Gas busting budgets across USA (Local Govts)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-08-24-gas-prices_x.htm

Soaring gas prices are slamming cities, school districts and sheriff's departments across the USA, forcing local governments to scrimp, save and borrow to pay the price at the pump.

School buses, snowplows and squad cars, which burn millions of gallons of gas a year, can burn million-dollar holes in budgets.

"It's really wreaking havoc," says Jeff Esser, CEO of the Government Finance Officers Association. "They really have two choices: Raise taxes or cut back on other programs or services. That's it."

<snip>

Watch for cutbacks in services and layoffs if gas prices continue to bust budgets, says Tom Goodman, a spokesman for the National Association of Counties.

"Counties that have fleets of trucks for hauling, squads for sheriffs, ambulances — they're going to feel the rising costs," Goodman says. "What they'll try to do is reduce services or staff before they raise taxes."

[4_Legs_Good]

1. I paid $3.11.9 for premium at a Citgo yesterday

Hopefully that'll help Chavez hire a body guard to keep Robertson's hit men away.

Luckily my Insight will go 600 miles on the $33 fill up.

david

[happyslug]

13. I passed a Gas station whose prices were marked $1.69 a gallon.

And yesterday I passed another station with its sign marked $.79 cents a gallon. The $1.69 has been closed since 2002 and the .79 Cents a gallon station has been closed for at least 20 years, but the signs are up.

Going price is $2.49 a gallon locally from a station that is open. Yes Johnstown Pa is going down hill as seen by the Gas Stations that closed AND neither re-opened OR made into something else.

[Miss Chybil]

26. I just paid $2.63 this afternoon. This morning my husband paid $2.59

It's going up by the hour.

[happyslug]

29. Last week the price was $2.55 locally than drooped to $2.49

I do NOT expect it to stay at $2.49 but that price has held all week (After going up 30 cents since August 1st).

[whatever4]

2. And so it begins...

I wonder if this week will be the one remember. The one we remember later, when the changes started looking permanent, when the problems became real, when gas prices began to hit hard upswings, and the effects began to be reported. Aug 2005

[phantom power]

5. I agree. We're now entering the part where people start losing jobs

and going out of business, etc.

[whatever4]

15. yeah. No way around it. Gas goes up, transportation, food, on and on

And for those who don't pay attention to anything but faux news, it's going to be is going to be a terrible surprise. Terrible. In their little cardboard houses, with only monopoly sources for heat, long car drives to work, stores sell less and less for higher and higher prices. It's going to be a nasty surprise. Black-humored entertainment for the rest of us.

You guys said everything would be okay, if Bush went to Iraq...it would get us oil, right? Peak oil is nonsense, right? Freezing or starving or watching ill health take away your family, it's all just a nightmare scenario, right? That stuff never happens here, right?

And our government won't send troops into our towns (troops used to Iraq...and used to shooting people...for driving wrong) to quell the civil uprisings and food riots.

There's your peace and security, you dumb ass America.

[phantom power]

3. But wait! There's always the traditional 3rd option....

deficit spending! Just keep borrowing even more money, to add to our crushing structural debts!

[RamboLiberal]

7. I wonder unlike the Fed how many state and local govts

require a balanced budget? Gore and Kerry tried to warn us - but blocking gay marriage, abortions, and putting "morality" in the WH was more important.

To the koolaid drinkers - burn your bibles this winter to stay warm. Hope all your hot air keeps you warm. Enjoy the increase in your local taxes - hope your Bush taxcut covers all your increased costs.

[phantom power]

9. At the state level, none that I'm aware of.

Last I read, most states are running huge deficits, just like the feds. The only local governments I know about also deficit-spend, but I only know about a few.

[meganmonkey]

4. Nonprofits too

I work for a Food Rescue/Food Bank and we have refrigerated trucks. They use a lot of gas. We will probably have to cut our budget in other areas to cover the gas.

