Prices change behaviour-Imagine that?

[Brucelee]

'Sustained' gas pain
FUEL CRISIS | How are we dealing with soaring gas prices? By driving fewer miles -- 30 billion fewer miles and counting

June 19, 2008Recommend (2)

If not for the soaring price of gas, Melissa Monroy would drive to work, drive to school and head out on weekends.

But the 30-year-old Northwest Side paralegal, like the rest of us, has to contend with the jaw-dropping prices. So when her Honda broke down recently, Monroy didn't head to a car dealer. She headed to the bus stop.

» Click to enlarge image

Melissa Monroy takes the bus home from DePaul University, where she is studying English. She has not owned a car in four months because of high gas prices.
(Chris Sweda/Sun-Times)



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"I was going to get another car, but as the prices went up, I said 'no way,' " Monroy said. "I couldn't afford to go to school. I just decided not to get another car. I said, 'I'm going to have to deal with it.' "

Monroy is not alone in staying off the roads.

Americans drove 30 billion fewer miles from November through April than during the same period a year before, the biggest such drop since the Iranian revolution led to gasoline supply shortages in 1979-80.

Thirty billion miles. That's about five trips to Pluto and back.

The numbers released Wednesday may reflect more than a temporary attitude change in consumers toward high gas prices, Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said.

[Perfectlap]

I've been thinking about this as I see fewer and fewer activity at my local gas station. The first thing that comes to mind is that if people are staying home that means their not making trips to the malls and anything else retail related.
Which is bad news in a country that's becoming a service nation. This explains the big jump in unemployment and layoffs. Which kills consumer confidence, results in loss of credit worthiness and paralyzes real estate sales.

Taking the bus to work is great but the far reaching tentacles of $5 gas is taking us nowhere fast. Buy up those oil, ag and natural gas stocks kids...they're going up, way up. The middle class (80% of this country) is screwed. (and this is from an optimist).

[insite]

the unemployment rate has been further exacerbated by the increase to the minimum wage and the flood of teens who started looking for summer jobs.

odd how saudi decided to pump up production shortly after GB decided to transfer some nuke power tech to their country......very stupid bribe IMO.

on the other hand, the prospect of $5 gas is causing people to find unique solutions, and the saudis know this. i just saw an article on genetically engineered bacteria that secrete crude oil. it's only a matter of time, at this price, before someone finds a viable solution that will put the saudis out of business. that has got to scare the hell out of them; what else are they gonna do for money?

[rick3000]

Tell me about it!
Gas is ridiculous and everything else is suffering because of it. When the stock market fluctuates inversely to gas futures something is wrong. Plus, you have gas speculators artificially inflating prices, because Big Oil got their payed Senators to make the market unregulated. Also, Philips Petroleum is the largest gas speculator, so it would be crazy to think that inflating the price of oil was not profitable for them.

Not to mention the greed in the housing sector, crooked lenders, the interest rate cuts that have totaled messed the dollar, and how this is all affecting businesses.
Personally, I have cut my gas usage in half over the last year.

The economy is getting royally [insert curse here] and it all started because a few people at the top got greedy.
Thanks Big Oil, Haliburton, Bush, and Cheney!

Even OPEC says gas should be at $70 a barrel. They need it to be lower because all high gas is getting them is a one way ticket to being out of business because high gas is motivating alternatives:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aYYPdTJwYD6E&refer=home

[Brucelee]

I think it is oversimplifying when you say that a few people got greedy.

I also don't see any real support for $70 a bll. oil.

Fact is, we are ALL greedy and that is OK. Frankly, I am fine that our gas costs are lower than Europe. That is greed, right:?

Also, when someone takes a adjustable mortgage because they think they can beat the spread, that is greed. It does hurt when you bet wrong however.

And, dont get me started on the greed in politics.

Fact is, the Greens are greedy too, for power and a say in how we all live.

I am with Gingrich on this. All energy sources are fair game, drill and build.

Oh, and conserve too. I hate waste.

:D

[Perfectlap]

I tend to think the increase in minimum wage is one of the few things keeping the millions of American families that are raised on the mw afloat.
Either the govt. can help families make ends meet or corporations can be forced to pay a liveable wage. Those manufacturing jobs aint around anymore, the kind that the middle class relied upon to buy starter homes.
Not everyone making mw is a pimple faced teen working at the cineplex. I think this country would be astounded at the number of adults who are now working minimum wage job(s) without benefits. Worker training costs money, hard to pony up the money for trade or technical job when you're saving up those Wal-Mart checks.

