$5 gas: Is it really a possibility?

[marmar]

from Gather.com:



$5 gas: Is it really a possibility?
April 29, 2011 12:50 AM EDT


Could $5 gas really be in our future? Well, for some residents in the U.S. it is already there. While the news has been full of rising gas prices, most people complained about the prices reaching $4. However, for residents throughout the country, that $4 mark is something they can only wish they had.


Photo courtesy of the Boston Herald

According to the Boston Herald, areas in Connecticut and Washington DC are already seeing gas prices over the $5 mark. CNN Money found a gas station in Orlando, Florida charging $5.69 a gallon. So $5 gas is not a possibility, but a reality for many Americans. The Washington Times is also reporting gas prices in Washington topping the $5 mark. They continue to discuss how this large increase in gasoline costs is creating an increase in food costs. Yahoo! News went into communities pushing the $5 mark for responses and received everything from people talking about cutbacks they will need to make to even threatening to get a horse.

While Americans are struggling to pay the high prices at the pump, many families are looking at cutting their driving habits, taking up walking or biking to work, creating car pools, and canceling plans for driving vacations. ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://business.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474979273567

[Jackpine Radical]

1. Oh, "they" already told us to expect $6 gas by the end of summer.

We'll be at or near the prices the rest of the world is paying. But we have none of the preparation for it that they do. A diesel VW Jetta or Golf gets 50 mpg if you know how to drive it. We don't have many of them. We have 15 mpg Suburbans.

[Shadowflash]

23. We also won't get the benefits.

The other countries pay so much more for gas because the taxes are much higher to support their social programs and public transportation systems. Those countries pay that same for a barrel of oil the US does.

So we get to pay the same price as Europe without the benefits. Yay us.

[TheCowsCameHome]

2. We'll be so relieved it didn't hit $6 that we'll feel good about $5 gas

That's the way we think sometimes.

[yourout]

3. I think it is likely.......the Pukes have to stop the recovery. And this is their best way to do....

it while making Obama look bad.

[fasttense]

4. If Obama were a really, really smart Democratic President,

He would open the taps on the oil reserves about 6 to 8 months before the election. We've got well over a years worth (of foreign-unstable-government purchased oil) of reserves. It would make all those people, who are holding the oil tankers off the coast waiting for prices to rise, go bonkers. Their captured oil would drop in price.

But the Koch brother's RepubliCON party would definitely not appreciate that.

[bahrbearian]

24. He should open the reserves now, and let the speculators, suffer.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

27. So you think America can take another YEAR of weekly raising gas prices?...

C'mon! That will crush the average American. Some things are more important than scoring political points.

[theophilus]

5. The oil companies have been making record PROFITS! Where is the

shared sacrifice? They are doing more harm to the U.S. than many, if not all, foreign "enemies". How long will America put up with this traitorous greed?

[RKP5637]

8. Yep, we're the sacrifice. We're all being thrown over the cliff. n/t

[jberryhill]

15. In raw numbers, yes

But if you are geared for a 20% margin, then 20% of $5.00 brings in more than 20% of $4.00

[SpiralHawk]

6. The handwriting was on the wall in the 1970s

Everyone knew this was coming. The Republicons worked their asses off to be sure America remained dependent on oil. And now -- thanks to Republicon malfeasance -- the whole nation is getting a colossal reaming.

And of course, the Republicons are still on their knees to slurp shamelessly at the derricks of Big Oil (R).

Thanks a pantload, Republicons & Allied RepubliCorp Oil Cronies.

[Javaman]

17. Yup.

one would think that after US oil production peaked, that the "people in power" would get a clue, but alas we kept voting in the clueless (Jimmy Carter exluded).

[SpiralHawk]

21. Well, of course the Oil Plutocrats used their billions for Republicon propaganda

and by now they basically own the corporate media lock, stock and barrel (of oil). That is why the so-called 'press' no longer serves the citizens of the USA, but rather serves on bended knee the RepubliCorp Totalitarian State they euphemistically refer to as the republicon "Homeland."