:(

[underpants]

6. Fairfax County Va.-won't hire 18 teachers due to gas costs

I saw a spokesperson the other day on ABC WNT say that.

BTW- demand will go UP when they have to start buying gas for all the buses. Offset by the lack of summer vacation driving? :shrug: we'll see.

[NYC]

20. Schools open soon.

I had forgotten about that. I wonder how much gas the school buses of America consume.

[Richard Steele]

24. Local news ran a story just the other night...

Just ONE of our local school districts is expecting
a 2 MILLION dollar increase in their fuel costs.

And that's if fuel prices stay where they are now,
which seems pretty unlikely.

And just wait til fall & winter get here
when those heating bills come rolling
in at 40% more than last year!

[NYC]

28. Heat for the school districts as well.

Bush is very expensive.

[Rose Siding]

8. Looks like it's almost time for more tax cuts

:sarcasm:

[Roland99]

12. Yeah...a lot of good the last ones did...straight to the oil companies

[barb162]

10. And it's just starting....

[Roland99]

11. Say what? Can't be. Price dropped here a whole $0.10 in the last week!

I mean, adjusted for inflation we should be wallowing in cash!

[TheFarseer]

14. GOP math

gas has dropped 10 cents. adjusted for inflation that's like a million dollars everytime you go to fill up! We've all won the lottery this week and we have our great leader W to thank.

[WePurrsevere]

16. Likely to Go Up to $5. a gallon this Winter...

This is according to my daughter's finance who works for a rather large Oil/Gas company on the biggest local Indian Reservation. He said that's what the company's telling their employees to give them a bit of a heads up.

If it actually does go that high (especially heating oil) this will be one of the most frightening Winters in my life and I've lived in the NorthEast all of my life. IMO BushCo and all the rest of these gov'nt idiots should all have to live up in the North Country on only Social Security for a few years. Looks like it's going to be a long cold winter with our only hope being that sales will be good on eBay since folks won't be able to afford to travel at all. (Yeah right... I'll hold my breath on that one :sarcasm: )

edited to correct.. it's UBB not html :banghead:

[rodeodance]

17. and many will freeze this winter.

[WePurrsevere]

23. possibly.... and who then is to blame except BushCo. nt

[Fovea]

18. Right Now

Go out and buy a bicycle and a trailer or bags.

Because that may mean you may the be one who keeps their job.
When no one but you can a few other cyclists can get to work, you will be at the head of the 'to keep' list.

Just a thought.

[durablend]

22. Not going to do much good

Once people can't afford to buy anything (ergo "your job" is unnecessary)

[FlemingsGhost]

19. But, hey! ... gays still can't marry, right?

God Ble$$ America

[Mari333]

21. woman at my store starts whining

"oh the gas prices, I can barely afford anything"..me "did u vote for Bush?" she "yes", me "then tough shit".
No mercy.

[Miss Chybil]

27. LOL! Your post doesn't quite match your signature line.

Although, it's perfectly understandable. Sometimes, quoting Gandhi just doesn't get it. Tough shit is quite apropos.

[Mari333]

32. Love and Enabling are two different things

They can suffer the consequences of their actions. If they voted for Bush, let them suffer the consequences.

[Miss Chybil]

25. Thanks, Bush.

:mad: :hurts: :grr: :nuke:

[mccoyn]

30. This isn't going to hit equally everywhere.

I grew up in West Michigan. We got lots of lake effect snow every night and the city had a fleet of plows. Now I live in East Michigan and a similiar sized city only has a couple plows that they only parade out once or twice when there is a major snow storm.

Heating costs won't be noticed much in the south, but will be life and death in the north.

[Mari333]

31. I live in west michgan

poverty is the norm here in the rural areas and small towns. I cannot see people making it thru the winter at all. There are no monies available to help these people with heating costs, and if they raise taxes anymore, people who have any money left will leave.In other words, this will kill off small town economies far worse then wal mart is doing. People in my community voted resoundingly for Bush, so I have no mercy at this point.