I'm going to post my previous comments here from another thread on this subject because this is how I feel about this issue.Also, let me make it clear that those who WANT higher prices either fail to note, or simply could care less, about those who ARE suffering greatly from the rapid increase in gas prices.We personally might be able to cope, but plenty of others who don't have such resources to "ride it out" are in VERY serious trouble.I UNDERSTAND the concept that some pain is often necessary to make changes but many innocent ones are suffering and I note a serious lack of empathy and concern reflected in the comments by those wishing for higher gas prices.
I'm going to comment on this one last time because quite frankly I know it will fall on the deaf ears attached to the boneheads that insist everyone move to the CITY and that it's everyone else's OWN fault because they choose to live outiside of the city ....where True Paradise resides.
Take me down to the paradise city
Where the grass is green
And the girls are pretty
Strapped in the chair of the city's gas chamber
Why I'm here, I can't quite remember
The surgoen general say's it's hazardous to breathe
I'd have another cigarette
But I can't see
Tell me that you're gonna believe
On and on with the mantra of : "You CHOSE live away from the city, "You CHOSE a 28 mpg car instead of a 33mpg car.." Apparently, such ones have no idea of just how moronic their rhetoric sounds.
1.The entire portion of America's population CANNOT FIT in all of the cities ! What do you think would happen if everyone packed up right now and moved to the city ? Hmmmmm ? ....I thought so.No room=No room.How do the people get to their place of employment located far beyond the city outside of the reach of Public Transportation ? How many FARMERS plow the CITY PARK ?
2.The increase of gas prices has risen at such a dramatic rate people were not able to implement the changes they would have liked to have made.Which ties into...
3.The Housing bubble.House prices have FALLEN dramatically, while gas prices have RISEN dramatically.Selling your house in this market can cause more serious problems than keeping it.Why ? The final sale price of the house may very well NOT pay off the mortgage so now one is faced with BOTH a partial (or full) MORTAGE for a house they no longer own PLUS Rent for an apartment in the city.Just brilliant ! Unless, one is recommending foreclosure ;in which case the person might still wind up homeless if they don't have money for rent.
4.What is amazingly HYPOCRITICAL and apparently has failed to be noticed by such brainiacs is that they ACCUSE those here concerned about gas prices of "blaming everyone else and not taking responsibility for their actions", while they THEMSELVES blame those who had a "CHOICE" but "made a bad one" and that now THEY ARE to blame for the problem ! Hello McStupid ? Anyone home ? Isn't that passing the buck ? The claim, of course, is all those suffering from high gas prices should have sold their house, packed up the whole family,moved to a city (with no room, no jobs and high crime), and live out their days in a cramped apartment while singing the praises of the concrete jungle and "wonderful public transportation".I've been to many big cities: NYC,Philly,Tokyo, etc. and after a realtively short time I was ready to leave ! It's just not for me...or many others.Forgive me for not wanting to be one of those kids that never even saw a real live COW or a Bird of Prey,or DEER, or actual woods, clean air,beautifully scuplted farmland, wonderful sunsets free of smog,the scent of the land and wild flowers,picking berries right off the bush,real elbow room, etc., etc.Why should I have to give all that up because it's the "ONLY" real solution to the problem ?
5. Not feasible...by a long shot.I just read a story of a lady yesterday.Here's an excerpt...
Every summer, Peggy Powell looks forward to her family's reunion in southern West Virginia.
She's made the annual four-hour drive from Pittsburgh to Beckley since her children were small, and now her youngest is 45. But this year, Powell can't afford the trip she's always enjoyed as her summer vacation.
Rising gas and food prices will force her to stay home.
"I haven't been able to save any money. I just can't put any back," said Powell, 71, a retired hospital dietary department worker who supplements her income by working 20 hours a week as a school crossing guard."
I know, I know, it's the old lady's fault ! She should have just left her entire family, sold everything years ago and moved to the city where she can get mugged walk to get groceries.
You see, for decades this country has had gas hogs and their still wasn't a major problem like there is today.It is believed that this country has THREE TIMES the oil reserves of Saudi Arabia, but they remained untapped.After all,why should they spend money on more refineries and reduce their profits when they can just raise the price and make far more ?
Now, don't get me wrong....I think it's very important that one take responsibilty for their own actions but to imply that the real cause of the problem are American's who haven't bought "fuel efficient" cars and moved to the city is just downright idiotic !
