Lower Gas Rates In 08

Politicians are great at telling you what you want to hear and using tax dollars to buy hookers. But, do they deliver? (Other than cash to their whores.) Can they lower gas prices?

In case you haven't noticed, this is a presidential election year. All of the remaining candidates have proposals to lower gas prices. Who has the best plan?

It seems to me that since all the remaining candidates are all current U.S. senators, they would offer up some legislation RIGHT NOW this would address the high price of gasoline instead of hauling oil executives before Congress as oil grows to $114.oo a barrel.

I'm just a blogger but maybe they should do something now instead of putting off until Jan. 09. Seeing as how they are all CURRENT U.S senators.

Now, Fuel Mode is going to spotlight each presidential candidate and their stance on the high cost of oil and oil products.

First video: U.S. Senator Barack Obama

Cab Drivers Pinched By Rising Gas Prices

The high price of gasoline has put a world of hurt on a lot of people. Personally, I think George W Bush's approval rating would be about 20 points higher if the national average price of gas was about $1.00 a gallon. Well, ten points higher anyway.

Now, another group of workers have been affected by the rising price of crude oil: cab drivers.

Recently, I spoke with a cab driver who was taking me home from my paying job. He ranted about the high price of gas and how it was cutting into his profits.

Most cab drivers are independent operators. The cab company pays for repairs on the cab (I'm sure there are limits) and the fare is split between the company and the driver. However, the driver gets to keep all the tips.

My cab driver (who I'll name Gus) told me one day he took in $200 in fares in 15 hours. Pretty good, huh? Now you can order a cheeseburger instead of a hamburger, right. Well, half went to the company and he got to keep $100. Still good. But, according to Gus, $60 went to gasoline. So for 15 hours of work, Gus got to keep $40.

That's $2.66 an hour. Even a Republican would say "Damn" to that. Of course, some of you will say, "Nobody told Gus to drive a cab." Don't worry. The rising price of gas will affect you also. I don't care if you're as rich as Bill Gates or as poor as a blogger.

LINK:
CHICAGO APPROVES NEW TAXI CAB SURCHARGE

VIDEO:
DARYL HALL SONG "CAB DRIVER"

Why Don't People Love Fuel Efficient Cars More?

Now, I know the real reason why more people don't love fuel efficient cars. For the most part, they don't look cool. The truth hurts sometimes.

Some people would rather pay thousands of dollars more for a car or truck that gets less MPG than one that gets more MPG for less dollars.

The world has and always will be a visual society. Driving a Ford-F150 looks better than driving a Toyota Prius. Perception is reality. Look, it's not an argument. It's the truth.


Yes, even as gasoline heads towards $5.00 a gallon some people will choose design over sense. Beauty over brains. So, is there a compromise? Can some people have their grits and eat them too? Who's building the better looking car or truck that is also fuel efficient?

Fuel Mode will attempt to bridge the gap, bring both sides together and find cars and trucks that combine the design people find appealing and the fuel efficiency needed to lower high energy costs.

I got the time. Don't worry.

LINK:
Top Ten Fuel Efficient Cars

AIR-LESS TIRE NAMED TWHEEL

Michelin has created an air-less tire called the TWHEEL. (Yes, when you say it out loud it will make you sound like you have a lisp).

An airless tire. Amazingly, people still claim that everything that can be invented has been invented. Well, those chickenheads haven't met the inventors of the TWHEEL.



In a controversial move, Michelin has hired Paris Hilton to promote the tire with the campaign slogan: "There's air in my head but not this tire."


Video: More Info on The Twheel



Airless Wheel Video - Watch the best video clips here

For those of you who wonder, "What do tires have to do with gas, jackass?"

READ HOW TIRES AND GAS ARE RELATED

Pig Shit Converted To Crude Oil

Do you impress women anywhere when they ask, "What do you do?" and you reply,"I work with pig shit." As she walks away fumbling for her can of mace, you say, "One of these days I'll be a billionaire baby. Billions!"

Yuanhui Zhang (pronouned Tom Smith), a professor at The University of Illinois, is studying a method to convert pig shit to crude oil. Really.

Wow. If you think writing a blog stinks...

READ ABOUT IT IN DETAIL HERE ---LINK

Seriously, it is revolutionary stuff. Well, compared to writing a blog.

Consumer Reports Vs The EPA

This may come as a shock to some of you but some auto companies might be misstating the true fuel economy standards (aka M.P.G. aka miles per gallon) of their cars and trucks. Is anythang sacred?

Members of Consumer Reports have done independent testing of fuel economy and have found anomalies in standards between auto companies and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency).

Who's right? Who's wrong? Who killed Roger Rabbit?

READ MORE ABOUT IT HERE---LINK

The Consumer Report study. Not Roger Rabbit.

The Gasoline Price Wars?

