Woo hoo!

Guess what, bitches?  I paid $2.93/gallon for gas today! Who thought I would be so happy?  Let’s dance!

Would you rather have gas (at high prices) or no gas?

In the news today: price gouging at the gas pump after Hurricane Ike. I’m sick of it.

President Bush had his say:

The Department of Energy, the Federal Trade Commission and, I know, state authorities will be monitoring gasoline prices to make sure consumers are not being gouged.

Whatever. He has an MBA for Christ’s sake. He should know better. Oh, I forgot. He’s a politician.

One of the myriad charges of price gouging:

Pat Woodrum of Summerville and her family spent $250 topping off the tanks in five of their vehicles Thursday evening to avoid the spikes.

But that wasn’t even quick enough.

While she was sitting in line at a station on Bacon’s Bridge Road, Woodrum reported that the price changed from $3.49 to $3.69 a gallon.

“I thought that it’s absolutely ridiculous,” Woodrum said. “Of course, the oil companies rule the world right now. That’s just not right.”

If you’re in a line waiting for gas (ignoring the fact that she has FIVE vehicles), obviously prices are too low. And the end result of prices that are artificially set too low by government fiat: shortages.

Before Hurricane Gustav ran ashore at New Orleans in recent days, drivers were finally seeing relief at gas stations and convenience stores, with prices retreating from the $4 per gallon level. But they found prices climbing above $4 a gallon Friday, heading toward the $5 mark. Some drivers had trouble even finding gas as stores placed plastic bags over pump handles when they ran out.

Econ 101, bitches.

More good news (don’t cry)

As I’ve noted before (here and here and here), high gas prices do have an upside. And I read some more good news in the paper today:

High gas prices boost sales at small-town groceries

People in small towns were accustomed to buying just a loaf of bread, a gallon of milk or a pound of bacon at their local grocery, but not any more.

Now, they are buying more food and general merchandise, and grocery sales are climbing, area grocers said Wednesday.

Small-town groceries may be the bright spot in the economy, or, as Reg Gage, owner of Mr. G’s Grocery in Prophetstown, said, “As long as our numbers climb, it’s not a bad thing.”

“Overall, we’re seeing more people stay closer to home and buy locally,” said Jerry Shawgo, owner of the Orion IGA. His store sales are better in than previous years, he said.

The Walmart haters and “buy local” advocates should love $4/gallon gas.

(as Lesley rides the bus)

Sunnyside up (or Glass half full)

While Jamie (in his new digs) continues to prepare for the end of the world, there are some upsides to $4/gallon gas, something I’ve noted before. Two things I wouldn’t have thought of: fewer fat people and fewer people dying on the road .

Obesity:

…for every dollar increase in the average real price of gas, overweight and obesity levels in the United States would decline by 16 percent after seven years. [The] study also attributes the outward expansion of American waistlines between 1979 and 2004 in part to falling prices. Similar research published in the European Journal of Public Health found that European countries with higher gasoline prices tend to have lower rates of obesity.

Safer roads:

This past Memorial Day, normally a time when American drivers swarm the country’s interstates and police expect large numbers of accidents, many states reported that traffic deaths were the lowest in years. For instance, North Carolina saw just five traffic fatalities over Memorial Day weekend, down from 19 in 2007. Ohio experienced its lowest number of accidents in 38 years, and other states reported similar declines.

Price changes behaviour. Who knew?

(h/t Greg Mankiw’s Blog)

Retro rides (again)

That ugly looking pregnant roller skate of a car is making a comeback. I’m talking about the Chevette of the 90s, the Geo Metro. With its 50 mpg fuel efficiency rating, an extremely frugal friend (read cheap bitch) of mine bought one in 1992 and I made fun of her for it (I don’t know why I felt so superior. At the time, I was driving an ’84 Accord with a bungee cord holding up the bumper). If she had only hung on to it (instead of trading up to that big assed Jeep Cherokee after she traded up to that cute(r) husband) she would be in Fat City now (or at least Serious Coin City).

Some recent eBay auctions:

Who says Detroit can’t build an inexpensive fuel efficient car? Oh yeah, the government does. The Metro (as built in 1991) doesn’t meet current safety standards. Anyway, you rock little ugly car. And in your honor:

You’re giving me gas

I don’t understand why Democrats are complaining about high gas prices. Here’s Harry Reid  from two years ago:

For years, Democrats have been fighting to get tough on Big Oil and protect Americans from being exploited when they fuel their cars,” said Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid. “Unfortunately, for years Republicans have been more interested in protecting oil companies’ profits than the American people’s pockets. Now that gas prices are skyrocketing and Americans are struggling just to fill their gas tanks, Congress must act to ease the burden.

and Nancy Pelosi’s take on it last month(second verse same as the first):

In recent months, the price of oil has continued to skyrocket – reaching $120 per barrel. American families feel the pinch of rising oil prices everywhere from the gas pump to the kitchen table and need relief. The New Direction Congress has been working on behalf of America’s families and businesses to lower energy costs for the American consumer, increase energy independence, enhance our national security, and reduce global warming.

Don’t. Get. It. Ease the burden? Need relief? With the increase in the price of gas, Democrats are achieving three of their long stated policy goals: increased use of public transportation, increased car fuel efficiency and subsequently lower green house gas emissions.

But all those successes aren’t good enough for some. They still want cheap gas. Hence, this brilliant plan:

With oil companies exploiting the American people to rake in record profits, Congress should give the president authority to put a cap on gas prices, U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey said Thursday.

Hinchey plans to introduce legislation in the next two weeks that would give President Bush the authority to control the cost of gas. He would like to see the president cap gas prices at their March 2006 level — $2.49 per gallon

Duh. Why didn’t someone think of that before. Oh I forgot, someone did. And that worked out so well.

Which is worse: our “addiction” to oil or our politicians’ addiction to pandering?

Democrats love free trade (of oil)

The free trade agreement with Colombia is a no go with Democrats but when oil is involved, goddamnit, we need more free trade. From the House NOPEC Bill (sadly supported by many Republicans):

It shall be illegal and a violation of this Act for any foreign state, or any instrumentality or agent of any foreign state, to act collectively or in combination with any other foreign state, any instrumentality or agent of any other foreign state, or any other person, whether by cartel or any other association or form of cooperation or joint action–

`(1) to limit the production or distribution of oil, natural gas, or any other petroleum product;

`(2) to set or maintain the price of oil, natural gas, or any petroleum product; or

`(3) to otherwise take any action in restraint of trade for oil, natural gas, or any petroleum product

(emphasis added)

Agricultural price supports restrain trade. Import tariffs on steel restrain trade. But don’t fucking mess with our (their) oil.

I like Mark Steyn’s take on this nonsense:

The NOPEC bill is, in effect, a suit against OPEC, which, if I recall correctly, stands for the Oil Price-Exploiting Club. “No War For Oil!,” as the bumper stickers say. But a massive suit for oil – now that’s the American way.