Are Gas Prices Draining the Economy?

[TheRustyOne]

Delaware: #23 (41.1 total fed.&state)
Maryland: #23.5 (41.9 " " & " )

Delaware gets more in TEA-21 than DC *snicker*
4,195,834

Maryland gets: 8,113,238


Difference between Delaware and Maryland gas prices is maybe $0.01

 

[Rich Parsons]

Gasoline is a tremendous bargain in our country. Dennis Miller was commenting that it is a pretty good deal; you spend a couple of bucks, and you can move a 3000 pound vehicle 20 miles. Gee, that is pretty neat, isn't it.

If we were to put higher taxes in place, would it be possible to reduce those 30 mile commutes? Why do we choose to live so far away from our work places?

Currently, my wife drives our Mini-van, alone, to and from work. That's an awful lot of space to move 1 person. Why don't more of us use a scooter to transport our bodies to and from work (certainly, it would work today in NH ... 5 - 6 inches of snow)?
http://powersports.honda.com/scooters/model.asp?ModelName=Metropolitan+II&ModelYear=2004&ModelId=CHF50P4

Happy motoring - Mike

I choose to live 32 miles by expressway or 28 miles by back roads away from work. Why? Economics. The house I bought is 2000 square foot for $153,000 brick ranh two car attacehed garage partial finished basement. If I would have bought this close to work I would have to pay about $225,000 or more.

What you are quoting is like the Bring 'em back alive drive 55 campaign in the late 70's. After lwoering teh speed limit to 55 where most of the V8's were more fuel efficient they realized that there were less deathes because of the lower speeds. Hence the drive 55 and Bring 'em Back alive. This was a nice side affect.

If we tax ourselves more, then we will generate a better car. Well in California you have to sell 2% of your volume as 0% emissions at the tail pipe. The only way is Electric ars at the moment. The technology is not there. Yet it was mandated by State Congress for 10 years now. Why has nto something been done to increase the technology to get us there? Answer, everyone has tried. They sell electric cars or strong hybrids a loop whole in the law, to meet the regulated requirement. Yet, it costs us more to make that electricity and it is much worse for emissions. Yet it is not at the tail pipe. I guess we need to go back to theose 50 MPG and 75 MPG carbeurators that all the car companies barried in Mexico to bring us Fuel injection whihc is harder to work on and costs more money.

I agree legislation would help, only if it smart legislation such as joint vetures and or proof of existing technology to be used, only it might not be cost efficient. Yet, we have no technology to just jump the MPH with out doing one of two things. Either you shift the cost to some place else, such as electricity and you loose travel distance, and or you loose safety.

Not many people can afford three cars, two commuter cars, and one for the family when everyone wants to go someplace.

Please do not take this as a personal slam. The bikes and scooters would work, given clear weather and moderate temperatures. I use my Honda Sabre on those days. When there is no snow I drive my sports car that gets 26 to 31 MPG versus my 4x4 truck that gets 16 to 18 MPG.

I agree in large cities such as Boston and New York and Chicago where there is an infrastructure for buses and trains and or bikes such as in Nagoya Japan, this would work much better. It would require a major shift in the way people think in the U.S.A. This would require education of the population above what they are used too. They would have to understand Science (Chemistry, Physics, Engineering) and Macro Economics at a raised level of understanding. There would be cries from the political parties of rhetoric and peopel would not listen. I hope you can come up with an idea to help us here. I honestly do.

Now, to why most of those mini's will not work for me. I am 6'3" and large, ad I cannto drive this small cars. I cannot get my long legs underneath the steering wheel. There are vehicles out there that I physically cannot get into the driver's seat. This does nothing for me, in trying to by a real small car. Also when I did ride some scooters in the Bahama's the one I was on drained its' gas much more quickly then that of the ex-wife's. Why? because the poor little engine had to work harder jsut to keep up. Smaller is nto always better, just like bigger is not always better.

:asian:

 

[michaeledward]

I choose to live 32 miles by expressway or 28 miles by back roads away from work. Why? Economics. The house I bought is 2000 square foot for $153,000 brick ranh two car attacehed garage partial finished basement. If I would have bought this close to work I would have to pay about $225,000 or more.

I hear you. As I mentioned, our whole society is built around the notion of cheap gasoline. If gasoline was $5.00 per gallon, would you have purchased a home that was 30 miles away from your work place? If gasoline was $5.00 per gallon, would you have purchased a truck that gets 16 miles per gallon?

It's a chicken/egg paradox, and I am not really argueing for either position. But certainly, housing developments 30 and 40 and 50 miles from work centers are not uncommon. What would those house-farms look like if the daily commute cost $20.00 instead of $4.00?

If gasoline had been $5.00 per gallon throughout the 1990s and looking forward into the future, it didn't look as if it would change .... would the $75,000 price difference between your home, and one closer to work have been as attractive? How much cheaper would that house have to be, if fuel costs were significantly higher?

From my point of view (personally, as opposed to socieitaly), the 32 mile commute would be unbearable because of the time involved, regardless of the fuel costs.

 

[Rich Parsons]

I hear you. As I mentioned, our whole society is built around the notion of cheap gasoline. If gasoline was $5.00 per gallon, would you have purchased a home that was 30 miles away from your work place? If gasoline was $5.00 per gallon, would you have purchased a truck that gets 16 miles per gallon?

It's a chicken/egg paradox, and I am not really argueing for either position. But certainly, housing developments 30 and 40 and 50 miles from work centers are not uncommon. What would those house-farms look like if the daily commute cost $20.00 instead of $4.00?

If gasoline had been $5.00 per gallon throughout the 1990s and looking forward into the future, it didn't look as if it would change .... would the $75,000 price difference between your home, and one closer to work have been as attractive? How much cheaper would that house have to be, if fuel costs were significantly higher?

From my point of view (personally, as opposed to socieitaly), the 32 mile commute would be unbearable because of the time involved, regardless of the fuel costs.

As you said Chicken and Egg.

If the gas was that expensive then everyone would have build closer and on top of each other. Then the price further out would have been even cheaper.
I did the math and figured I could support myself and it was cheaper to buy cars then it was to spend more for a house. I included my spread sheet of bills which had gas and maintenance I have paid over the years, to help in the cost determination.

Like I said an education level, that many are not ready to believe they need.

 

[Cryozombie]

1.96 a gallon, as of yesterday here in the Near North Burbs of Chicago.

THIS is why I ride a motorcycle in the summer.

1 week of driving to and from work and class in my car = 1 tank of gas, or apprx 10 gallons.

1 week of driving to and from work and class on my bike = 1 - 1 1/2 tanks of gas or apprx 5 gallons.

 

[KenpoTex]

This is a little off topic, just have to vent a little...

Here in New Hampshire, we do not have a seat-belt law for those over 18 years of age. This reduces the amount of Federal Highway money my state receives.

This is something else that ticks me off; the federal government using the highway funds to coerce the states into passing laws that the feds. can't (i.e. seat-belt laws and B.A.C. limits).

 

[TonyM.]

They did exactly the same thing with the drinking age.