Expressing Opinions

So gas prices have dropped a couple of cents and you are thinking about taking a road trip before summer ends. Want to get an estimate of how much gas you will spend and how far you be traveling?

There is a calculator which is easy to use and all you need to know is where trip begins and ends along with the make, model, and year of the car you will be driving. Try the AAA Fuel Cost Calculator.

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Today I filled the gas tank on my 2007 Honda Civic EX 2 door and it cost me $43. For combined driving around town and freeway, I got 36.5 miles per gallon. Not bad. But after a little more calculating, I figured I get 8.6 miles per dollar and that puts what gas cost in a more tangible perspective for me. If I make a trip to the mall and back, it costs $2 or it I drive to a friends house across the river it will cost me me $4.

I can see where a weekend of just doing “stuff” could end up costing me $10 or $20 in gas. Not much compared to someone who owns an SUV or full sized pickup, but it still adds up. I think I’ll stick with riding my bicycle and keep my money in my pocket while keeping it out of the pockets of an oil company.

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They need our help and support? How do they expect people to support them when they are the cause of their own problems.

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Reuters is reporting how Americans have cut the mileage they drive by 1.7% because of gas prices. The reported total miles for this cut back from November 2007 to April 2008 is 30 billion miles. This sounds impressive, but if you figure a lot of Americans drive approximately 1,000 miles per month and you do the math it calculates to driving 17 miles less per month. Even if you drove 3,000 miles per month it would only calculate out to 51 miles per month.

If driving 1.7% less miles gets their attention then what would driving 10% less miles do? If you drive 1000 miles per month that would only be 100 less miles driven and what do you think the media would be reporting then?

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Today I saw another news story on CNN about rising gas prices. And it made me wonder if the oil companies are using the news media to help increase fuel prices. In the story the talking heads were reporting we should be grateful we do not live in Europe where the average gas prices are $8.70 a gallon. So what. This is not Europe, fuel taxes and fuel prices have always been different. So why should we be grateful when big oil so proudly flaunts their profits while f*cking us over.

When the story ended it made me wonder if the big oil companies are using a propaganda model to prepare Americans for even much higher prices, to keep us consuming oil, and using the media to deliver the message. And while they are delivering this message they are also telling us how to save on gas consumption, but no one is saying we should stop driving and stop spending money on gas.

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While reading the news and articles about what people are doing about the cost of gas and commuting, I came across a web site for electric commuter cars. What peaked my interest was this high performance electric car. Every time I have ever read about an electric vehicle they have had the performance of a golf cart.

For an electric vehicle this thing sounds pretty bad ass. Commuter Cars calls this the Tango, describes it as the “world’s fastest urban car”, and sounds pretty wild when you consider the size of it.

Here is a quote from Commuter Cars web site:

With over 1,000 ft-lbs. of torque, the Tango can accelerate from zero to over 130 mph in one gear. Without needing an energy-robbing transmission or differential, it accelerates from zero to 60 mph in about 4 seconds and finishes the standing 1/4 mile in about 12 seconds at over 100 mph.

0 to 60 in 4 seconds? This car sounds like a fun red light to red light racer. So what does this electric rocket cost? Prices start at $18,900 and top out at a whopping $108,000.

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The national price of gas increased for the sixth straight day to $3.71 a gallon, up 21% over last year when the price was $3.06 per gallon. I have mentioned this before but if you want to know what the cheapest price for gas is in your area I suggest going to GasBuddy.com. The database of prices is updated by people like you and me who have signed up (free and no spam) and input prices daily and in some cases several times a day by other members. I have been using GasBuddy.com for some time now and have found it to be a useful tool. And no I am not getting any money by mentioning them, I am just passing along some free useful online information.

I know a couple cents per gallon does not add to much, but at least you can feel like you are not getting screwed by the local gas retailer. I won’t drive out of my way to save a couple of cents a gallon, but I do plan and consolidate my trips so if a cheaper price is on my way I make sure I fill up there.

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The Dallas Texas red light cameras are working so well (a 50% reduction in infractions) the city is rethinking it’s strategy on their usage and the deployment of more cameras. The city is now considering stopping its planned roll out of more cameras, or shutting down the cameras on a rotating basis.

The Dallas Morning News reports:

Initial gross revenue estimates for the red light camera system during Dallas’ 2007-08 fiscal year were $14.8 million, according to city records. The latest estimate? About $6.2 million. City Manager Mary Suhm on Friday estimated net revenue will fall $4.1 million under initial estimates.

Dallas Morning News continues by quoting Dallas City Council member Angela Hunt:

“The idea of the red-light cameras is that they’ll be used as a revenue generator instead of being implemented for public safety purposes. It’s imperative that the council review this program, especially when the results don’t align with the initial performance projections.”

If your city or town has red light cameras, remember they are most likely there to generate revenue and have nothing to with making the streets safer for the motoring public.

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