Highway robbery - no pun intended
August 26, 2004
So as everyone knows, gas prices are still lingering in the high digits. The U.S. public is praying on the "gas prices will lower right before the election" hoax is going to come true.
Unfortunately I am not so confident that the prices will ever come down. I would venture to guess that the government is flying high right now with all of the gas tax revenue that is coming in. Americans are becoming lazier, meaning driving more instead of walking, meaning spending more on gas. Americans since the big gas hike have also been in search of new cars which get better gas mileage. The new 3-cylinder Honda Insight gets 66 miles per gallon highway mileage according to CNN. CNN also estimates the annual fuel cost to be around $405.
Let me just add that I wish my annual fuel cost was only $405. My car, a Toyota Celica, is estimated at $781. It is safe to say that I spend more than double that. I've spent $781 at least since I've bought the car, but then again I also drive over 100 every weekday to go to work and run errands. But I digress.
If Americans are buying more fuel efficient cars, the government is losing money in its gas revenues, which means the government will have to charge more for gas to cover the deficit. Seems like a vicious cycle doesn't it? Do I forsee an end? Not really.
Luckily as long as people are spending more on gas, it is putting money into the economy. Hopefully I will be able to see it cycle back to the public and into my bank account. But we'll see.
Posted by Brian McCollum at August 26, 2004 09:14 AM
| TrackBack
Comments
totally agree with you. gas prices will never go down to what they use to be even if opec increases outputs to what they were before they suddenly went up. i remember in 2001 i paid 1.28 a gal at exon mobile in niagara fally for a gallon of gas. now its about 3x the amount. americans are too lazy to demand lower prices. we just take accept whatever explanation the govt and the oil industries gives us and continue with our dialy lives conceding that well more countries need oil or conflict in the middle east is the rationale. i was actually listening to a talk radio show one time and the host actually actually ask the call whether or not he wants to see gas prices to down to the levels they were pre 2001 and the caller just simply say "well that was then" as if accepting what he pays now. its just plain and simple laziness and resignaiton by amerians who just simply want to contiue with their daily lives and not bother to questioned the things that are affecting those same daily lives in negative ways. thats exactly how the govt and industries want us to be....sadly
Posted by: mike azore at April 8, 2006 03:44 PM
Post a comment
