Posted by Tina
Most Americans have cut back on driving in order to save money at the pump but despite their frugal efforts, The Chicago Sun Times reports, the average family’s cost to fill their tanks has been high in 2011. At an average $3.50 a gallon it’s easy to see why:
It’s been 30 years since gasoline took such a big bite out of the family budget.
When the gifts from Grandma are unloaded and holiday travel is over, the typical American household will have spent $4,155 filling up this year, a record. That is 8.4 percent of what the median family takes in, the highest share since 1981.
Some in the media attempt to put a positive spin on it. CNN Money:
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) – Gasoline prices in the United States, which have recently hit record highs, are actually much lower than in many countries. Drivers in some European cities, like Amsterdam and Oslo, are paying nearly 3 times more than those in the U.S.
The higher cost has nothing to do with supply and demand or other market forces. Europeans pay a higher price because their governments have placed very high taxes on gasoline, up to “75%” according to the CNN source.
Yet another reason that Americans need free market leadership.
Elections in 2012 come just prior to the holidays…let’s give ouselves something to be thankful for at Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas time!
Merry Christmas!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kv6QELkC8C0
It isn’t just the cost of gas, it’s the cost of food, the cost of electricity add in decreased income and it makes a pretty ugly picture.
The TRUTH, Quentin, is that for the first time in many decades Americans on average make less and have less therefore the high cost of gas consumes a bigger percentage of their available cash. Higher food costs also add to this stress. The cost of gasoline is MORE of a burden than in prior years.
George Soros, Warren Buffet, The Koch brothers, John Kerry, and other very wealth people don’t mind but most of us do. The least among us are burdened the most.
The price did hit a high during the Bush administration. I’m sure our readers recall it very well. The difference is most people were working and there was more certainty about the future. The Bush administration wasn’t hostile toward growth, job creation, and energy, as this administration is.
There goes Mr. Q again. Let’s see…. I can remember when gasoline was $0.18 a gallon. Kennedy was president then. Well then, the high price of gasoline must be the fault of Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, H. W. Bush, Clinton, and G. W. Bush, with a little more fault given to Carter (remember the embargo). Here is the question; who has had the power (and responsibility) for the last 3 years to affect change that could have lead to a reduction in the price of gasoline but has only done things that contributed to keeping the prices high. I’ll give you a hint, it’s not G. W. Bush! You are very right, Mr. Q, gasoline prices were high in 2008. About $4.00 per gallon! They are a little lower now but that is not as a result of anything Obama is doing. It has happend despite the shutdown of drilling in the gulf and his policy of no new drilling. It is more as a result of reduce consumption because we have a “train wreck” of an economy. In fact, this lower price goes against his stated policy of driving energy prices “through the roof”. The real point I want to make is you can’t keep blaming Bush for the countries ills forever. Yes, many problems started on his watch (I say “watch” because many of the problems started as a result of what Congress was doing not as a result of what G.W. did). Hey, it’s been 3 years! What has Obama done in those 3 years? It’s like this…. A new ship’s Captain takes over for the old ship’s Captain and the ship is taking on a little water because of repairs that were not done. The leak is small but it is there and the pumps are not working. The new Captain ignores the situation and weeks later the ship sinks. Who is really to blame?