Gas Prices
04-20-2001, 04:07 PM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 252
1.89 for high octane here in Memphis. 1.60 at Costco. This sucks, I remember back in the days when I was driving my CRX and gas got down to 69 and 79 cents for regular. 7 and 8 dollars to fill up the tank in the CRX...and it ran for 250 miles. Now it takes 20-something to fill up the tank and I get 350 per fillup.... gas really needs to come down some.....
04-20-2001, 04:55 PM
#10
there is a protest going on to help reduce the price of gas. Says not to buy from 2 of the largest manufactures such as Exxon and Mobile!! So less people will buy from these companies, price should drop. there you go
04-20-2001, 05:25 PM
#12
It's around the $1.79 around the Harrisburg, PA area. I can't afford to be paying $23 to fill up my tank every few days. I hope it goes down soon, but I have a feeling I'll be paying like $2.00 a gal.
04-20-2001, 07:01 PM
#13
Donating Maxima.org Member
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,604
double whammy
we get kindof a double whammy here.
Portland is really close to the NH/Mass border, so we get a little of that Boston North Shore inflation. That's whammy #1. Whammy #2 is that we're like the gateway to Maine -- everyone who comes to Maine in the summer (and that's a LOT of freakin people) goes through Portland. So the summer season naturally the prices go up since demand is so much higher. I'm bumming because Supreme is already $1.80 up here. I said $1.75 earlier but I was out cruising tonight and noticed $1.79 and $1.80 seems more common.
Dang!
Portland is really close to the NH/Mass border, so we get a little of that Boston North Shore inflation. That's whammy #1. Whammy #2 is that we're like the gateway to Maine -- everyone who comes to Maine in the summer (and that's a LOT of freakin people) goes through Portland. So the summer season naturally the prices go up since demand is so much higher. I'm bumming because Supreme is already $1.80 up here. I said $1.75 earlier but I was out cruising tonight and noticed $1.79 and $1.80 seems more common.
Dang!
)
04-21-2001, 02:06 AM
#22
Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 18
You guys should be here...
Regular goes for $.95 AUD per liter- just under four liters per gallon and 1 USD per 2 AUD so we're about about $1.90 for regular- I'll have to check on premium. I was out away from Perth over Easter weekend and paid $1.03 AUD per liter. Here the gas prices go up and down each day by 2-5 cents- busy days have higher prices, slow days have lower prices!
04-21-2001, 04:30 AM
#23
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 200
amazing rising prices
No justification either. We don't pay what it's truly worth, because by world standards $2.40/gal is cheap. But we're the USA, we don't care what the rest of the world does, we deserve the highest standard of living!
C'mon, where else can anyone afford a BMW at age 16, or a Maxima? Funny nobody on this board is from Europe. I paid over $4 per gallon in 1997 there when super was $1.049 in my neighborhood. All that money that the gasoline retailers pocketed, and look at how they work for it: no air, no windshield washer fluids, basically nothing more than a set of pumps that take credit cards.
My folks used to think you had to work to succeed, boy were they wrong! haha
C'mon, where else can anyone afford a BMW at age 16, or a Maxima? Funny nobody on this board is from Europe. I paid over $4 per gallon in 1997 there when super was $1.049 in my neighborhood. All that money that the gasoline retailers pocketed, and look at how they work for it: no air, no windshield washer fluids, basically nothing more than a set of pumps that take credit cards.
My folks used to think you had to work to succeed, boy were they wrong! haha
04-21-2001, 09:34 AM
#25
Guest
Posts: n/a
Okay...gas prices here in Europe are very high. Right around $4.50 a gallon for 93 octane. Luckily, I get my gas at a reduced rate of about $2.00 a gallon. I can buy gas at local gas stations using coupons. I'm glad about this because I've filled the car up and would have had to pay nearly $80.00 if I was paying full price.
People are still driving SUV's over here...and paying $4.00 or more a gallon for gas!
People are still driving SUV's over here...and paying $4.00 or more a gallon for gas!
