High Gas Price not as painful as you think

We Americans will always complain about gasoline prices! No matter how high they get or how low they might get! We never resalize that over in Europe gas prices are 3,4 or more times high then here in the USA! They also have more transite systems,like with buses,then we do! We don't realize how good we have it with gasoline prices! No matter how high gas prices go,we Americans cope! We always do!

It was hard to pay for the gas in 2008 and it seems to be even harder to pay for it now. I was in bad economic straits then and now... If might be less expensive for the wealthy who benefited from Bush's tax breaks as they may have been able to afford to purchase the more fuel efficient cars. My 2002 car has way over 100,000 miles now and I have not been able to maintain it as I have not been able to afford it. And I am unable to maintain it well on my own. I am lucky just to be able to put gas in it. To have gasoline at over $4 a gallon frankly stinks. I must admit that I am angry at the high gas prices and even angrier at the Republicans who are saying that "drill baby drill" and putting in pipelines that could destroy ground water will make it better when everyone knows that speculation, the lack of adequate refining capability and the growing demand from China and India, and OPEC's desire for profits are the reason for the higher gas prices. The promise of more energy efficient cars does not thrill me as much as the invention that I saw on Facebook recently of cars that are being run on water... If they could run on sea water, that would be really nice... (a good way to deal with rising sea levels. LOL) Or, more truthfully, a way to prevent the cars from competing with people for good drinking water. I really hope that the prices decrease soon but I do not want to have Mitt in there to do it... I am wondering how he could promise the lower gas prices... One wonders if perhaps he has links to the speculators and if perhaps they are raising the gas prices to make Obama look bad. It would not surprise me if they were.

Oh Bob, just simply ride your ten speed bike into town for groceries! I live in an agricultural area. Alot of farms and ranches. I could easily have to drive 20 minutes to get to a store. Now myself, I am closer, actually in town but most of my peers are out of town. There is a guy I volunteer with every week, he and his wife drive 30+ minutes to get into town. Our local buses run from 8am to 4pm and will only take you around town. by the hour. sometimes, depending on where you are going, if you need a transfer, it could take two hours. The closest cab company is three towns and thirty minutes away. You are probably thinking that I live in a small poedunk town, but in fact, I am in a bigger poedunk town! Population 93,000. This is most definitely spin. They know that they could do things to ease the gas burden. Such as drilling. I know, I know they say that takes five years to see any difference. In other words, back in "08, well, I guess we would be seeing that difference now. How about refining? We have the oil and gas, we need refineries which this administration will not allow. How about the tax burden on gas? that may help as well. yeah, so I am not buying what they are selling!

I share your point of view on this. It seems that the author discounted the fact that the cost of living isn't the same four years ago. Well, this is so true in my country. Each year, there are more unemployed or underemployed people. And increases in our wages don't seem to be catching up with increases in the prices of even just the basic commodities. Purchasing power is really weak.

Almost everything you buy gets moved by truck, the truck operators will pass the increased fuel costs onto the consumers, so it will hit you not only when you go to fill up at the pump. The devaluing dollar and oil producing countries switching to barter and gold in exchange for oil, is going to continue to cause the prices to rise short term and don't want to think about what it will cost if they start shooting down at the strait of Hormuz......

I am not american, but in europe we have same problem. I do not think that situation is getting better, just people do not use cars so offen, and they more think about when is neccessary to use a car. Mostly all resources of gas are behind the peak of their capacity. Best option for all world will be new technologies, not gasoline. I think mankind is clever enough to develop a new, sustainable source of fuel.

four years ago it only cost me $50 to fill up my 21 gallon fuel tank and it would last me 4 days. today it costs me $80 to fill up the same 21 gallon fuel tank and it'll last me a whole week. back then, i could spend $75 on groceries for a week. now, i spend over $100 for the same week and that's with my daughter working for a grocery store to get a discount on their products. i wouldn't mind driving a hybrid, but i don't have the money to buy one or the credit to get one. as long as prices keep going up, it'll keep hurting my budget.

I don't agree with him. His way of thinking is only beneficial for those who have unlimited stream of money. I don't think we are driving less. Work has to be done 5 days a week and that means we drive twice each weekday. Secondly, we need grocery. For that also we need to drive. Not many of us live next to stores. Many offices are 40 to 50 minutes away. To reach them, we do need a car. Hybrid cars these days do need gas to charge their battery power. We have one right now and I don't see it being happy with high gas price. Sure we can take the train or bus. But the thing is that high gas price makes their ticket prices go up also. And yes, gas price makes commodities pricier. But there has been no change in our income. So the whole situation is actually painful. This time it is not just the unemployed, but also working people are feeling the heat. I don't see economy improving at all. Not at least here in California. In fact, in majority of the cities there is hardly any job.