The increased industrialization of other countries has also put a great strain on world oil supplies and the oil used by the USA also goes to benefit the countries that do business with them.If America falls what do you think will happen to the rest of the world as we know it ? It would most certainly have a domino effect...BIG TIME ! So any idiot who can't wait for the downfall of America better be prepared to take those words back when they don't have a pot to pee in because all they wanted was to blame America for the world's problems.Not that the war in Iraq has helped any.I mean, how much fuel do you think they've already used for their War Machines ? Gas is NOW four times the price it was BEFORE Iraq ! NO connection ? Oh no...of course not..anybody can see that.... Notice this comment:
Red Cavaney, president of the industry trade group American Petroleum Institute--not left-leaning types--puts the blame squarely on the invasion of Iraq, where unrest and violence has reduced production to less than they were under Saddam in the world's second-largest supplier. Traders of oil futures fix the price per barrel based on their expectations of political stability, especially in the world's largest oil-producing nations. And they don't like what they see in Iraq. "As soon as you can stabilize the civil situation," says Cavaney, "[Iraq will] significantly be able to ramp up production. But it would take years."
Adding to the high cost of crude oil, says former Louisiana senator and oil company lobbyist Bennett Johnston, is the Bush Administration's "saber rattling" against Iran. "We'd see gasoline prices of $5 or $6; crude oil above $100 if we bomb Iran," he predicts.
So voters are right. If Bush wants to bring down oil prices, he can. All he has to do is stop threatening war, and bring home the troops from Iraq.
And by the way, those comments were made back in 2006.So the war in Iraq, the largest Oil Reserves in the world, located right here in the USA, remain untapped.Doing so would not only eliminate dependency on Foreign Oil, but the US could make money by EXPORTING it ! Think about the fact that America has had muscle cars and big V8's for decades without major sustained problems like we're seeing now.Watch the documentary "Who killed the Electric Car ? " and you'll see that we're in the position we're in now because , yes, Big Oil, has been trying to do this for decades, but it looks like they'll get even more than what they wished for.
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita wrought major damage to refineries.U.S. refining capacity today is about 16 million barrels a day, about the same as it was in 1983, but the refineries run at much higher utilization rates.Disruptions in Nigeria, repairs to refineries in the Gulf od Mexico because of talk about military action against Iran, etc. All of these things, and more, are the result of piss poor decisions on the part of a Congressional Policies that work against the interests of economically priced oil and alternatives.The stifling of domestic oil and gas production and the suppression of new refineries and nuclear power plants have choked off the supplies of domestic energy, forcing us to rely on foreign oil.We do NOT have a shortage of oil.They have just been placed off limits and have been that way for decades.The American Petroleum Institute , or API, reports that opening up these areas would provide enough oil to power 60 million cars for 60 years, plus enough natural gas to heat 60 million homes for 160 years. But 85 percent of coastal waters have been declared off limits, along with similar restrictions on 75 percent of the onshore prospects.
That's why 60 percent of our oil is now imported. And these restrictions caused America to lose more than 1 million jobs in oil and gas during the past 25 years. How many "green collar" jobs have we gained to replace them?
Another reason for high gas prices: federal and state regulations that require dozens of "boutique fuels," dictating different blends of gas for different regions.A big part of boutique fuels is the ethanol mandate, now set by Congress at $18 billion a year, which shifted the corn supply from food to fuel. The mandate set off a domino effect as the government pays farmers to grow corn rather than other grains, and to sell it for fuel instead of food. And because corn is the major feed for livestock, the prices of meat, eggs, milk and so on climb along with prices for grain, flour, baked goods, etc
Solution ?
- 1. Understand the causes, especially the role of government
2. Open up reserve areas
3. Build refineries and nuclear power plants
4. End expensive and wasteful mandates, especially ethanol
5. Let the free market develop alternatives for the future
So is the problem REALLY the everyday average American who genuinely trusted the gonvernment to responsibly handle these issues ? Complacency has been the real problem and one unexpected disaster after another has resulted in a runaway train.
Face the fact that people not only don't want to ....but shouldn't have to move and that it wouldn't really change anything for the better anyway.The fact that many businesses that are needed to run the country are located well outside of the city.That public transportation cannot be used for many jobs (as discussed before).That not even those who would like to move can do so ; due to health,economic, etc. reasons.
But don't blame granny, don't blame the family doesn't want to move to the city, don't blame the person who doesn't want to make a 2 mile trip walking to get groceries, or any other inane idea.Just accept the fact that you consider yourself more noble and enlightened because your personal preferences have allowed you to make the choices YOU wanted to make.But don't vilify someone else because it doesn't fit with your own personal , self-righteous agenda.
This is not to say that benefits won't come as a result of all of this.Certainly, lifestyle changes are in order and can prove quite beneficial.Perhaps people will plant a garden to save money.Or engage in more activities that do not involve much,or any, money.In short, maybe people will slow down a bit in life and consider what's truly important.Unfortunately,as a species, this often doesn't come until we experience suffering.If we personally aren't suffering, or maybe not that much, because of the current economic crisis, then perhaps we can think about those that are, and not be blaming them for something for which they had little to do.