30%

[digitaldiscipline]

Thirty percent.

That's how much a gallon of unleaded has gone up in the last year in my neighborhood.

How do I know? Because I'm one of those guys who tracks every penny he puts into his car on a spreadsheet, and I filled up today.

Second fillup in the new car (10 May 03): $1.28 9/10 per gallon of 87 octane unleaded
Twenty-fourth fillup (today, 19 Apr 04): $1.65 9/10 per gallon

Same gas station. Same gasoline.

Last time I paid less than a buck forty five was December 9th ($1.32). . . five weeks later (1/12/04), it was $1.50. Last August and September also saw a price spike at the pumps to the $1.55 neighborhood.

The only other time I paid as much for gas as I did today was 2/16/04 - and that was for 93 octane premium.

Dubya, if your war's about oil, I expect you to make your deal with the Saudis to try and save your ass come November pretty soon, because right now, even pulling Osama out of your ass [and it's widely suspected on pretty good evidence that you've got him holed up and are just using him like an attempted political trump card] isn't going to swing enough votes your way to keep you around for four more years of this bullshit.

I bet none of y'all have seen your salaries go up 30%. Or the unemployment rate drop 30%.

I didn't think so.

Let's have a 30% reduction in politics as usual, a 30% reduction in piss-poor policy, or 30% more attention paid to the wrongs at home rather than 30% more gusto overseas.

30% - what the average American pays in taxes, and how much more we're paying at the pump.

Let's see 30% more truth and freedom.

Comments

[paisli.livejournal.com]

hear hear!!

[hellsop.livejournal.com]

Dubya, if your war's about oil, I expect you to make your deal with the Saudis to try and save your ass come November pretty soon, because right now, even pulling Osama out of your ass [and it's widely suspected on pretty good evidence that you've got him holed up and are just using him like an attempted political trump card] isn't going to swing enough votes your way to keep you around for four more years of this bullshit.

Already taken care of.

http://www.livejournal.com/users/modrnwrld_blog/376341.html

[the-macross.livejournal.com]

I'm jacking this and reposting, with all due credit provided, of course.


-///

[katyakoshka.livejournal.com]

Be glad you live in Louisiana. I haven't seen gas prices drop below $1.65/gal. for 87 octane unleaded in... a loooong while. I'm feeling begrudgingly relieved that it's staying below $2.20/gal. for right now at the station I usually visit.

Of course, I live in coastal SoCal, which makes all the difference in the world. At least I'm in SD, which was having the highest gas prices in the country, but has luckily dropped to second behind LA-OC. </ facetious>

We have seen housing prices out here skyrocket over the past few years, too. Cost of living is teh suck. Only 16% of the county residents can afford to buy a home. Isn't that ridiculous?

[etcet.livejournal.com]

sure, and link 'em back here.

i cross-posted this to where my truly political screeds go, http://palaceofreason.com - i presume it'll be up tomorrow.

[singingwolf.livejournal.com]

And the saddest thing about it? That gas station you go to sees maybe 10 cents per gallon profit... (8 cents is standard) And they aren't seeing any increase. (Per 60 Minutes last night)

[frustratedbean.livejournal.com]

Very well written. Glad you put it into written form for us all. May I link to you?

Here in VT, it's starting to dwindle. We are now back down to $1.71/gal. It had been $1.77 for some time.

When I bought my car (Oct.01) gas was only $1.09/gal.
When I was commuting an hour to get to work every day (Nov.02-Dec.03) it averaged $1.65... and I was filling my tank 4 times a week, then.
The cost of living is also high here, so even at those prices it was cheaper to commute at the time.

[emulsional.livejournal.com]

Hey, here's a concept... How about a 30% reduction in driving?
If the demand isn't high, the price won't be either.

(Although I am somewhat impressed that you only fill up once every other week whereas the average American consumer seems to fill up at least twice that often...)

fuck.

[yostaja.livejournal.com]

I'm paying $2.21/gallon in redlands, CA. San Diego was even worse. I hate my life.

[geekers.livejournal.com]

Well stated.

I'm eyeing SmartCars and Sparrows... I think other people should, too. :}

you..

[rav3n.livejournal.com]

Install a decent mass transit system in the godforsaken state; one that works, has a regular schedule and comes out to the 'burbs' and I'll turn into a regular old conservationist, at least on this issue.

I have to go 2.5 miles to the nearest gas station well before they close at 1-2am at least; much less anything resembling a place to purchase groceries.

Unfortunately for those of us living in a large mostly rural state not driving is not an option. Now for those of you living somewhere with an available transit system that doesnt suck shame on you.