04-21-2001, 10:56 AM
#26
Guest
Posts: n/a
The last time I checked the price of 93 here in MA it was up around $1.73, BUT I went on thursday, you know you gotta do the thirfty thursdays when you can. 10 cents off. That brought it below what 89 was selling at per gallon. Sorry, it was at Exxon in Woburn.
04-21-2001, 12:02 PM
#27
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 172
$2.30 for 93 octane in San Francisco.
Gas prices are NOT high in Europe because gas retailers are 'pocketing' it.
The gas prices are that because that is the cost of gasoline (plus transporting it and selling it). Why is it so cheap in the US then? Because our government subsidizes the cost of gasoline.
If they stopped doing that, you'd see our gas prices shoot up to European levels.
Boycotting a particular companies' gasoline won't help -- everybody gets the gas for the most part from the same place, OPEC, which charges all gas companies the same rate.
Boycotting all gas companies for a few days (like they've done before) has zero effect, as everyone is back to fuel up the next week.
The only way to make an impact without getting extremely political is to drive less. Consume less gasoline.
We have a constant, guaranteed demand for gasoline in America. That demand has been going up with gas guzzlers like SUVs coming into style. There is a limited supply of gasoline (OPEC limits the rates, so that one country doesn't so at dirt cheap rates and then cause all these countries which depend on their oil sales for survival to go into extreme poverty). A guaranteed, increasing demand a steady limited supply means higher prices.
Just be glad our gas prices are subsidized. Sometimes I wish they weren't -- then MAYBE we'd get less people buying gas guzzlers. Then again, maybe not.
Gas prices are NOT high in Europe because gas retailers are 'pocketing' it.
The gas prices are that because that is the cost of gasoline (plus transporting it and selling it). Why is it so cheap in the US then? Because our government subsidizes the cost of gasoline.
If they stopped doing that, you'd see our gas prices shoot up to European levels.
Boycotting a particular companies' gasoline won't help -- everybody gets the gas for the most part from the same place, OPEC, which charges all gas companies the same rate.
Boycotting all gas companies for a few days (like they've done before) has zero effect, as everyone is back to fuel up the next week.
The only way to make an impact without getting extremely political is to drive less. Consume less gasoline.
We have a constant, guaranteed demand for gasoline in America. That demand has been going up with gas guzzlers like SUVs coming into style. There is a limited supply of gasoline (OPEC limits the rates, so that one country doesn't so at dirt cheap rates and then cause all these countries which depend on their oil sales for survival to go into extreme poverty). A guaranteed, increasing demand a steady limited supply means higher prices.
Just be glad our gas prices are subsidized. Sometimes I wish they weren't -- then MAYBE we'd get less people buying gas guzzlers. Then again, maybe not.
04-21-2001, 01:18 PM
#28
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 805
I say we send troops into all countries who sell oil and take them over
The countries just don't *feel* like barreling that much oil, so they restrict how much they barrel everyday and thats why prices are so high. If we go in there and take the countries over or soemthing we can ship most of the oil over here and the rates would be VERY cheap. I'll prolly get *****ed out for this but oh well, I think our country should just move in...I can barely afford gas.
PJ
PJ
04-21-2001, 01:33 PM
#29
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 172
Re: I say we send troops into all countries who sell oil and take them over
Originally posted by speednsound007
The countries just don't *feel* like barreling that much oil, so they restrict how much they barrel everyday and thats why prices are so high.
The countries just don't *feel* like barreling that much oil, so they restrict how much they barrel everyday and thats why prices are so high.
If you have X amount of resources and once it's used up, they'll never be anymore (in a reasonable amount of time), do you sell it all in 1 year for $0.01/gal and then have your countries collapse the next year when they have no resources to sell? Or do you ration it out?
It's not that they just don't *feel* like barreling it. It's because it's financially idiotic to flood a market with a finite resource, a resource that you can't get any more of once it's gone.
If we go in there and take the countries over or soemthing we can ship most of the oil over here and the rates would be VERY cheap.
04-21-2001, 01:40 PM
#30
Donating Maxima.org Member
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,604
22
Originally posted by Jesse93GXE
$2.30 for 93 octane in San Francisco.
Gas prices are NOT high in Europe because gas retailers are 'pocketing' it.
