit a/cs. Now I just run the heat pump, plus one window unit upstairs.
I imagine though, that the further north you go, the more useless a heat pump is.
450 gallons a year that far south?! I think your home could benefit greatly from some thermal upgrades.
It is -20F here this morning.
"The national wholesale electric market is deeply depressed. The technique of fracking for natural gas has brought a large supply of inexpensive fuel to the market, which power companies in other states use to make cheap electricity to feed onto the grid." (registerguard.com)
Natural gas prices are helping lower electricity rates in NJ. (mycentraljersey.com).
And out in AZ, there's a recent rate increase, partly blamed on the utility's own energy conservation efforts that lowered consumption, irritating the very consumers who changed light bulbs and insulated their houses. The utility is so scared of not being able to pay their sunk costs, they are attacking solar. (cleantechnica.com). They'll really be hurting paying for the increased security and waste management costs of their nuke plants in the future. (Duke Power is having to spend something like $500 million just on better safety/security for one nuke plant).
Looking at the CAFE targets for US passenger cars, if you were an oil company, would you want to put a lot of money toward building new refineries?
Natural gas fired generation has not done anything in CA to lower rates. The state is extorting money on their CO2 scam. Forcing 20% of our power to be generated by renewable energy. There are a lot of residential solar systems that raise the cost for everyone else. My neighbor with solar only pays $5 per month to be hooked up to the grid. He ended up with a surplus at the end of last year. Of course he will be paying for the solar for many years to come. Not sure if it is a good deal or not. I don't think you would get a permit for wind. It takes at least a couple years to get the Environmental impact study done for a wind farm. I don't see where NG produced from fracking is a better deal than clean coal.
It's kind of funny though to consider that as mpg "doubles" so does your gas bill.
I need a Volt and one of these gizmos. Actually an electric minivan so I could just pull over, lug it out, and recharge the batteries.
There's certainly plenty of snow around this winter to reflect all that solar. :shades:
Oh, definitely! My house is about 97 years old, has been added onto over the decades in a somewhat slipshod fashion, and has almost no insulation. Thinking about it, I guess it's a miracle my oil bills (and electric bills) haven't been even higher than they are!
As for temps, I think it got down to about +25F here last nite so yeah, pretty mild in comparison. I think about the worst we've seen so far this winter is 12-13F overnight. Worst temps I've seen that I can remember was back in early 1994 when we had lows of around -12F or so.
Being from the sub-arctic, I'm sure we'll make that a priority if we're able to get it.
Fuel-Efficient Vehicles Run Short on Incentives in February (marketwatch.com)
New York, $4.88
Paris, 8.21
London, 7.15
Hong Kong, 8.10
Sydney, 5.68
I assume that's for regular, although the article didn't specify the grade. Also, New York is high priced for an American city. Most of us pay less than $4.00/gallon, so maybe we shouldn't complain.
Looks like regular in Mexico City is running around $3.18 USD.
Your stimulus that did not get used on infrastructure projects as promised. Don't sleep under that bridge or drive over it. One of 30,000+ in the USA considered unsafe.
11.5 percent of US bridges, crossed by an average of 282,672,680 vehicles daily, were graded as "structurally deficient" by the Federal Highway Administration
http://www.businessinsider.com/american-bridges-in-need-of-repair-2012-6?op=1
In the US, where due to our sketchy capitalism that socializes losses and privatizes profits, nobody would support it, as too many people are on the edge as it is. I'd be thrilled to simply see licensing standards from more developed places.
"A glut of ethanol in the gasoline supply is threatening to push up prices at the pump and may have exacerbated the growing cost gap between regular gasoline and premium, some oil experts say."
Ethanol Surplus May Lift Gas Prices (NY Times)
The more ethanol the lousier the mileage.
It was only last week I was listening to a news story explaining higher gas prices because of a shortage of ethanol. Was that wrong? This article sounds like it's too much ethanol being manipulated for political purpose to change the Renewable Fuel Standard.
The article is confusing as far as how it's been written. I need to go back through and analyze it like an essay. I suspect part of the article got cut in editing?
The real tenet is that premium fuel will cost more just because more cars will need it in the future to try to reach the silly, over-reaching fuel mileage mandate of this Administration.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
My thoughts are despite demand, the prices will remain artificially high by any means necessary to keep the record profits. I mean, I never understood drill baby drill Faux News crap-o-la because oil is sold on the world market, to get the highest $$$ trade possible. Plus, with China's demand why would our home oil go to $2 / be cheaper even if we drill every nook & cranny in the U.S.