2.31 Here in SD

[geeki.livejournal.com]

So although I sympathize, I dont feel tooo bad for ya :)

And we have a 25 gallon tank in two trucks...

When it takes 45.00 to fill your tank.. that is sad.

I would say we do one truck every week, and the other every other week...

So at least we arent too bad.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

I'm looking toward a 90% reduction in driving if I don't land a new job in another town soon - i'm gonna start riding my bike to work [the gas station i frequent is literally next door to the office].

however, that wouldn't work for K - she works 20 miles from the house, across town (where buses don't run).

mass transit is only viable if you've got the time. It would be faster for me to bike to work than to take the bus. a 30 minute drive takes two hours on public transportation, and costs just as much [$1.50] as the gallon of gas that driving would use. . . any rational person who values their time at anything more than one cent an hour would drive as well.

as Rav3n said, when you live in BFE, there -are- no buses [i had a seven mile commute when i lived in the boonies]. you, otoh, live in toronto, where public transportation is effective. new york city's is effective. washington dc's is. . . well, not so much.

i've averaged 27mpg since i bought the car - blame the fuckers in the H2s and Escalades for their profligate overconsumption.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

sho'nuff.

Public Transit

[bynner.livejournal.com]

Alas, public transit is problematic. Our communities aren't built around a public transit mentality, so just carving a trolley-line through one doesn't help much. The majority of people still have to drive to/from the trolley station, and as-noted, it's useless when any kind of cargo is involved. Public transport, as currently envisioned, is far far too inconvenient and time-consuming to suit large sectors of American society. Someone needs to re-think it in a *big* way.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

marvy. thanks much.

Re: you..

[emulsional.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I understand the concept of having no choice but to drive. I grew up in Metro Detroit. You don't NOT drive in Detroit. It's hardly possible.

That being said I know I didn't do all I could to avoid driving when I lived in the burbs. If there was a corner store three blocks away, I drove even though it would have been no more than a 15 minute walk. It became habitual, almost culturally ingrained. And that was my bad. But I recognize now that there ARE ways to cut down your gasoline usage, no matter where you live.

And sometimes it takes a tax hike on gasoline for people to conserve a little...

[emulsional.livejournal.com]

Dude, I lived in metro Detroit up until 8 months ago. I'm no stranger to NEEDING to drive because there isn't another viable option. But you gotta admit paying $1.50 vs $1.40 for your freedom to leave when you want, get there when you want, and having the solitude of your vehicle to get you there is a pretty reasonable price to pay.

[emulsional.livejournal.com]

i've averaged 27mpg since i bought the car - blame the fuckers in the H2s and Escalades for their profligate overconsumption.

Trust me, I do blame them most of all. And I think I gave you props for having only filled up 24 times in just over a year... if not, yay!

cutting down on gas usage.

[rav3n.livejournal.com]

I've pretty been forced to stay home. Even putting cheap gas in my car doesn't help much. Got to love the economy. Aside from keeping your car in good working order there aren't many ways to reduce gas usage, well car pool, which works great if you work a standard 9-5 job. I don't know many people who have a set work schedule these days. Well those who are working at least. but we won't get into what I think about the state of our economy.

When I was young(er) and lived in a less rural state (NJ) I used to walk everywhere for the most part. Having lived in a more rural state (NC) for most of my "adult" life at this point not driving is pretty much impossible. I used to think that having a grocery store more then 15 mins by car away from the house was crazy. That's about the average here for the most part. I technically live just outside Charlotte NC but the closest gas station is 3 miles and the closest Grocery store is about 10-15 minutes away.

Really the only people who are 'hurt' in a gas hike are the people that have shit for $$ anyway. Someone who can afford a $40k+ SUV isn't going to notice much less then a buck rise in prices.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

true, on all points.

in some respects, i miss the NYC subway, but in others, i would never have gotten rid of my car.

the price hike in gas, however, is less about the money [granted, i don't make dick, so every dollar means something] than about the supposed petroleum incentives driving the administration. . . if el shrubbo was so fucking bent on his war for oil, the price wouldn't be doing what it is. . . . either the dems are lying about that motivation, the administration has cut a treasonable agreement with the saudis, or things are a lot worse over there than we're being told. . .

no matter which of those [or which combination] are true, we're being lied to. the proof is at the pumps.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

i drive minimally [i have a short commute [6.5 miles per day round trip], hence the whole notion of doing it by bicycle]. if i swapped jobs with K, i'd be a once-every-ten-days fillup type [35 or so miles a day].

7700 miles in a year, with 2500 of that accounted for in three road trips.