The gas prices are that because that is the cost of gasoline (plus transporting it and selling it). Why is it so cheap in the US then? Because our government subsidizes the cost of gasoline.
{snipping more silliness}
Just be glad our gas prices are subsidized. Sometimes I wish they weren't -- then MAYBE we'd get less people buying gas guzzlers. Then again, maybe not.
$2.30 for 93 octane in San Francisco.
Gas prices are NOT high in Europe because gas retailers are 'pocketing' it.
The gas prices are that because that is the cost of gasoline (plus transporting it and selling it). Why is it so cheap in the US then? Because our government subsidizes the cost of gasoline.
{snipping more silliness}
Just be glad our gas prices are subsidized. Sometimes I wish they weren't -- then MAYBE we'd get less people buying gas guzzlers. Then again, maybe not.
The reason prices are so high in Europe is because of additional taxes. I'm not saying one way or the other is necessarily best, but it's quite ignorant to be saying that the US Government subsidizes gas prices.
04-21-2001, 03:13 PM
#31
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 200
Re: 22
Originally posted by acitrano
Ummm? What are you talking about? The US Government does NOT subsidize gas prices at all. In fact, there are considerable federal taxes on it. Are you silly or misinformed or joking or what?
The reason prices are so high in Europe is because of additional taxes. I'm not saying one way or the other is necessarily best, but it's quite ignorant to be saying that the US Government subsidizes gas prices.
Ummm? What are you talking about? The US Government does NOT subsidize gas prices at all. In fact, there are considerable federal taxes on it. Are you silly or misinformed or joking or what?
The reason prices are so high in Europe is because of additional taxes. I'm not saying one way or the other is necessarily best, but it's quite ignorant to be saying that the US Government subsidizes gas prices.
My point is petrol has not doubled in price in Europe since 1997, but it has where I live. That was a joke, $1.049 for super, it was wonderful. But business doesn't work that way, big oil was losing big money so it was certain that artificial shortages would emerge.
04-21-2001, 09:53 PM
#32
It's on the rise in NYC...
I could swear just last week I filled up for like 1.73$ for 93, yesturday.... 1.81.. crap, and I get 12 miles per gallon, a bit expensive to travel 50 miles a day 
My brothers Corolla is resting in my driveway for months, being used once in 2 weeks, hmmmm
what is that, 28 mpg city? hmm... We should all get 4 cyl beaters with manual gear boxes for these "hard times" I work for gas money.
My brothers Corolla is resting in my driveway for months, being used once in 2 weeks, hmmmm
what is that, 28 mpg city? hmm... We should all get 4 cyl beaters with manual gear boxes for these "hard times" I work for gas money.
04-21-2001, 11:45 PM
#33
Guest
Posts: n/a
Gas just went to 1.779 for 92 octane here in Boise Idaho.
People around here like to complain that we have the highest gas prices in the country. But judging from the replies to this thread it looks like we are only average. I guess the only thing to do is suck it up and get on with life.
People around here like to complain that we have the highest gas prices in the country. But judging from the replies to this thread it looks like we are only average. I guess the only thing to do is suck it up and get on with life.
04-21-2001, 11:52 PM
#34
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 172
The cost of gasoline is indeed subsidized by the US Government in America.
It's subsidized in the forms of tax breaks for the US oil companies.
Details on the various subsidies can be found at the International Center for Technology Assessment, among numerous other sources. Exact amounts will vary, but there's no argument from expert sources that the US spends billions every each subsidizing gasoline.
Here's some excerpts from the ICTA report at http://www.icta.org/projects/trans/rlprexsm.htm (more detailed version in pdf format at http://www.icta.org/projects/trans/realpricegas.pdf):
There are several tax breaks that directly benefit oil companies. Federal tax breaks that directly benefit oil companies include: the Percentage Depletion Allowance (a subsidy of $784 million to $1 billion per year), the Nonconventional Fuel Production Credit ($769 to $900 million), immediate expensing of exploration and development costs ($200 to $255 million), the Enhanced Oil Recovery Credit ($26.3 to $100 million), foreign tax credits ($1.11 to $3.4 billion), foreign income deferrals ($183 to $318 million), and accelerated depreciation allowances ($1.0 to $4.5 billion).
