Maybe I'll vote the way of my gas tank...

[wing]

Gas prices are getting to expensive for a poor college student like myself! When I first got a car a little over a year ago, prices were about $1.20~/gallon here. Now they're up to $1.80+/gallon! Of course, it has been something that affects people everywhere, but it affects me A LOT because 1) I don't have a lot of money, being the sort of poor college student that I am who would rather buy gear, and 2) I do a lot of travelling-- Houston is the most spread out city I've ever been in. You can live IN the city, but still be 45 minutes of a drive away from the action, away from concerts. No matter where you are in Houston. I'm sure people who have been here know what I'm talking about, how ridiculously spread out it is: it takes literally almost 2 hours to go from the most northern part to the most southern part, and i'm NOT counting traffic.

Point with that is, I tend to go through an entire tank in half a week! I use about 1.5-2 tanks of gas a week. And it's getting expensive.

So is there a candidate out there that is going to change this at all? Why the heck is it getting so expensive anyway (forgive the ignorance, please)?

[andrew embassy]

My understanding is that there's a bunch of different reasons; the latest price spike was because Oil workers in the Netherlands were on strike, now this latest drop is because China has raised interest rates (to slow down its booming economy) and I think it was also revealed that the US is doing pretty well on stockpiles of crude.

There are a TON of factors that go into the price of oil, it's not just OPEC (though they still play a role) as some people still believe. The main reason why oil has gone up recently is because of instability in the Middle East and because China's booming ecconomy; not really something that a president can do all that much about.

Honestly, the price of oil is only going to go up. Any respite we get from this surge is going to be short lived; at the rate the industrialized nations are using oil, we're not looking at being in a severe oil shortage within the decade.

So if you want to vote with your gas tank, I think the best thing to do would be to either A) vote for Kerry with the hope that he'll manage to pull a miracle out of his ass for the Middle East, and help stabilize the region or B) The Green party candidate who will work to promote green legislation and hopefully make us les dependent on oil overall.

[dougo]

Gas prices are getting to expensive for a poor college student like myself! When I first got a car a little over a year ago, prices were about $1.20~/gallon here. Now they're up to $1.80+/gallon! Of course.

Wing,
Don't feel so bad, Here in San Diego Ca I just paid $2.41/gallon for regular. I later drove 192 miles round trip for my job that day. The good part was I was able to use the company truck.

Here's to better public transportation someday,
dougo

[bobbydj]

Whuh?? I thought Bush solved this by stealing the entire Iraqi nation?!?

[coniferouspine]

This is a variation on what I said the other day, that you should consider voting with your wallet.

Actually Kerry just talked about this the other night. The increase in gas prices are going to cost the average person somewhere between $700 - $1000 a year. Well if you make a modest income, $1000 is a lot of money. If you make millions, it's not a big deal to still fill up the ol' SUV. See who is affected by it?

Keep in mind, Wing, that when the price of gas goes up, it is Bush's friends and cronies who benefit directly. Going back through the past years, here are over $1.4 billion in documented deals between members of the various Bush family businesses and the Saudi government.

So, yeah, you can pretty much thank Bush for what you're paying now at the pump. And look forward to four more years of it.

[jdsowa]

I'm not sure one president or the other is necessarily going to lower the cost of gas. Either way, it's still cheaper than it was 15 years ago, after inflation.

What *should* be influencing your vote is the fact that 1100 Americans were killed, 20,000-40,000 Iraqi civilians and soldiers killed (whether or not you think fighting against American troops makes them evil, it's still a loss of human life); and all so the White House could funnel billions of tax dollars out of *your pocket* into the bank accounts of Haliburton.

Tort reform, privatizing social security.. things like that can wait, okay. The most important thing here is to stop the LOSS OF HUMAN LIFE so a small number of wealthy people can become even more wealthy. What's so hard about this choice?

[bad_dude_69]

The most important thing here is to stop the LOSS OF HUMAN LIFE so a small number of wealthy people can become even more wealthy. What's so hard about this choice?

bush is a man of faith.

[andrew embassy]

The most important thing here is to stop the LOSS OF HUMAN LIFE so a small number of wealthy people can become even more wealthy. What's so hard about this choice?

bush is a man of faith.

Faith in himself!

[Mr. Dipity]

I'm not sure one president or the other is necessarily going to lower the cost of gas. Either way, it's still cheaper than it was 15 years ago, after inflation.

