The Price of Gas

[Lloyd Danforth]

Added insult:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1021983/Every-adult-Britain-forced-carry-carbon-ration-cards-say-MPs.html

[NJLiberty]

http://uk.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUKL2735299620080527

Ouch, that's what, just short of $9.75 for a U.S. gallon...and 65% of that is tax!

[John Edward Mercier]

The CEO of Yellow (Transportation) was on MSNBC this morning... he stated that they were able to pass through a fuel surcharge... been part of their contract with customers since 1996.

[coffeeseven]

diesel has gone up 5X in the last few years .... they rise prices automatically.
You might not be able to afford it ... but there will be food in the stores even if the price of fuel goes up. I bet they already pay $9/gallon in Europe ... they have food. It might not be as cheap as here, but unless the mafia gets in the way farmers will try to sell their food to consumers.

The profit margin on food is low. The mom and pops have been squeezed out already. There won't be food in the stores for long if no one buys the $9/gallon milk.

I'm with Kola. Go local. No choice soon.

And as for Europe, don't forget their mandated minimum MPG is a heck of a lot higher than our piddly 28-32. A full 50 to 60% of their over the road vehicles are diesel. Compare that to our low number. Thanks by the way to our government for killing new diesels in 2007 and 2008 with the  sudden "better" fuel emissions requirements. AND historically Europe's per capita income has been higher too.

Higher standard of living there, higher wage. It's been pretty much on par with the globe until now.

[Pat K]

4.21 A gallon for reg. tonight.

[Russell Kanning]

The profit margin on food is low. The mom and pops have been squeezed out already. There won't be food in the stores for long if no one buys the $9/gallon milk.

why would milk double if fuel doubles?

[NJLiberty]

The profit margin on food is low. The mom and pops have been squeezed out already. There won't be food in the stores for long if no one buys the $9/gallon milk.

People won't stop buying food even if milk does get to $9/gallon. We've learned that from watching people continue to buy cigarettes as they have gone from $1 to $3 to $6+. Yes, they are addictive, but so are eating habits in a way which is why most people fail so miserably trying to lose weight. They can't break their eating habits. Buying local won't change anything. If the trucked in apples are going for $6 per pound, guess what the local farmer will sell his for, some where near the same price, unless he is a really altruistic person. He would be a fool not to. He needs to earn enough money to eat as well.

People will still eat and the vast majority of them will not change their diets appreciably. They may make certain "sacrifices" buying the chunk light tuna instead of the albacore, but they will still buy tuna if that is what they are used to, or maybe the 85% ground beef instead of the 93%. Regrettably people are creatures of habit. Most of them can't imagine their world to be anything other than what it is. They are incapable of thinking for themselves and will blindly go wherever they are led, which is why we are in the mess we are in now.

I would question the idea that Europeans have a higher standard of living, or income. Yes, pre-tax their income may be higher, but they lose a heck of a lot more of it over there to taxes. One of my friends loses 44% right off the bat from his wages, and then another 17% in whatever they call their sales tax. And that isn't counting the "hidden" taxes on gasoline and such. He makes more than I do, but he gets to spend a lot less. As bad as NJ is, I would never trade it for anyplace in Europe. I live in a small house, but it is larger than anything my friends over there have. I have more freedom here as to what sort of house I want to live in, what type of vehicle I want to drive, and how I want to live my life. I have immediate access to health care, can buy medical insurance or not as I see fit (that of course could change if Hillbama gets their way). I can educate my daughter as I see fit without having to worry about the Gestapo beating on my door. And I am not paying $9.75 per gallon for gasoline 

I don't know what standard they are using to measure quality of life over there, but most of the folks I know want to get the hell out of Europe and come here because as bad as it is here, they view it as being much better than what they have there.

George

[Russell Kanning]

I need a "guaranteed carbon neutral" patch.
Every company I have worked with was completely carbon neutral.

[coffeeseven]

The profit margin on food is low. The mom and pops have been squeezed out already. There won't be food in the stores for long if no one buys the $9/gallon milk.

why would milk double if fuel doubles?

The cost of food is just one symptom. There is a huge trickle down when a commodity gets out of balance.  NJLiberty as far as still buying milk at $9 - If our pay goes up the same as the increase in food OK. Somehow I don't think our pay is going to go up %500 across the board.

I'm really NOT trying to be the harbinger of gloom here. I just watch and absorb history.

[Russell Kanning]

when was the last time you couldn't buy food?

[John Edward Mercier]

More than likely the changes won't exceed more than what we experienced in NH during the late 70s/early 80s... and yes, people that didn't live on a dairy farm still purchased milk.

[kola]

what was the food situation during the Great Depression?

kola

[John Edward Mercier]

Wasn't that around the time of the Dust Bowl?

[coffeeseven]

when was the last time you couldn't buy food?

It's not the last time that's in question. It's the next time. I just put diesel fuel in my work truck. $4.90 a gallon. Not much left over after that.

Truck stays parked most of the time now. No fair that it eats more than I do. 

[Raineyrocks]

what was the food situation during the Great Depression?

kola

The only thing I remember being told was that my grandfather lived on toast and coffee for quite awhile.  I know that doesn't really answer your question but it's the only real personal input I have.