I don't think price was the issue. Buying from countries that hate US and balance of trade was more the issue.
Now we see buy from companies that make their products in the USA. May be a bit late now that we have shipped a huge percentage of our jobs off shore.
I never understand why some people think Fox News is biased. They obviously don't watch the news reporting part. They may watch some of the commentators in the evening, but the news is far from biased. In fact, I've been surprised how complete it is. Much more complete than ABC or CBS on topics covered and topics omitted.
As for Fox News and their news reporting, it is much more fair and balanced than the source of much of the ridicule, MSNBC. Here's Pew Report on their lack of fairness.
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2013/03/19/pew-study-msnbc-isnt-really-a-- news-network-n1537986
I personally listen to lots of different views and I can pick out the garbage, the slant by omission of whole topic or omission of parts of a report.
But I consider the term "Faux News" to be offensive because it's so far from the truth.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
It just occurred to me that I believe both Fox News and WSJ are now owned by that Rupert Murdoch guy and his media empire that is in trouble for their antics in the UK. Kind of ironic! Luckily, I believe he's allowed the WSJ reporters to stay away from that tabloid approach.
I find this a little hard to believe (naturally we have a drive planned there in a few weeks):
Chicago has highest gas prices in U.S.
Since it's from the local ABC station in Chicago, there may be an element of sensationalism going on. :shades:
Is there a gas tax in Chicago that's in addition to other taxes? I think I remember reading that after visiting there a few years ago and being surprised at how high fuel prices were.
I found this which is a couple years old:
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-06-19/business/ct-biz-0619-bf-gasoline-2- 0110619_1_prices-rocket-gas-prices-crude-oil-prices
But that's just state sales tax.
Illinois is unusual for allowing counties and municipalities to tax gasoline.
Consider total sales taxes in Chicago: City, county and Regional Transportation Authority sales taxes add another 3.5 percent, but because of the ethanol factor, it's 2.8 percent.
In sales taxes alone, a $4 gallon of gas goes to about $4.31, according to calculations based on figures provided by the Illinois Department of Revenue.
But there's more.
When you buy gas in Chicago, you pay a couple more flat taxes. The city of Chicago and Cook County not only levy sales taxes but also flat taxes of 5 cents and 6 cents, respectively. Illinois is the only state to allow all these different taxes to be levied in concert, Sykuta said.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
PS - I think they might be higher in Honolulu!
I'll have to remember to fill north of the city and we won't be driving much once we get to town so hopefully I can avoid getting gas there period.
Don't get killed while in Chicago. No one has enough money to get me to drive through Chicago, Detroit, NYC etc etc etc etc. I would drive 200 miles to avoid a big city. My son in law that lives in Indiana refuses to drive anywhere in Illinois. Says they have the most corrupt cops in the USA. And no CCW. Nothing there worth the risk including the pizza.
I don't watch any TV news but do agree. The Left has pulled the wool over the eyes of the sheep on what is honest and what is not in the Media.
I must admit I have become addicted to one TV show. Diners, Drive-ins & Dives. The Food Network is on the basic channels that are included with our Cable Internet. I watched a couple times and was hooked. Guy cracks me up and he hits the wildest eateries in the USA. NOTHING else on TV is worth my time.
Well, it sure sounds like $4.xx gas is NOT going to affect Steve's traveling. That's a lot of miles.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
That was true back in my undergrad days at BSU: when visiting lady friends from college in "The Region" of NW Indiana, they said to tuck a $20 bill behind my driver license to hand it to the cop with the bill underneath if I got stopped in that area.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
The advice was primarily for Illinois and Cook Cty, but included NW Indiana.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
That sounds like Mexico 20 years ago. Only $10 was plenty there. I have had traveling friends say to avoid Louisiana as the state troopers are out to get tourists on the Interstates. I rarely see any cops on the secondary highways.
If the van dies and we get a 40 mpg rig, I suspect we'll spend the same on gas, but just go more (assuming the in-laws stay healthy). The law of unintended consequences lives on.
I updated my spreadsheets over the weekend. Since getting the '99 van, we've spent ~$21,000 on gas for it (182k @ 21.5 mpg, assuming $2.50 gas on average). Spent another $6k on gas for the Subaru since '03.
Really should go to one vehicle getting 40mpg and save $10k plus insurance and fees over the next decade. Maybe we will once we move closer to a bigger city that has dealerships and mechanics.