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Got Gas?
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Like everyone else, I have an aneurysm in the part of my brain that keeps track of my checking account balance every time I fill my gas tank. If the reports are true, a gallon of gasoline will soon cost us upwards of four dollars. And I have a bit of nostalgia for the days in my teens when I could scrounge change my friends had dropped in the back seat of my car and put enough in the tank to drive home from college to have my mother do my laundry.
But have become a bit of an environmentalist lately. Or a conservationalist. Well... I give a crap in some way or another about the state of energy usage these days. I don't like using foreign oil. I hate burning so much carbon fuel. I hate Salt Lake's shitty public transportation system. And on and on...
So as much as I'd love to see a price break at the pump I'm a realist. For one thing, the price of gas has never gone down and it never will in the future. For another thing, and this is the really important part, in order for people to be motivated to explore alternative energy and dramatically reduce their consumption, the price of fossil fuels will have to rise to unaffordable prices.
I, for one, bitch a lot about how much energy is wasted and the damage to the environment that causes. And to spite that, I still drive to work all by myself every day. I still drive all the places I need to drive. I still plug my computer in and turn on all the lights I need and still use both ovens at the same time while running the dryer and the air conditioner. And the only thing that will stop me is when I can no longer afford to.
Sad but true.
So as much as I want to see Barack Obama elected President, it makes me cringe to to hear him and the other candidates even consider the idea of a temporary gas tax respite. If they truly want to solve the energy problem they would stand up and insist we stop the waste and tax the living shit out of energy until we do.
Oh, and while they're at it. Stop the war. Not just for the obvious reasons. On top of all the blood being spilled consider this. The United States consumes twenty five percent of the world's oil. Ten percent of that is consumed by the US military.
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TalkrI would have to disagree
Submitted by feed the world with pez (not verified) on May 21, 2008 - 10:05pm.
I would have to disagree that salt lake city has one of the best public transportation systems in the US. For one thing it is horribly expensive, for another its slow and inefficient. If the city is one of the most eco friendly around then why is the air pollution one of the highest in the nation and of course they just can't seem to get enough nuclear waste and mining pits...
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Actually
Submitted by lostinutah (not verified) on May 21, 2008 - 10:34pm.
Obama spoke quite eloquently against a suspension of the gas tax from everything I heard. I agree with him totally.
I bought a Hybrid last summer, a Ford Escape. It's an SUV and gets 30-32 miles to the gallon. I love it, and will buy another hybrid to replace my other vehicle when the time comes.
I like Trax and take it often, however it is very inconvenient for us in the very south valley. I wish they'd make it more convenient to use the bus/Trax system in the hinterlands - I really would use it for the aid to the air I breathe if nothing else.
I agree with you about the war. Wholeheartedly.
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I violently agree
Submitted by manager mom (not verified) on May 22, 2008 - 4:24am.
I ALREADY pay $4.20 a gallon here in Connecticut. Have been for 2 weeks. But I just get completely enraged when I hear this "gas tax holiday" pandering. Don't people realize that the government will find a different place to take the money awyawy? and probably take more to boot?
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My thoughts exactly. I
Submitted by loudder (not verified) on May 22, 2008 - 10:22am.
My thoughts exactly. I posted something on my blog about this recently. All this gas tax holiday is going to do is:
1. Make our roads even shittier than they are now. No tax money going to the DOT means no money for repairs and improvements.
2. Reduce the imminent need to find alternative fuel sources and encouraging conservation.
3. Lower the price by a whopping .20 cents. $4.00 or $4.20? Either price will induce a heart attack at the pump.
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gas tax / Obama
Submitted by mattman on May 22, 2008 - 11:09am.
For the record, it's Hillary Clinton and John McCain who both support the (idiotic) gas tax reprieve. Obama wouldn't touch that with Hillary's dick because, well, I'd like to think it's because he's more intelligent than them.
For all of you yearning to make some kind of a difference, hop over to the website http://www.powertochoose.org and go through the comparison thing for your area, using the search filter for "Only 100%" on the "Renewable content" part [this is for switching your electric company]. A couple years ago, that was more expensive (sometimes significantly so), but now with the gas prices the way they are, it may actually be cheaper in addition to being cleaner -- it was for me, and I just signed up a few days ago when I found out that I could go with Green Mountain in my area. YMMV
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{7 weeks 2 days ago}
Hello Everyone
Salt Lake City Public Transportation
I hope you are kidding when you say Salt Lake City has a shitty public transportation system. Salt Lake has one of the BEST public transportation systems around the whole US. I mean come on, you can take a bus to get through 3 county's? Salt Lake City is one of the most eco friendly city's around.