How big a deal do you think gas prices are going to be going forward?

[justinsb]

The unfortunate reality is that there is not much anyone D or R can do about it, quickly at least, alternative fuel technology can be researched but that is not going to have an immediate impact and the amount that can be produced may never equal current gasoline consumption. In other words, even with an alternative in place, it may still be pretty expensive.

[benburch]

1. HUGE.

They will never go down to levels people thought of as "normal" again.

And we can spin this as the GOP's fault.

[justinsb]

2. Yes to a point but

as has been proven the public has a rather short memory. I don't mean the people here, I mean the multitudes who only pay attention to such things at election time, or not at all. Many will blame whoever is in office at the time.

[RagAss]

7. Nobody is going..

to lift a cheek to fart until the price hits $3.25 per gal.

[girl gone mad]

4. I think $2 per gallon is the new floor..

Prices may dip below that for brief periods of time and in certain locals, but nationally, I think we'll never go back under $2 for any extended period of time.

[xray s]

6. You mean we'll never see...

29 cent a gallon, with a free six pack of Coke with every fill up? (Did I mention they pumped the gas for you too?)

Yep. I am that old!

[bemildred]

3. I guess you were not around in the 70s?

A second vote for "HUGE".

[justinsb]

9. Actually I was

but I was young, I'm just wondering if administration after administration for the forseeable future will be thrown out over a problem for which there is no quick fix.

[bemildred]

17. I dunno, that's a good question.

Politics is very irrational in this country, tweaky.
But it won't be as easy to finess the situation this time; and
to really deal with it, on the other hand, will have truly
far-reaching consequences, which is why they ducked it last time.

[Speck Tater]

5. Short term, it depends, but in the long run... A VERY big deal

at $5/gal it's really going to start to hurt.
at $10/gal our whole way of life will begin to change radically.
at $15/gal much of our frieght transportation infrastructure will collapse. Railroads, which are 30 to 40 times more fuel efficient will again replace long haul trucks. Wal Mart will be out of business because local production will be cheaper than hauling goods from China.
at $20/gal cilvilization as we know it collapses irretrievably, after which we won't even be capable of extracting the oil that remains in the ground because it costs more to extract it than it can possibly be sold for.

[natrat]

11. somewhere between 5 and whatever you get riots

and starving people,crime spikes people die, inflation goes through the roof

[justinsb]

12. Oh I understand that

and it's not just the fuel itself. All of the rubber produced by all of the rubber tree plants in the world could not replace the tires of even the commercial trucking fleet (those tires are made of fossil fuel byproducts now) much less all the domestic problems. I'm talking more about the political ramifications of a problem that cannot be fixed cheaply, easily or quickly.

[thinkingwoman]

8. every penny more is pain

to middle America. The rural poor and working poor and even the middle class in the middle section of the country that HAVE to drive for everything because there simply is no public transportation are hurting now. Every penny more is pain. Every nickle is another insult on top of a deepening injury.

[justinsb]

10. The problem is

that it can't be fixed easily. It will take a long term approach and heavy investment and middle America tends not to be happy with solutions that will fix things 15 years from now.

[natrat]

13. urban populations can't be fed

[justinsb]

15. That too..

I understand the problems presented by peak oil coupled rising demand what I'm trying to find out is if Joe (and Jane) America will be able to grasp the need for conservation, deep investment in alternative fuels and public transit, rezoning commercial and residential neighborhoods and will be ok with it taking years to really 'fix' the problem - that (even if he wanted to) Bush can't do it, the next president won't be able to do it while President either (he could get the ball rolling but gas prices won't come down during his term).

[thinkingwoman]

18. Right you are. nt.

[etherealtruth]

14. I can't imagine how the "middle class" ...

...can survive.

I do understand that our gas prices have been artificially low for a very long time ---- and with that said ---- the Chimp has so deeply undermined the already precarious middle class, I really don't know how "we" will survive!

[thinkingwoman]

19. the middle class

has been dying for more than 20 years, as those of us who are paying attention know. The class war, sadly, is almost over, and "we" have lost.

Like you, I can't see a way for the middle class to survive. I'm now concentrating on how the working poor will survive and then hopefully, someday, a middle class will re-emerge.

[MichiganVote]

16. Enough to put abortion on the back burner

[AX10]

20. Once it hits $3....

you'll see alot of discontent. I know a number of small business owners
who have turned on Bush and are upset that he is pro-oil company. Some of them said they will vote Democratic next year.