How to Lower Gas $'s

Headhunter · April 30, 2006, 6:17am

[quote]hspder wrote:
Headhunter wrote:
Are you terrified that you may be psychotic? You keep bringing this up.

I am terrified for the kids you have contact with everyday. They might actually believe you.

If you were stuck in a cube somewhere all day I wouldn’t care less. But knowing you’re in contact with kids is unsettling.

As I said before: get treated, for the kids’ sake.
[/quote]

Let’s see…you’re from San Francisco and twice you’ve come on T-Nation to express your ‘feelings’ for another guy (Neph). Might want to worry about yourself there, Mr. In-the-Closet.

Headhunter · April 30, 2006, 6:32am

[quote]vroom wrote:
Headhunter wrote:
The whole point of this, Vroom, is that you libs want to spend other peoples’ money building mass transit. What if I don’t live near a large population center? Why should I pay so someone else gets to ride on a subway? You and Hspder want to tax others for your pet projects. This sets a precedent.

You libs? Are you trying to decide what I’m for and against, and assuming that everyone who thinks you are a loon all wants the same thing? Hmmm?

I know that my freedom to drive will not go away because of your pet plans (if the crooks who run things ever implement this). I resent someone claiming the right to any of my earnings.

Look, is every post you make going to be about taxation? Because, if that’s all you are going to gripe about, you aren’t going to like democrats or republicans in the foreseeable future. Grab a slice of reality and realize that most Americans are never going to agree completely with your viewpoints concerning taxation.

If Toronto want to upgrade their MT system, should the rest of Canada pay for that? Fuck no!!

If you work hard enough to set up some dominos I am pretty sure you can knock them down. However, if Canadians decide they want to invest in mass transit across the nation and Toronto get’s a share of that investment, then hey, that’s what they wanted – isn’t that called democracy?

Who knows, maybe the fact that pollution levels were lowered would act as a preventative with respect to health costs (which are also spiralling) and actually pay dividends? Maybe the investment would be in the form of loan guarantees so that the taxpayers or actual mass transit users ended up footing the bill.

Whatever the case is, if you are going to make up really silly scenarios and claim they represent my viewpoint, why bother discussing anything at all?

And you and I know that Canada would be like some ratshit 3rd world country w/o the big ‘boy’ to your south. Live with it.

Tell yourself whatever you need to in order to keep your ego inflated… it makes no difference to me what kind of silly claims you want to make. You’ve crossed the loon line too many times to be taken seriously.

[/quote]

Man, you are in denial. Look, unthinking one, your money represents your work. Someone voluntarily gave you money in honest exchange for your efforts (at the local Kroger?). This is a noble and moral act. The fact that you are willing to give evil politicians carte blanche with your life is no concern of mine, but as you point out: we live in a republic. You get to vote. This means that morons like you can vote for stuff like this that eventually enslaves us all.

Here in the USA, the New Deal eventually led to what we have now. What’s next? And you libs want to just keep handing away our freedom. “Tax the oil companies!” you scream. Well then, next come pharmaceuticals since they’re guilty of success as well. Who’s next? Its just a pure fucking crime.

The world is DROWNING in government and you bugwits want more! Unbelievable!!

ephrem · April 30, 2006, 8:48am

[quote]hspder wrote:

The roads are actually one of the four things I miss about The Netherlands.

[/quote]

…just curious, what are the other 3 things you miss?

nephorm · April 30, 2006, 10:55am

[quote]Headhunter wrote:
The world is DROWNING in government and you bugwits want more! Unbelievable!!
[/quote]

And yet, you have no problem with a government-sponsored highway system? Look, I agree with you that it would be nice if we had reduced government and greater individual independence. But you (and I, as well) enjoy the benefits of living in society that has services and makes our quotidian existence a little bit easier. Without certain infrastructure, it would be impossible to maintain our modernity.

vroom · April 30, 2006, 11:14am

[quote]Headhunter wrote:
Here in the USA, the New Deal eventually led to what we have now. What’s next? And you libs want to just keep handing away our freedom. “Tax the oil companies!” you scream. Well then, next come pharmaceuticals since they’re guilty of success as well. Who’s next? Its just a pure fucking crime. [/quote]

Again, you are making shit up. It’s “you libs” and “handing away freedom”. Nephorm brings up a great point, you are foaming at the mouth over your desire to use public roads instead of public transit. How much sense does that make?