True. However, a president can help the country move away from it's dependence on oil in the first place, by building pulbic transport like they have in Europe, supporting alternative energy source research, and (gasp) mandating development that does not preclude mass transit.

Just add that to the pile of other reasons not to vote for satan's monkey boys.

[bad_dude_69]

I'm not sure one president or the other is necessarily going to lower the cost of gas. Either way, it's still cheaper than it was 15 years ago, after inflation.

True. However, a president can help the country move away from it's dependence on oil in the first place, by building pulbic transport like they have in Europe, supporting alternative energy source research, and (gasp) mandating development that does not preclude mass transit.

Just add that to the pile of other reasons not to vote for satan's monkey boys.

it'd sure be nice if someone who had these prioties was still "electable".

[Mr. Dipity]

it'd sure be nice if someone who had these prioties was still "electable".

You are forgetting - it may feel like it, but this is not the last election. The election after this will be as crucial as this one, and the election after that. That's how it is supposed to work, and until you feel disenfranchised enough to take to the streets, it behooves you to do what you can to work within the system.

Are you in a swing state? If not, then vote your conscience. If you are, then your conscience dictates that you vote against bush. No 3rd party candidates in your area that you beleive in? Write in your dog. At least show up on paper somewhere as someone who voted.

[andyg666]

Want to know why gas prices keep going up?

www.peakoil.net
www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net

Yeah it looks like alarmist bullshit but keep reading and check the sources. This is not alarmist bullshit--it is our sad future.

In about 1970, the discovery of new oil reserves "peaked," or reached its apex, as these things tend to follow the basic bell curve. In the next year or ten, global oil production will peak as well, and begin the rapid exponential decline that one tends to see on the downside of a bell curve. Demand, however, keeps going up. So we're discovering less and less oil every year since 1970. We'll soon begin to start drawing less and less oil from the earth every year. Yet demand will continue to rise and rise. This doesn't mean there will be no oil. It just means it will get more and more expensive! And everything in our economy depends on cheap oil. EVERYTHING.

Anyone still think capitalism is a good idea? Nothing in our economic system considers DEPLETION of natural resources. It is simply not sustainable, and we're reaching the end of the line. We're in for an economic collapse like the world has never seen before. And it WILL happen in our lifetimes. As for alternative energy sources, well... Not only is there not enough time to convert our entire infrastructure to exist on a non-fossil fuel based energy source, but it would also cost trillions upon trillions of dollars to do that. Even if there was something out there that was ready to do the work...

Have a pleasant day!

[bad_dude_69]

everyone, read this book.

[LTA]

True. However, a president can help the country move away from it's dependence on oil in the first place, by building pulbic transport like they have in Europe, supporting alternative energy source research, and (gasp) mandating development that does not preclude mass transit.

Even without mass transit, you can choose between a car with 25-30+ mpg, or a larger vehicle that gets mileage in the mid-teens. Gas is already too cheap. People drive huge trucks with a single occupant, and then complain about their pocket books getting hit. Add another dollar or 2 to gas prices, and people will be motivated to find alternatives. Its a finite resource, and usage is increasing exponentially.

People don't need 200+ hp to drive around the city, and they don't need sport utes to protect them in a 80 mph head-on collision. At times i miss my old E150 (with two large gas tanks), but never when i'm at the pump.

I've actually been walking more lately. I have a walgreens, the train station, 2 supermarkets, a bunch of restaurants, and a few shops within a 5-10 minute stroll. Pull the bike out, and during the rush hours i can get around town faster than in a car too. If only there were bike racks.... Cheaper than running buses.

Drive safe, drive smart. Do your voting at your local auto dealer. I seriously doubt you will ever see prices under a dollar again.

Imagine OTR truckers complaining if diesel hits 3 dollars a gallon. The teamsters are going to love that one.

(Nuclear reactors might be making a comeback in the future. Heat a town for a year, or turn it to glass in 2 seconds. Better hope they come up with working fusion, as wind, hydroelectric, and solar power aren't going to cover the gap.)

[b3groover]

It's really shitty being a gigging musician. I had three gigs this week, each one over an hour away so I did about 8 hours of driving this week. I drive a minivan chocked full of gear, so an hour of driving takes about a 1/4 tank (about 4 gallons or so). Gas prices here are about $2.10 for regular.

Boo.