[insite]

I tend to think the increase in minimum wage is one of the few things keeping the millions of American families that are raised on the mw afloat.
Either the govt. can help families make ends meet or corporations can be forced to pay a liveable wage. Those manufacturing jobs aint around anymore, the kind that the middle class relied upon to buy starter homes.
Not everyone making mw is a pimple faced teen working at the cineplex. I think this country would be astounded at the number of adults who are now working minimum wage job(s) without benefits. Worker training costs money, hard to pony up the money for trade or technical job when you're saving up those Wal-Mart checks.

the concept of a family raised on minimum wage is a fallacy. the only people that make minum wage are high school kids, and even they only make minimum wage for a little while until they get a raise. raising the mw will just increase unemployment, as it has. if someone can't afford to raise a family on their skill set, they need a better skill set.

[Perfectlap]

As of April of last year, 25% of those earning minimum wage are parents of children under the age of 18.
58% of average minimum wage earners brings home half of the family's weekly income (http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/issueguides_minwage_minwagefaq).


Oregon is at the top end of highest minimum wages (http://www.ocpp.org/cgi-bin/display.cgi?page=nr071228wagemini) at $8 and there's no greater unemployment due to it.

[Brucelee]

As of April of last year, 25% of those earning minimum wage are parents of children under the age of 18.
58% of average minimum wage earners brings home half of the family's weekly income (http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/issueguides_minwage_minwagefaq).


Oregon is at the top end of highest minimum wages (http://www.ocpp.org/cgi-bin/display.cgi?page=nr071228wagemini) at $8 and there's no greater unemployment due to it.


I believe the economic data supports the notion that MW laws reduce employment at the bottom of the scale. Make sense, in that these are the jobs that are likely to be swapped for technology and/or outsourcing.

Having said that, location by location, this may not hold.

:)

[insite]

As of April of last year, 25% of those earning minimum wage are parents of children under the age of 18.
58% of average minimum wage earners brings home half of the family's weekly income (http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/issueguides_minwage_minwagefaq).

how many of those are teen parents that live at home with their actual parents while still attending school? only 1% of workers over the age of 25 make minimum wage. additionally, this bracket of people is in a constant state of flux: they only make minimum wage for a little while. wouldn't you rather have a job that pays $5 instead of one that USED to pay $7? when you raise minimum wage, unemployment increases. simple supply and demand. additionally, it makes it appealing to invest in automation, thereby eliminating certain jobs forever.

as for that 58% of mw workers bringing home 50% of a family's weekly income? the minimum wage job is usually a second paying job in this instance; the majority of the income comes from the PRIMARY job, which pays better. that is a BS statistic.


Oregon is at the top end of highest minimum wages (http://www.ocpp.org/cgi-bin/display.cgi?page=nr071228wagemini) at $8 and there's no greater unemployment due to it.

really? http://www.qualityinfo.org/olmisj/OlmisZine?zineid=00000011

[LoveBunny]

Maybe in some places most people on minimum wage are high school kids, but not around here. But if you make minimum wage you qualify for assistance so it's not like you are just living off of the wage, not that I'm saying you can live well off of it.

[insite]

Maybe in some places most people on minimum wage are high school kids, but not around here. But if you make minimum wage you qualify for assistance so it's not like you are just living off of the wage, not that I'm saying you can live well off of it.

but who makes minimum wage for more than six months to a year? even an adult paid MW will eventually get a raise if they have any kind of work ethic.

it certainly would suck to make mw, but if the wage for any labor is forced artificially high, demand for it will decline. i think it's MORE fair for someone to have the option of being paid $5 an hour rather than no opportunity to gain employment at some artificially higher wage. union rates do the same thing: reduce employment & reduce the competetiveness of thier employers a la GM, Ford, etc.

[Brucelee]

Here are some related thoughts:

If the gov't was REALLY concerned about the price of gas and the issue of income levels towards the bottom, they might:

Actually enforce the immigration laws and immediately shift the supply/demand dynamics of the work force and hence the wages that would be paid at the bottom of the wage scale.

IE Reducting the number of folks who sneak into the country for a job might actually move the price paid to labor UP.

Second: On the price of ALL energy related items: How about opening up the country to developing the supply of energy sources that we do have:

Coal, natural gas, nuclear, and oil. Add on to that some of the more recent innovations in solar, geothermal, wind etc.

Do you see ANYTHING coming out of Wash DC but politics? I don'T..

Frankly, there is very little that we normal folks can do but react and complain.

That is sad. Perhaps we need another revolution?

:D

[insite]

Here are some related thoughts:

If the gov't was REALLY concerned about the price of gas and the issue of income levels towards the bottom, they might:

Actually enforce the immigration laws and immediately shift the supply/demand dynamics of the work force and hence the wages that would be paid at the bottom of the wage scale.