Also, who the hell said I am in favor of taxing oil companies? Wake the fuck up realize that you can’t just paint everyone with the same brush and approach anything near reality.

I’m curious, has this entire thread come up with even one idea concerning how to lower gas prices? Was the purpose of the thread simply to paint caricatures of liberals and try to blame them for current gas prices?

I don’t really give a shit what gas prices are, as long as their prices are a reasonable function of crude oil market prices. What I do care about is the prices of our alternatives, because at some point we are going to have to find alternatives.

None of this really has sweet fuck all to do with taxation, republicans or democrats.

Headhunter · April 30, 2006, 11:15am

[quote]nephorm wrote:
Headhunter wrote:
The world is DROWNING in government and you bugwits want more! Unbelievable!!

And yet, you have no problem with a government-sponsored highway system? Look, I agree with you that it would be nice if we had reduced government and greater individual independence. But you (and I, as well) enjoy the benefits of living in society that has services and makes our quotidian existence a little bit easier. Without certain infrastructure, it would be impossible to maintain our modernity.[/quote]

I know… you guys will laugh and ridicule (though, Neph, I respect you as a gentleman). I would sell off the roads to private interests. Of course, we’re so used to ‘nanny’ government, setting this up as a viable system is probably outside of most peoples’ ken.

Headhunter · April 30, 2006, 11:22am

I think oil company profits are actually too low. The industry is so heavily regulated, the companies banded together to ‘circle the wagons’ against government and the insane environmentalists. A heavily-concentrated industry is less efficient and eventually has lower profit margins, kind of like the old Soviet Union. Free market capitalism would have kept these companies vibrant and dynamic.

Short-term, they’ll make lots of money. Long term, they become like the auto industry – on its deathbed.

Headhunter · April 30, 2006, 11:24am

[quote]ephrem wrote:
hspder wrote:

The roads are actually one of the four things I miss about The Netherlands.

…just curious, what are the other 3 things you miss?

[/quote]

Let’s see…it can’t be Neph, 'cause he lives in DC.

BostonBarrister · April 30, 2006, 2:24pm

Given there are public transit options, and freeways, perhaps the price of gas will be the “market” arbiter on which will be more popular?

Every city - even those that don’t have good rail systems - has mass-transit systems in the form of buses. It would be interesting to study how much traffic is diverted from highways to mass-transit options with gas-price fluctuations.

Who knows? Perhaps a political base may even emerge to support for higher gas prices, and be composed of suburban upper middle class of previously frustrated drivers who recognize that fewer drivers are on the road now? It’s kind of funny – most people support public transit - with the caveat that they support it for other people. But might the market for gas prices give at least a partial barometer of how much people value their use of their own car versus just getting where they need to go and back?

knewsom · April 30, 2006, 2:25pm

[quote]bigflamer wrote:
You are hopelessly naive if you think that “earmarked” money from gasoline taxes would actually be used by members of any party for alternative fuels. The federal govt. is as hooked on petroleom as anyone else. [/quote]

See, I think this is a gross generalization. Sure, the government may be hooked on petrol, but there are quite a few members WITHIN the US government (and not just democrats, though MOSTLY democrats) that support the development of alternative fuels. Now I’m sure SOME politicans would try to tap the funds for their own ends, but it really would be in the best interests of the politicians who support alternative energy to send those funds back home to R&D companies. You can call this porkbarrel if you want, but the simple fact is, the only ones (well, for the most part) who have tried to do anything about our building energy crisis are dems.

well, honestly, it probably all went to emergency funding for the war in Iraq, or to pay rediculously high prices for prescription drugs for old people who are going to die in a year or two anyways.

…what more would you expect from a republican controled government!?

