infidel

For people who gripe about farm subsidies high corn prices are good as there are zero subsidies when the corn price exceeds $3.

xtoyz17

Good thing I just picked my bike up earlier...

Boatnik

If it hits 4 bucks a gallon, I will need to retire. It costs six bucks a day just to go to work now and car pooling is totally out of the question. I never know when I am going home!

induchman

This is not NEW thinking. The SW area of Colorado, NE Utah and NE-NW NM has the largest area of coal shale in the country, far larger than MT. The problem is the major oil companies own it and the technology. They are not about to release it until oil hits $150/bbl and maybe not even then. Maybe when gold hits $1400/oz or water hits $10/gal? Who knows.

Diesel is already over $3/gal most places and gas is soon to follow. Ethanol, while it makes certain farmers happy, won't work here, because of govt regs. We'd like to import it from Brasil, but there's a 0.54/gal tariff on it. So that's impractical. Maybe if we tax the gas guzzling H2 market with say $10k fine for each unit registered. Maybe then the point will stick!

induchman

Bill don't hold yer breath waiting for us to decide. I'm surprised no one has done anything with the methane gas we get from the coal seams.

infidel

A bill was introduced in Calif last week that will tax SUVs an extra $1200.

xtoyz17

Per year, or during a purchase? What if one is purchased used from a private seller? If they're only taxing new sales at the time of purchase only, I don't think It'll much if anything.

Maybe generate some more revenue, but that's about it.

kawi600

Theyre a little late on this.
Would have been nice to head off the whole SUV phenomenon. Hindsight is always 20/20.

usmarinetx

The problem is not SUV's as my truck only gets 15mpg. The problem is the big 3 in detroit and Exxon Mobil need to get together and devise a plan on how they are going to tackle the problem. Exxon wont give up their outragous profits just because we say so, but if the big 3 say "starting in 2010, we are only going to build vehicles that run on (pure bio, hydrogen,etc) so you better make it happen". Now, your thinking what about import cars? simple, there will be a LARGE tax (much like the gas-guzzler tax) placed on the sale of vehicles not American made or headquartered in the U.S. In addition, a heavy FEDERAL annual registration fee of such vehicles will be enforced. (these automakers have a smaller hand in politicians' pockets) Also before these vehicles are imported they must be converted to meet U.S. specs (which will be incredibly costsly to foreign makers). If this seems implausible, i offer the desperate state of detroit as arguement. Look at Ford (F) or General Motors (GM) on the stock exchange, now compare Toyota (TM). If fuel prices continue to rise (along with excessive taxation) detroit will implode. They MUST do something, and i dont see Exxon Mobil (XOM) jumping at the opportunity to lose out on profits.
just a thought...

tx_2500

well, only $.91 to go here. im not sure what it is at the truck stops (ill know tomorrow) but in town here its 3.09. im surrounded by fast food so im looking heavily into running WVO. i have my motorcycle which gets driven 99% of the time. really the only times i dont commute in it is when we have precip. riding in freezing weather? no prob. thank god for 50+ mpg!

supr

The big issue is supply & demand. Our demand for all petro continues to increase. Supply is limited & controlled by OPEC & the Oil companies. The Oil companies own the Repulicans & the DEMOCRATS. You do not hear ANY congressmen compalining about high prices, as they did back in the 80's.
Economics says that as price goes up, demand goes down. That is simply not happenning, as demand continues to increase, despite price. When will it stop?
When we can no longer afford it.
In the mean time, diesel in Mexico is $1.90/gal.
We are hooked on Petro, like a drug. Like a drug, we have to have it.
Hey Mister, can you spare $10 for some diesel?

sleepr tsi

I agree and have been saying this all along. I have friends who complain about the price of gas and how unfair it is, but they still go out cruising just for fun in their cars that get <13mpg.

IMHO, that's America's problem in a nut shell. I don't like this, it's effecting me, someone else fix it without me having to do anything. I got sick of gas prices so I got a truck that runs on anything I throw at it and my wife got a car that avg. 28 mpg with a good amount of city driving. Her next car will be a diesel and I'll start making bio.....:ShrugsWhileGettingOffSoapBox:

As long as we continue to not let the prices effect how we use, the prices will continue to soar.

induchman

If you remember, this was to avoid looking like a soccer mom driving a mini-van. T&C and Caravans still get 18 mpg, whereas the H2 a paltry 10.

Big Dblue

I just pray that the price of everything goes down i have a diesel and my parents drive gases and i am about to go to college so i need to save as much money as possible. You fill me LOL.

Ironstone

I had to break down and buy a gasser today. Gas is 40 cents cheaper and I'm going to get twice the milage. $500 a month fuel bill is killing me.