Pizza Hut and Domino's Pizza routinely lower their prices to get you to gorge on their foods. Cingular, Net1o and T-Mobile compete against each other with the best plan (i.e. cheapest with the most accessories) to get you to join. NetFlix (an online company that mails you rented movies) offers cheaper more convenient services than Blockbuster.




So, why is it that most gas stations have the same price for gasoline? Is it simply supply and demand or is it something more sinister?

Well, that depends on your point of view. Many gas stations in the United States are sometimes forbidden by law to lower gas prices. This is because of the
minimum gas price laws in some states.

In blogger short hand, this means gas stations in some states can't sell gasoline below a state mandated guideline. If, for example, Maryland's independent gas stations owners wanted to sell their gasoline at $1.25 a gallon(what a dream) but the minimum gas price was set at $2.00 a gallon, the gas stations would have to obey the law.

Why? The theory was to prevent companies like large companies like Costco and McDonalds from selling gasoline as cheaply as possible and forcing independent gas stations to match them.

ITBO (In this blogger's opinion) there are two ways of looking at this. One, minimum gas price laws does keep Costco, Wal-Mart and other large chains from pricing out independent gas stations BUT if the minimum price is too high for the average family this law blocks competition because gas stations that charge the same high price have the law to fall back on.


Fuel Mode supports more competition in the energy field not less. Not only more competition in the oil business but more competition from alternative energy sources.

The following links explain gas minimum price laws better than I do:

High Gas Prices? It's The Law by Michael Hampton

State Committee Decides Against Minimum Gas Mark Up Repeal by Carloyn Smith

Retailers Feeling The Pinch Of Gas Prices, Too by Eric Litke

Minimum Gasoline Prices by Walter E. Williams

Truckers Protest Diesel Prices

Several truckers have been slapped upside the head with the price of diesel fuel. Now, diesel is the highest price motor fuel going. Some independent truckers have been parking their trucks as a form of protest and bring attention to the high price of diesel. As if we hadn't noticed.

So what you say? What do a bunch of scruffy looking truckers have to do with me? EVERYTHING. Items from wrapping paper to bongs are delivered by trucks.

If ALL truckers decided to park their trucks in protest, the country would be at a stand still. Televisions, DVDs and martial aids would all sit gathering dust in warehouses. Do you want that, America (and other countries reading this blog)?

As the high price of diesel continues to cut into the profits of independent truckers, a nationwide protest could be next.

Cut The Fuel Tax? I Say Thee Nay!!!

Congress and presidential candidates are great at pointing the fingers at BIG OIL and saying that it's their fault you can't afford a full tank of gasoline and your meth habit.

What they won't tell you is that a large portion of the price of gasoline is a gas tax. What they will tell you is they won't cut the gas tax or eliminate it. My theory is that it will make them look like they're the ones responsible for the high price of gas and we ain't having that OR the state and federal government are making a bigger profit off of gasoline than BIG OIL would ever dream of.

How much do you pay in gas taxes? Follow this chart and see.

You see, they want you to believe that if gas taxes are cut someone that pothole that never has been fixed won't get filled or that bridge that collasped would of been repaired. Gas taxes funds the cost of transportation in America. You know, fixing bridges, potholes and cab fare for Alexandra Dupre.

That's all good and a bag of chips but who is paying for this 152 billion dollar economic stimulus bill?

Yeah, the gas tax won't be cut anytime soon. Deal with it.

THIS ARTICLE SAYS THAT THE GAS TAX SHOULDN'T BE CUT

Global Warming Vs Cheap Gas

Al Gore, former Vice-President and creator of the Internets, once wrote in his book, Earth In The Balance, that we may need higher gas prices to force people to consume less gasoline. The theory behind this was less driving equaled less carbon emissions and that equaled less global warming. As it states in Earth In The Balance: "Higher taxes on fossil fuels ... is one of the logical first steps in changing our policies in a manner consistent with a more responsible approach to the environment." (page 173)

Earth In The Balance was published in 1992. Fast forward to 2008 and man gas prices are high as Snoop Dogg and more people than ever believe that global warming is real. Yet, some of these same people believe that gas prices are too high.

Now, which is it going to be? Either you believe in global warming and want gas prices to rise and force people to consume less or you want gas prices lower and more consumption?

I'm just a blogger. I don't have all the answers. Still, I am tired of hearing people (i.e. politicians) dragging BIG OIL before Congress and grilling them about high gas prices then turn around and say that President Bush isn't doing enough about global warming. You're making my head hurt.

During the 2000 presidential campaign (Bush Vs Gore), one of the big issues was the rising price of gasoline. Gore blamed Bush and his oil buddies. Bush blamed Gore and his enviromental policies. You know what the cost of a gallon of gas was nationally? $1.64 The good old days!