…one more thing. As to the notion of “insane” environmentalists being the sole cause of this whole problem, what a load of crap. You REALLY mean to tell me that the Envoronmental lobby has more political clout than the OIL INDUSTRY!? WAKE UP AND SMELL THE BURNIN’ CRUDE OIL DUDE - Republicans run the country, not a bunch of “wacko moonbat” libs. If you’re so pissed at what a goddamn disaster this has all been, maybe you should look to your own party when trying to point the finger of blame.

And again, for the record (I’ll put it in caps so you can read it easier, Headhunter). NO I AM NOT A GREEN PARTY MEMBER. I am a registered Democrat. …I’m just a very, very, VERY liberal, environmentally conscious Democrat.

Headhunter · April 30, 2006, 5:26pm

[quote]knewsom wrote:
bigflamer wrote:
You are hopelessly naive if you think that “earmarked” money from gasoline taxes would actually be used by members of any party for alternative fuels. The federal govt. is as hooked on petroleom as anyone else.

See, I think this is a gross generalization. Sure, the government may be hooked on petrol, but there are quite a few members WITHIN the US government (and not just democrats, though MOSTLY democrats) that support the development of alternative fuels. Now I’m sure SOME politicans would try to tap the funds for their own ends, but it really would be in the best interests of the politicians who support alternative energy to send those funds back home to R&D companies. You can call this porkbarrel if you want, but the simple fact is, the only ones (well, for the most part) who have tried to do anything about our building energy crisis are dems.

Ask yourself how much the govt. took in w/r/t all of the gas taxes that are already in place. Then ask yourself how much in taxes the govt. took in w/r/t the taxes imposed on the oil companies profits.

Who’s gouging?

well, honestly, it probably all went to emergency funding for the war in Iraq, or to pay rediculously high prices for prescription drugs for old people who are going to die in a year or two anyways.

…what more would you expect from a republican controled government!?

…one more thing. As to the notion of “insane” environmentalists being the sole cause of this whole problem, what a load of crap. You REALLY mean to tell me that the Envoronmental lobby has more political clout than the OIL INDUSTRY!? WAKE UP AND SMELL THE BURNIN’ CRUDE OIL DUDE - Republicans run the country, not a bunch of “wacko moonbat” libs. If you’re so pissed at what a goddamn disaster this has all been, maybe you should look to your own party when trying to point the finger of blame.

And again, for the record (I’ll put it in caps so you can read it easier, Headhunter). NO I AM NOT A GREEN PARTY MEMBER. I am a registered Democrat. …I’m just a very, very, VERY liberal, environmentally conscious Democrat.[/quote]

Ah, you libs! You’re in charge from '54 to '94, and its all the Republicans fault, for the mess we’re in. Give me a break! You and your kind built this big mess over 40 years!

One of my kids has asthma. The libs got albuterol outlawed, because it allegedly fucks with the ozone. If that’s not the biggest bunch of horseshit – and insurance doesn’t cover the new inhalers. To me, that insane environmentalism, at its worst. Ever seen one of these inhalers?

When you libs try to put us all in cattle cars, but some butterfly nests in the path of where the train is supposed to go, blame the Republicans when the tracks can’t be put down. Oh wait, the butterfly flaps its wings and causes a hurricane somewhere! Damn butterflys!

Liberalism/insane environmentalism is the biggest crock of horseshit I’ve ever seen.

Headhunter · April 30, 2006, 5:30pm

[quote]vroom wrote:
I’m curious, has this entire thread come up with even one idea concerning how to lower gas prices? Was the purpose of the thread simply to paint caricatures of liberals and try to blame them for current gas prices?

Sure. Simply unregulate and decontrol the oil industry. How hard was that to get?

The libs and insane environmentalists got us into this mess, from over 40 years of lunacy. Pointing this out doesn’t make it a caricature.

harris447 · April 30, 2006, 6:47pm

[quote]Headhunter wrote:
knewsom wrote:
bigflamer wrote:
You are hopelessly naive if you think that “earmarked” money from gasoline taxes would actually be used by members of any party for alternative fuels. The federal govt. is as hooked on petroleom as anyone else.