Additionally state's often undertax oil companies and oil is often given special petroleum taxes in place of sales tax which are lower than the sales taxes.
This doesn't even begin to factor in other less direct ways the US subsidizes US oil companies and oil supplies in general, like maintaining military presence in oil strategic regions (kuwait for example), the national strategic petroleum reserve and infrastructure and cleanup subsidies.
If you want to find out more on it, do some net searches or go to your local library and take out some books on the topic. If you just want to ignore it or disagree for whatever reason, that's your choice, but I won't argue over it. Best to keep it friendly, you know?
It's subsidized in the forms of tax breaks for the US oil companies.
Details on the various subsidies can be found at the International Center for Technology Assessment, among numerous other sources. Exact amounts will vary, but there's no argument from expert sources that the US spends billions every each subsidizing gasoline.
Here's some excerpts from the ICTA report at http://www.icta.org/projects/trans/rlprexsm.htm (more detailed version in pdf format at http://www.icta.org/projects/trans/realpricegas.pdf):
There are several tax breaks that directly benefit oil companies. Federal tax breaks that directly benefit oil companies include: the Percentage Depletion Allowance (a subsidy of $784 million to $1 billion per year), the Nonconventional Fuel Production Credit ($769 to $900 million), immediate expensing of exploration and development costs ($200 to $255 million), the Enhanced Oil Recovery Credit ($26.3 to $100 million), foreign tax credits ($1.11 to $3.4 billion), foreign income deferrals ($183 to $318 million), and accelerated depreciation allowances ($1.0 to $4.5 billion).
Additionally state's often undertax oil companies and oil is often given special petroleum taxes in place of sales tax which are lower than the sales taxes.
This doesn't even begin to factor in other less direct ways the US subsidizes US oil companies and oil supplies in general, like maintaining military presence in oil strategic regions (kuwait for example), the national strategic petroleum reserve and infrastructure and cleanup subsidies.
If you want to find out more on it, do some net searches or go to your local library and take out some books on the topic. If you just want to ignore it or disagree for whatever reason, that's your choice, but I won't argue over it. Best to keep it friendly, you know?
04-22-2001, 02:01 AM
#35
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 1,430
You guys are all lucky bastards!!!!! You should come visit Hawaii (paradise island) Here in Maui, we pay $2.43/gal for 93 octane gas. self service and almost $3 bucks at the full service lane. The price we pay for living in paradise (i guess)
04-22-2001, 02:58 AM
#36
Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 18
This isn't true- back last August I saw that the price of gasoline itself was a few cents less than in Europe- the difference in price was the difference in taxes with Europe having a significantly higher tax. Also Europe's taxes tend to be a percentage while in the US it's usually cents per gallon. So in Europe when gasoline does go up, it goes up about double that due to the high level of taxes.
Originally posted by Jesse93GXE
$2.30 for 93 octane in San Francisco.
Gas prices are NOT high in Europe because gas retailers are 'pocketing' it.
The gas prices are that because that is the cost of gasoline (plus transporting it and selling it). Why is it so cheap in the US then? Because our government subsidizes the cost of gasoline.
If they stopped doing that, you'd see our gas prices shoot up to European levels.
Boycotting a particular companies' gasoline won't help -- everybody gets the gas for the most part from the same place, OPEC, which charges all gas companies the same rate.
Boycotting all gas companies for a few days (like they've done before) has zero effect, as everyone is back to fuel up the next week.
The only way to make an impact without getting extremely political is to drive less. Consume less gasoline.
We have a constant, guaranteed demand for gasoline in America. That demand has been going up with gas guzzlers like SUVs coming into style. There is a limited supply of gasoline (OPEC limits the rates, so that one country doesn't so at dirt cheap rates and then cause all these countries which depend on their oil sales for survival to go into extreme poverty). A guaranteed, increasing demand a steady limited supply means higher prices.
Just be glad our gas prices are subsidized. Sometimes I wish they weren't -- then MAYBE we'd get less people buying gas guzzlers. Then again, maybe not.
$2.30 for 93 octane in San Francisco.
