Can you say "unclear on the concept"?

[herveus]

So they are interviewing some motorists at a gas station (where the price of gasoline has gone up over twenty cents in the past week) about the proposed ten cent increase in the Maryland gasoline tax. See if you can see where this is going...

One motorist is asked if this increase will cause her to change her driving. She notes that she has a considerable commute (40+ miles) and a ten cent increase will force her to consider alternate modes of transportation. Not a peep about the effect of the twenty cent increase she is staring at as she tanks up today. I call bullshit on her. Ten cents won't change her driving at all. Really.

Comments

[valr.livejournal.com]

...Which is why they'll just up the taxes, and others will up the prices, and we'll all just get it up the...

[mariedeblois.livejournal.com]

Prices are totally out of control of the consumer, but they feel that taxes are at least vaguely in their control, so they feel more of a response to it.

Still bullshit, just sayin' that I see how someone could have that cognitive disassociation going.

[sskipstress.livejournal.com]

The most recent price hike made me seriously consider cutting back on my driving. If I don't go out of town, could I make this tank of gas last until prices come down a little?

[hlwoods.livejournal.com]

I have been adapting my driving for the past year plus, as has the hubby. We are, admittedly, a two vehicle family, but now we tailor the choice of vehicle to the purpose and the length of each trip.

[helwen.livejournal.com]

We've done things like combined errands for trips out for years. Before we moved up to the hilltowns we could even walk to the grocery store once in a while. That's a little more difficult here, but there are still things we do to try to minimize. It's not like there's an infinite supply of gas, after all, and ethanol is just taking food and feeding it to cars instead.

Still, we're glad we now have two cars -- both used, but the new-to-us car is a little Honda Civic, which we drive most of the time now. The minivan gets used for the heavy carrying.

Prices are likely to continue upward into summer, and if they come down again in the fall, it won't be as far down as they were the year previous.

Expect to see all businesses affected by this, as people either go out less overall, or stop going out to eat as much or buy that nice X item, so that they can keep using their vehicles to go to work or whatever. Food is also going up -- combo of fuel price increases and crop failures.

[marionred.livejournal.com]

Crap.. MD is going to have a 10 cent tax hike.... must fill up in VA before hitting the MD line when traveling north now. I think I may have to start leaving my parents by heading north to fill up on well into DE gas before heading south as well.... this bites. So used to the stop for coffee and cheap gas in sailisbury.

[thatpotteryguy.livejournal.com]

It won't change her driving habits, but it WILL convince her that a tax-cuttin', union-bustin', corporate-owned Republican might be a better choice some next election cycle.

Because, you know, eventually trickle-down economics has to work right? Reagan SAID SO, and St. Ronnie's word is gospel.

[valr.livejournal.com]

Definitely.

It is far too much to expect the people of this state to realize there are more than two parties.

I used to fill up the tank every two-three days. Change in work results in maybe filling up once a week, if that. It really hurts when I do go on road trips... which is kinda required for some portions of the work I now do.

/crazy-eyes We got Nukes! Why the hell are we paying for anything!

[herveus.livejournal.com]

Trickle-down is the lipstick on the pig that is non-consensual Golden Showers.

[dragonazure.livejournal.com]

When gasoline ratcheted up over $3.00 post-Katrina, one of my co-workers and I made a more concerted effort to carpool in order to keep expenses down. It worked well until his kids' after-school activities got back into full swing.

We'll probably start up carpooling again when school is out, and I may put in a request to telecommute a couple days a week. It also helps that ealdthryth and I aren't big consumers, but I'm sure we'll feel the effects, just like everyone else.

Unleaded has gone up about $0.25 in the last week, but someone local was trying to create a panic buying situation by claiming the prices would jump another $0.25 on Tuesday night. As far as I can tell, the price jump has yet to take effect....

[beckishadow.livejournal.com]

I don't have much choice in how much I drive, short of finding a new job. But at least the hybrid helps.