Gas Prices!!!!!!!!!!! (Rochester: coupon, house, tax rates)

[Beenhere4ever]

From the Gas Buddy blog:

Utilization rates for the last week were as follows: East Coast: 93.8%, Midwest: 79.7%, Gulf Coast: 92.5%, Rocky Mountain: 88.8%, West Coast: 82.3%. These percentages show how much of a region's overall capacity were used to refine oil. It is important to note these percentages, because the lower the utilization percent, the lower output, which has a direct impact on local gasoline prices. If refiners in your region have low output, your more likely to see prices rise.

Probably explains our higher prices than most of the country. Next lowest is the West Coast, which is also the next highest gas price region.

[TimtheGuy]

Originally Posted by Beenhere4ever

Love the fact that $4.35 will sell more hybrid and electric cars. Other industrial nations are really eating our lunch on those products because their people care. Nissan wants to be #1. In America, its all about monster trucks. But, wow, gas goes up and the kvetching is DEAFENING. People sure hate to lie down in the bed they've made for themselves. Me, I've shrunk my driving mileage to something like 25 percent of the norm. I can be quite relaxed about these big shifts. My ox isn't being gored.

Well aren't you and Obama just happy as jay birds to see the high prices.

[xandrex]

Originally Posted by TimtheGuy

Well aren't you and Obama just happy as jay birds to see the high prices.

Few people are happy to see higher prices. When I have to fill up later this week (I haven't since before the price jump due to being away for most of the week and having a small car), I certainly won't be happy. But I live in a compact setting, use other modes of transportation when I can, and have a car with good gas mileage.

Those who moved further away for cheaper housing or to get away from the big, bad city will always be at the mercy of gas prices. It's the tradeoff that's made.

The president isn't setting the prices here. High global demand and a sudden drop in supply are what you should be blaming.

[Govie]

golgal made a good point about it affecting everything that are necessities (food prices, transportation [buses, light rail] and more) thus why it's the most regressive tax, and mostly effects the poor- and middle-classes.

[xandrex]

Originally Posted by Govie

golgal made a good point about it affecting everything that are necessities (food prices, transportation [buses, light rail] and more) thus why it's the most regressive tax, and mostly effects the poor- and middle-classes.

This is a good reason why food should be produced as close to home as possible. Fortunately, I think we're in a region where a good amount of that is possible. I'm always surprised when I see how much food (including milk, eggs, meat, some veggies, etc.) are actually grown in the state.

Buses might feel extra fuel costs, but I believe all of Metro Transit's new buses are hybrids. There is at least one Route 10 bus that is a "super-hybrid" that uses incredibly low fuel and relies on electric for a lot of functions.

The light rail is run on electricity from the overhead wires that run with it. Those come not from gasoline, but from power plants. Those don't tend to get energy from petroleum. As our grid moves away from coal and into cleaner energy (natural gas, wind, solar, hydro, and nuclear), this will bring protect the system from energy price shocks because many of these rely on renewable resources, not dinosaur juice.

[dravogadro]

Gas taxes aren't as regressive as you may think. That would assume that everyone is expending the same amount on the service. Lower-income folks are much less likely to own a car and, if they do, are less likely to drive a large, gas guzzling one.

Also, I'm under the impression that the trickle down impact on goods and services is not very large.... unless someone has some other specific numbers illustrating the general price of energy factored into pricing (under 10%?).

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by dravogadro

Gas taxes aren't as regressive as you may think. That would assume that everyone is expending the same amount on the service. Lower-income folks are much less likely to own a car and, if they do, are less likely to drive a large, gas guzzling one.

Also, I'm under the impression that the trickle down impact on goods and services is not very large.... unless someone has some other specific numbers illustrating the general price of energy factored into pricing (under 10%?).

You may be right about gas taxes, but fuel price hikes do affect the poor disproportionately because of this impact on food prices, since the poor spend a higher portion of their income on food than do wealthy people. Fuel prices and food prices have tended to move in tandem, so increased fuel prices can be expected to have an impact of food prices of a similar magnitude. Not only do increased fuel prices lead to higher fuel costs for the farmer, they also increase prices of other items such as fertilizer, and approximately half of the costs of transportation of food is the cost of fuel. Then there is the effect of the higher demand for biofuels when fossil fuel prices increase, leading to higher food prices through increased feed prices and lower supply of corn available for consumption.

How Oil Prices Affect the Price of Food

[Mplsite]

The problem is that even carless folk like myself who bike and ride the bus everywhere get punished because of some morons live an hour away from work and they get subsidized to do so by not having to pay their way for their destructive lifestyle choice. There should be a sprawl tax for residents living in sprawl to actually pay a decent portion of the true costs of their lifestyle choice. If they can't afford it then too bad: live within your means.

And some people need to quit blaming everyone else and Obama's mom for higher gas prices: you're the one causing price increases if you're using too damn much. Take responsibility for your actions already.

[Ghengis]

Originally Posted by Mplsite

The problem is that even carless folk like myself who bike and ride the bus everywhere get punished because of some morons live an hour away from work and they get subsidized to do so by not having to pay their way for their destructive lifestyle choice. There should be a sprawl tax for residents living in sprawl to actually pay a decent portion of the true costs of their lifestyle choice. If they can't afford it then too bad: live within your means.

And some people need to quit blaming everyone else and Obama's mom for higher gas prices: you're the one causing price increases if you're using too damn much. Take responsibility for your actions already.

I'm heavily invested in Big Oil, so I don't really mind high gas prices and find if I mostly close my eyes as I'm pulling in I really don't even notice them at all....vrooom! vrooom!

[iNviNciBL3]

Originally Posted by Mplsite

The problem is that even carless folk like myself who bike and ride the bus everywhere get punished because of some morons live an hour away from work and they get subsidized to do so by not having to pay their way for their destructive lifestyle choice. There should be a sprawl tax for residents living in sprawl to actually pay a decent portion of the true costs of their lifestyle choice. If they can't afford it then too bad: live within your means.

And some people need to quit blaming everyone else and Obama's mom for higher gas prices: you're the one causing price increases if you're using too damn much. Take responsibility for your actions already.

Lol "sprawl tax"



You can ride your precious bicycle all you want and we'll stick to our 21st century ways of transportation