OT- Gas Prices

DH and I were talking about it yesterday and he gets so infuriated about the whole thing. He has a funky way of looking at things sometimes but it often makes sense. He said those big oil companies should have insurance to pay for things like this so that the price of recovery is not so immediately destructive to the customers, especially the people who are already in a state of emergency. I still say Dubya should have stepped in and put a freeze on gas and oil prices before they started going up. But then that would have hurt him since he is a big oil man. Just goes to show where his priorities are. I agree with you about Spitzer or someone investigating it here though. It's just wrong what they are doing.

Can Mr. Bush do that? (freeze prices that is) I know it has been done on a state level (in GA)

Roberta (in VA)

You just proved the danger of blanket statements. SUVs in and of themselves arent a bad thing any more than things like disposable toilet cleaners or mop heads are. For those people who need a vehicle such as yours the need is clear and acceptable. For me an SUV would be a wasteful use of resources. I am quite capable of scrubbing a toilet without having to throw away the scrubber each time, but for someone who isnt physically able to use my methods a disposable is quite another story. If a swiffer means youre able to keep your floor clean when traditional mops might lay you up for a week, so be it. We need to take the lessons of the 70's and apply them, but lets not lose sight of common sense. Fair doesnt always mean equal. Diana, wishing Bfly could still putter around in the SUV.

Butterfly wrote:

Well, he waived the clean air restrictions on the gas so I don't know why he can't put a price cap on it. Even if he can't cap it, he can get the word out to the governors of each state to do it on the state level and fine any state that does not comply.

Mika

Total tax is about 65% of pump price.

I just paid $3.09 per gallon although there was one station selling reg at $3.02. I also saw one station in the same area at $3.45. The most common price was $3.19 for regular. I cringed as I handed over the $28.00 for half a tank!

It cost us $40 to fill the tank the other day. Bus pass is $35 for a month. I'll take the pass and plan my time a little more wisely.

I don't remember any gas price controls in the 70s, but where I lived we were only allowed to buy gas on certain days, depending upon your license plate number. Long lines and hot tempers sometimes, we waited for hours to buy gas when the stations were open, but they usually sold out early. I believe that was the Arab embargo.

Judie in Penfield NY, formerly of California in the 70s

The Shrub just released a statement that he is releasing some of the governments oil reserve to help the oil industry during this crisis. There are times I could just slap him cross eyed.

It was later learned that since there were price controls the oil companies just put out less fuel and that created a gas shortage. The gas shortage drove the prices up and as prices went up the supply increased. Think about it and think about who gained from that little practice. It made a lot of new millionaires.

It's kind of a moot point anyway. The Shrub wants less federal government control and is pro local government and pro big business. It is doubtful he will do anything to curtail the oil industry in any way.

Pro local government, but think about the NCLB Laws -- the federal government is not only legislating what we teach, but how we teach it. Teachers are teaching to tests now instead of teaching students to think for themselves. I won't even go into how they expect special education students to pass the same exams as regular students (including one little pumpkin I have in my "inclusion" class who is hard of hearing, blind, and has an IQ of 60) - she has to take the same test. I will NOT make her feel the pressure of these of these tests. We will take a hit on this from the AYP (Annual Yearly Progress) from NCLB. We are a very small school and every student counts as 2%. AYP is measured in percent passing. If we don't have 92% pass (including special ed), we don't make AYP. And the better you do, they highter they raise your AYP.

Now, every year, on September 17th, (16th this year) EVERY school that receives federal aide must teach EVERY student about the US Consititution. Is it a bad thing the learn about the Consititution - no, but is it REALLY necessary to have a FEDERAL law that says when it has to be taught?

Small government - no way! Government of the wealthy, by the wealthy, for the wealthy.

L>It's kind of a moot point anyway. The Shrub wants less federal government

Amen, Ms. Linda. You sure got that one right.

Perhaps there are schools who aren't teaching the Constitution at all so they felt if they set a date, no one could say there wasn't enough time.

Some of the mandates don't make sense to me, and teaching for testing is one of them. I'd rather children learn what they need to learn, learn it properly and thoroughly, and then test scores would take care of themselves.

When I was > Pro local government, but think about the NCLB Laws -- the federal

The teachers up here in Maine are also having fits about NCLB! We already have our own standardized testing and are doing very well without govt. intervention! I used to teach in the middle grades years ago, and I felt it was important to teach kids how to think rather than memorizing answers. Still do! ME-Judy

The reason they don't teach kids to cook, sew, crochet, etc is because the teachers don't know how!! Have you seen the closets they call kitchens in the new houses these days. I went with DS to look at a new house that was listing for over $300K and my clothes wouldn't fit in the kitchen. I think they must expect to cook everything in the microwave. Where do they put the pots and pans for pities sake?? All the young people I talk to all eat out or "nuke" something.