Gas prices are NOT high in Europe because gas retailers are 'pocketing' it.
The gas prices are that because that is the cost of gasoline (plus transporting it and selling it). Why is it so cheap in the US then? Because our government subsidizes the cost of gasoline.
If they stopped doing that, you'd see our gas prices shoot up to European levels.
Boycotting a particular companies' gasoline won't help -- everybody gets the gas for the most part from the same place, OPEC, which charges all gas companies the same rate.
Boycotting all gas companies for a few days (like they've done before) has zero effect, as everyone is back to fuel up the next week.
The only way to make an impact without getting extremely political is to drive less. Consume less gasoline.
We have a constant, guaranteed demand for gasoline in America. That demand has been going up with gas guzzlers like SUVs coming into style. There is a limited supply of gasoline (OPEC limits the rates, so that one country doesn't so at dirt cheap rates and then cause all these countries which depend on their oil sales for survival to go into extreme poverty). A guaranteed, increasing demand a steady limited supply means higher prices.
Just be glad our gas prices are subsidized. Sometimes I wish they weren't -- then MAYBE we'd get less people buying gas guzzlers. Then again, maybe not.
04-22-2001, 03:20 AM
#37
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 172
Let me make it clear that, yes, *relative to the US*, Europe has much higher taxes on gasoline.
Why? Because the US gives *tax breaks* to US oil companies. Another name for those tax breaks are subsidies.
So both statements are true. European gas prices are higher due to taxes. The US federal government (and state ones, typically) give subsidies to US oil companies in the form of tax breaks. Result: cheaper gas prices in the US.
Why? Because the US gives *tax breaks* to US oil companies. Another name for those tax breaks are subsidies.
So both statements are true. European gas prices are higher due to taxes. The US federal government (and state ones, typically) give subsidies to US oil companies in the form of tax breaks. Result: cheaper gas prices in the US.
04-22-2001, 08:02 AM
#38
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 200
excellent
Originally posted by GEEzerTom
This isn't true- back last August I saw that the price of gasoline itself was a few cents less than in Europe- the difference in price was the difference in taxes with Europe having a significantly higher tax. Also Europe's taxes tend to be a percentage while in the US it's usually cents per gallon. So in Europe when gasoline does go up, it goes up about double that due to the high level of taxes.
This isn't true- back last August I saw that the price of gasoline itself was a few cents less than in Europe- the difference in price was the difference in taxes with Europe having a significantly higher tax. Also Europe's taxes tend to be a percentage while in the US it's usually cents per gallon. So in Europe when gasoline does go up, it goes up about double that due to the high level of taxes.
This is how bold the retailers have gotten. When regular was 0.849, super was 1.049 (24% higher). Last time regular shot up to 1.709, super was only 1.809 because of the "elasticity of demand," meaning as the price of super goes up, some people switch to regular, so they couldn't get the 0.20 cents more per gallon, which by the way is a greater % on 0.849 than 1.709. Today? They have bumped the price of super the full monty baby.
To the other poster:
Please, all corporations get mucho tax benefits. I just read an annual report on a stock I own and their effective tax rate was 31.7%. A far-cry from the 40+% that we always envision for US corporations. They attribute "leasing and financing activities, lower state and local taxes, and 'lower taxes attributable to international sourced income'" as the reason. You think Cisco didn't just write down their inventory for tax-benefits at the shareholders' expense? I'm in the 31% tax-bracket myself and you better believe I'd do what it takes to lower my effective rate.
04-22-2001, 11:00 AM
#39
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 172
Yes, so now tack on the special oil specific tax breaks to all the other tax breaks special companies get.
Even lower tax rate, saving oil companies, and oil companies only, billions of dollars.
If you don't want to call billions of dollars of tax breaks for oil companies and only oil companies 'subsidies', then don't, but it doesn't change what they are.
What would you like to call billions in tax breaks to oil companies, on top of all the other tax breaks corporations get? A christmas present?
Europe doesn't have some beef (no pun intended) against gasoline and therefore try to tax the heck out of it and make it expensive. Europe tends to tax gasoline just like any other chemical product -- it doesn't give European oil companies any special breaks. If the US government stopped giving these tax breaks (subsidies) to US oil companies (and only them), US gasoline prices would be closer to European levels.