Gag me with a Homeland (R). I am and American, and I don't want to live in no steenkin heinous Homeland (R) - but only in the U.S. of A.

[Marrah_G]

7. This is really bad- there may be a small upside though

This will break the working class. Those who have no further place to cut budgets. Until recently I was one of those people. Many of the working class pay little attention to politics, they are just trying to get by. This may be a spark that will lead to the masses rising up and demanding real changes in how things are run.

My family is selling the big house and moving to the country so we can grow and build much of what we need.

[RKP5637]

9. I truly hope this wakes Americans up. I fear soooo many are asleep at the wheel. When will

the teabaggers, for example, ever wakeup and realize they are being exploited and used as scum of the earth and tools for the real wealth in this country. When will religious people wake up, for example, and realize they are being exploited. I wonder if seniors are finally waking up. When will the youth take to the streets. They have no real future if this crap continues. They should be the most vocal.

It's soooo damn frustrating riding along in this cattle car to the slaughter.

[HereSince1628]

10. This was the precursor to the big crash.

Anyone else remember how gas-prices ended consumer spending in the summer and fall just before the crash?

[marmar]

11. Yep. .... Dejavu all over again.

nt

[FSogol]

12. In that photo, that's DC's Watergate hotel in the background.

Not many gas stations around that area and the owner traditionally charges $1. more than everyone else.

The article probably should read, "$6 gas: Is it really a possibility?

[The2ndWheel]

13. That's the best environmental news going

The economy will always come at the expense of the environment. We can't escape that, since the economy exists within the environment.

People doing less things at a slower pace is good, environmentally speaking. It absolutely sucks economically. The choice is one or the other. We can't escape that.

[bullwinkle428]

14. The Four Stages of Gas Prices:

[Javaman]

16. +1 nt

[Yavin4]

18. Public Mass Transit

Ask for it. Vote for it. Demand it.

[taterguy]

25. Do you really want to put cars v. mass transit up for a vote?

Who do you think would win?

[Bluenorthwest]

29. That is not the question, it is not either or.

Europe did not put trains vs cars on a ballot, they just built rail and roads. Demanding strong public transportation is not the same as calling for no cars. It is not binary. It is also not 'cars vs boats' or 'trains vs planes'. Or cars vs carrots.
I think that framing aids the right, saying 'either or' and suggesting that supporting trains means making cars illegal or something. Cars vs mass transit is your framing, not the reality.

[Broderick]

19. Hopefully it goes to six or seven

then there won't be as much traffic on the road. I hate traffic.

I am kidding of course. It all sucks.

[Atman]

20. Dude, come visit me in Connecticut.

The crazy thing is, gas is over $4.20 right down the street from me. Drive two miles, it's $4.10. Drive 15 miles to Massachusetts and it's $3.70. Five cents cheaper if I use my supermarket loyalty card. Another five cents off if I pay cash.

There is no rhyme nor reason to the current gas prices. It's pure profiteering and politics. The people setting the price know that if it hurts us enough, we'll blame the illegitimate president. Then we'll blindly jump off the cliff and elect Republicans who will make it all better for them to continue raping us.

.

[Spinny Liberal]

22. $6 is the number you should be asking

if it's possibility. $5 is a given.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

26. Gas jumped here $0.20 night before last..........

I was used to nickel or so raises, so $.20 cent raise all at once was kind of shocking.

[Shagbark Hickory]

28. Why not $8 a gal? $11 a gal?

In 2008 we elected the only guy that we thought was going to do something about this and nothing's been done. This can be allowed to go on to infinity and there are no consequences. Other than the economy collapsing of course but that happened in 08 and the oil cos did great.

BTW, here in the atlanta area we had $5+ gas in 2008 after some hurricane disrupted the supply or some such bullshit.

One thing they can do immediately to get the cost down is get rid of these requirements for special blends.