IE Reducting the number of folks who sneak into the country for a job might actually move the price paid to labor UP.

Second: On the price of ALL energy related items: How about opening up the country to developing the supply of energy sources that we do have:

Coal, natural gas, nuclear, and oil. Add on to that some of the more recent innovations in solar, geothermal, wind etc.

Do you see ANYTHING coming out of Wash DC but politics? I don'T..

Frankly, there is very little that we normal folks can do but react and complain.

That is sad. Perhaps we need another revolution?

:D

amen to that; viva la revolution!

[Brucelee]

Peaceful revolution:

At tax time next year, no one files unless they are do for a refund.

At quarterly estimated tax time, no one sends in any money?

At monthly corp tax time, no company sends in 940 payments.

How long to take the govt to its knees without a single shot being fired.

What are they going to do, put all of us taxpayers in jail?

Think about it.

[Pilot2519j]

Here are some related thoughts:

If the gov't was REALLY concerned about the price of gas and the issue of income levels towards the bottom, they might:

Actually enforce the immigration laws and immediately shift the supply/demand dynamics of the work force and hence the wages that would be paid at the bottom of the wage scale.

IE Reducting the number of folks who sneak into the country for a job might actually move the price paid to labor UP.

Second: On the price of ALL energy related items: How about opening up the country to developing the supply of energy sources that we do have:

Coal, natural gas, nuclear, and oil. Add on to that some of the more recent innovations in solar, geothermal, wind etc.

Do you see ANYTHING coming out of Wash DC but politics? I don'T..

Frankly, there is very little that we normal folks can do but react and complain.

That is sad. Perhaps we need another revolution?

Do you see ANYTHING coming out of Wash DC but politics? I don'T..

Frankly, there is very little that we normal folks can do but react and complain.

That is sad. Perhaps we need another revolution?

:D
Do you see ANYTHING coming out of Wash DC but politics? I don'T..

Frankly, there is very little that we normal folks can do but react and complain.

That is sad. Perhaps we need another revolution?

That would not be a bad idea. A little bit of blood is always good. We have now an enlightened bureaucracy, though I question the intensity of the light shining in the medulla oblongata of said members in our Senate and House of Reps. They have forgotten the fact that they serve us and not the other way around. The energy crisis has now been in the open since 1973 when OPEC did the first squeeze. Have we done anything since? The right answer is absolutely zero almost the like Kelvin degree. When someone in gov't has cojones and say we are going to start a Manhattan type project of energy nothing will happen. We have more than enough coal reserves to drive the economy for the next 5 or six centuries. Just the thought of applying the resources of this country to a project of that undertaking will drive the price of energy to the floor. We have grown complacent in everything here. If we go to war , we can't take casualties lets get out, if we want to drill for oil, lets put a ban first and discuss for 30 years, lets conserve energy, I'll fly in my private jet and drive in a Prius.
Since I been too serious in this repartee at this time I would build an arena with a multitude of arches, similar to the Anfiteatro Flavio where we can see our elected officials fight to death for our amusement. Now is what I call getting a bang for your vote.

[Brucelee]

How many zeros in a billion? This is too true to be funny.

The next time you hear a politician use the
word 'billion' in a casual manner, think about
whether you want the 'politicians' spending
YOUR tax money.
A billion is a difficult number to comprehend,
but one advertising agency did a good job of
putting that figure into some perspective in
one of it's releases.


A.A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

B.A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

C.A billion hours ago our ancestors were
living in the Stone Age.

D.A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.

E. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our governmentis spending it. While this thought is still fresh in our brain...let's take a look at New Orleans . It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division.
Louisiana Senator,Mary Landrieu (D) is presently asking Congress for 250 BILLION DOLLARSto rebuild New Orleans . Interesting number...what does it mean?

A.Well.. if you are one of the 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every man, woman, and child) you each get $516,528.

B.Or... if you have one of the 188,251 homes in
New Orleans , your home gets $1,329,787.

C.Or... if you are a family of four... your family gets $2,066,012.
Washington, D. C < HELLO! >Are all your calculators broken??
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax Federal Unemployment Tax
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Tax
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service charge taxes
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax (Truckers)
Sales Taxes
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Tax
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax

STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?
Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago...
and our nation was the most prosperous in the world.
We had absolutely no national debt... We had the largest middle class in the world... and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

What happened?Can you spell 'politicians!'

And I still have to press '1' for English.

I hope this goes around the USA at least 100 times

What the heck happened?????