Even lower tax rate, saving oil companies, and oil companies only, billions of dollars.
If you don't want to call billions of dollars of tax breaks for oil companies and only oil companies 'subsidies', then don't, but it doesn't change what they are.
What would you like to call billions in tax breaks to oil companies, on top of all the other tax breaks corporations get? A christmas present?
Europe doesn't have some beef (no pun intended) against gasoline and therefore try to tax the heck out of it and make it expensive. Europe tends to tax gasoline just like any other chemical product -- it doesn't give European oil companies any special breaks. If the US government stopped giving these tax breaks (subsidies) to US oil companies (and only them), US gasoline prices would be closer to European levels.
04-22-2001, 11:16 AM
#40
Guest
Posts: n/a
Originally posted by Jesse93GXE
The cost of gasoline is indeed subsidized by the US Government in America.
It's subsidized in the forms of tax breaks for the US oil companies.
Details on the various subsidies can be found at the International Center for Technology Assessment, among numerous other sources. Exact amounts will vary, but there's no argument from expert sources that the US spends billions every each subsidizing gasoline.
Here's some excerpts from the ICTA report at http://www.icta.org/projects/trans/rlprexsm.htm (more detailed version in pdf format at http://www.icta.org/projects/trans/realpricegas.pdf):
There are several tax breaks that directly benefit oil companies. Federal tax breaks that directly benefit oil companies include: the Percentage Depletion Allowance (a subsidy of $784 million to $1 billion per year), the Nonconventional Fuel Production Credit ($769 to $900 million), immediate expensing of exploration and development costs ($200 to $255 million), the Enhanced Oil Recovery Credit ($26.3 to $100 million), foreign tax credits ($1.11 to $3.4 billion), foreign income deferrals ($183 to $318 million), and accelerated depreciation allowances ($1.0 to $4.5 billion).
Additionally state's often undertax oil companies and oil is often given special petroleum taxes in place of sales tax which are lower than the sales taxes.
This doesn't even begin to factor in other less direct ways the US subsidizes US oil companies and oil supplies in general, like maintaining military presence in oil strategic regions (kuwait for example), the national strategic petroleum reserve and infrastructure and cleanup subsidies.
If you want to find out more on it, do some net searches or go to your local library and take out some books on the topic. If you just want to ignore it or disagree for whatever reason, that's your choice, but I won't argue over it. Best to keep it friendly, you know?
The cost of gasoline is indeed subsidized by the US Government in America.
It's subsidized in the forms of tax breaks for the US oil companies.
Details on the various subsidies can be found at the International Center for Technology Assessment, among numerous other sources. Exact amounts will vary, but there's no argument from expert sources that the US spends billions every each subsidizing gasoline.
Here's some excerpts from the ICTA report at http://www.icta.org/projects/trans/rlprexsm.htm (more detailed version in pdf format at http://www.icta.org/projects/trans/realpricegas.pdf):
There are several tax breaks that directly benefit oil companies. Federal tax breaks that directly benefit oil companies include: the Percentage Depletion Allowance (a subsidy of $784 million to $1 billion per year), the Nonconventional Fuel Production Credit ($769 to $900 million), immediate expensing of exploration and development costs ($200 to $255 million), the Enhanced Oil Recovery Credit ($26.3 to $100 million), foreign tax credits ($1.11 to $3.4 billion), foreign income deferrals ($183 to $318 million), and accelerated depreciation allowances ($1.0 to $4.5 billion).
Additionally state's often undertax oil companies and oil is often given special petroleum taxes in place of sales tax which are lower than the sales taxes.
This doesn't even begin to factor in other less direct ways the US subsidizes US oil companies and oil supplies in general, like maintaining military presence in oil strategic regions (kuwait for example), the national strategic petroleum reserve and infrastructure and cleanup subsidies.
If you want to find out more on it, do some net searches or go to your local library and take out some books on the topic. If you just want to ignore it or disagree for whatever reason, that's your choice, but I won't argue over it. Best to keep it friendly, you know?
