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What I Paid for Gas Today


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      You're in Philly as well...gas prices are going to be a little higher than usual, and Pennsylvania in general has high gas taxes. That's why so many people will go over to New Jersey to get gas, which is the cheapest.

 

      In Delaware, I paid about $2,29 a gallon.

 

      The last time gas was in the low 2's in Delaware was like 2005.

 

But having to pay the bridge toll to go back into PA from New Jersey basically negates any savings. Plus the gas station right by my building is only $2.53, which isn't really all that bad considering its the Northeast. 

 

The worst was when I was working out in the suburbs but living in the city. I could have taken Regional Rail, but it would have taken forever to do a reverse commute, so I drove. But I also needed to buy a SEPTA pass because daily living is impossible here with relying on a car to get everywhere. So, I was paying $3.50-3.70 a gallon for gas plus spending the $91 a month for a SEPTA pass. It got so bad that transportation expenses were literally destroying my paycheck on top of having to pay federal, state, AND city wage taxes. 

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With a 10 cent / liter discount today, I paid 68 cents per liter. Convert that to a US gallon, that is $2.57. Considering the higher taxes we have in Canada, and surprisingly most of the oil to make gas comes from my province, I'm happy with that.

 

Now to equate to how much of a fossil I am, my first vehicle I was bitching that gas went up to 21 cents per liter :unsure:

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Speaking of higher taxes on gasoline, everyone should be on the lookout for their state legislature to raise gas taxes.  The lower prices provide an excellent opportunity to sneak in more revenue for the state.

 

This is not intended to be a political comment, certainly not partisan.  Just be alert.

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Well, I no sooner finish my post above and turn to the local newspaper, than I find the Federal Congress is jumping into the game.  Tennessean article.

 

WASHINGTON – Low gas prices have rekindled talk on Capitol Hill about raising the federal gas tax to eliminate huge annual deficits in the federal Highway Trust Fund that pays for road and bridge work around the country.

 

While some top Republicans remain adamant a tax hike is not the answer, there are signs that the idea, including one from Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, is at least getting a fresh look.

Corker and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., have proposed raising the federal gas tax by 12 cents over two years and indexing it to inflation. To make the concept more palatable to fiscal conservatives, the measure would lower other taxes.

 

The 18.4-cent-per-gallon gas tax hasn’t been raised since 1993. As vehicles have become more efficient, the revenue generated by the tax has dropped. Current stopgap funding for the Highway Trust Fund expires in May, and transportation officials in Tennessee and other states are holding back projects until uncertainty about the federal money is addressed.

 

The dialogue in Washington is similar to discussions in Tennessee about raising the state gas tax.

 

Tennessee’s 21.4-cents-per-gallon tax generates $658 million a year and, according to Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer, costs the average driver less than $300 a year. He said Tennessee has the 13th-lowest gas tax in the country, and it hasn’t been raised since 1989.

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But the off-set to that is that UK towns are very close together, there's great public transit, and you can walk anywhere.

 

UK towns are very close together... Have you seen Scotland?

 

Great public transit... er, no. not as soon as you leave the city centre. there are loads of places trains don't run to, and buses between towns are not reliable, are expensive and often aren't even there. There is no public transport to where I live, nor any trains to ANY of the surrounding towns/villages

 

You can walk anywhere... it's eight miles to my nearest supermarket: be my guest and nip and get us a pint of milk?

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UK towns are very close together... Have you seen Scotland?

 

Great public transit... er, no. not as soon as you leave the city centre. there are loads of places trains don't run to, and buses between towns are not reliable, are expensive and often aren't even there. There is no public transport to where I live, nor any trains to ANY of the surrounding towns/villages

 

You can walk anywhere... it's eight miles to my nearest supermarket: be my guest and nip and get us a pint of milk?

 

the public transit and walkability is a lot better here than the USA

 

ETA - ive lived in two moderately small towns now, and ive never had a problem with trains/buses/etc. and im in the 'soot stained, grimy north' or whatever the quote is! far out from the South, where public transport is a lot, lot better.

 

the reasons you just quoted is why the majority of farmers ive spoken to through my connections dont run their 4X4 for everyday errands but instead have a smaller, economical car, and why those who live in the country for a hobby have a higher price of living. That said, its a choice they made and they should have accounted for this, so i dont believe they have the grounds to complain too much!

 

My Uncle lives on Orkney, its 20mins on a 60mph road to their nearest town - it just makes them a lot more economical about their journeys. they are forced to plan meals, etc. because they cant afford to 'nip out'. Both of the places i live in are surrounded by National Parks where the fuel is indeed more expensive then an inner city, but its very easy to work around if you dont drive around on little errands specifically, and instead plan your routes/days more carefully.

Edited by Never Surrender
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In Italy, we pay petrol and diesel are around 1.36€/L and 1.26€/L (lower prices) with a variation of +0.2 maximum in less serviced area, it's amazing to see that with 20€ you can put in more than 13 liters again in your tank.

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the public transit and walkability is a lot better here than the USA

 

i'm not saying it's not better, but it's not nearly as simple as methodwriter made it sound: there is a lot of the UK where not having a car is unfeasible.

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I would think that most of the UK (public transportation wise) is relatively similar to the US. Public transportation is great in and around the major urban centers, and gets sparser as you get farther away from the city and population density drops. 

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I would think that most of the UK (public transportation wise) is relatively similar to the US. Public transportation is great in and around the major urban centers, and gets sparser as you get farther away from the city and population density drops. 

 

within reason, yes and no :) for example in the last town i lived in, the only thing you could rely on were the trains! whereas in my current town and my university town, the bus routes are fantastic and this is for both close-range and long-range journeys. Back to my uncle on Orkney, the population there is incredibly small but very spread out, and their buses are fantastic even in rural areas but im pretty sure they dont even have a rail service! So i wouldnt say that public transport could be considered a total replacement for a car or vehicle, but its certainly feasible to get around using it :) unless youre living in the outer hebrides or the midst of the scottish highlands :)

 

p.s i can confirm that there are bus stops in the Peak District, because at one point i did manage to drive into one  :/:lmao:

Edited by Never Surrender
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I know that this is great news for you guys (and I am finding the responses very interesting) but this devastating for my country's economy!!! Lol. The Saudi's are doing us a number. Anyway, enjoy!

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I know that this is great news for you guys (and I am finding the responses very interesting) but this devastating for my country's economy!!! Lol. The Saudi's are doing us a number. Anyway, enjoy!

 

Well thats what happens when your leaders aren't smart enough to diversify the economy beyond one sector. 

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While we revel in the bargain price of gasoline, there are others who are raking in the dough...the wholesale distributors of fuels whose profit margins have ballooned.

 

You may be interested in the man who is now the wealthiest elected official in the US, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam...

 

 

FORBES: HASLAM WORTH $2 BILLION

THE RICHEST POLITICIAN IN AMERICA

 

Gov. Bill Haslam is now worth an estimated $2 billion, making him the richest elected official in the country, according to a new analysis by Forbes. The business publication notes declining gas prices have helped Pilot Flying J company, the Haslam family business that does $38 billion in sales. Lower prices for a barrel of gas can translate to better profit margins for a retail gas company. That means more money per barrel for Flying J, and more money for Haslam, who owns 15 percent of the company, according to Forbes. A lot more money. Since August, Forbes says, Haslam’s worth has gone from $980 million to an estimated $2 billion.

 

 

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