NationStates Jolt Archive

So, how much is it costing you to fuel up?
Is the higher price of gasoline causing changes in your driving behavior, upcoming vacation plans, etc. ...?

Too much

Here in Manchester, UK, it is the equivalent of $5.33 per gallon and rising.

I don't have a car anymore, so it affects me less than it used to, but prices here in the Bay Area are crazy-high. The cheapest I've seen regular unleaded lately is around $2.30 a gallon, and I've seen premium hit $3.00 a gallon. I already take public transportation most places, and now my girlfriend is doing it more often simply because it's so expensive to fill up her truck.

In Seattle, its 2.30$ and rising every day.

$1.95

Here in Manchester, UK, it is the equivalent of $5.33 per gallon and rising.

Geez - I guess we shouldn't be complaining too much about $2.00 a gallon!
Do you know how much tax $ is associated with this price?

here in Boise,Idaho is up to 2.21$ Its always been high here though and of course we are one of the highest in the country

I already take public transportation most places, and now my girlfriend is doing it more often simply because it's so expensive to fill up her truck.
See, this is where she went wrong. If she was driving a saloon or better yet, a hatchback, it would be a different story.

Well here in Sydney Australia, the petrol would be about $1 per litre, I don't know what it would be in gallons but it is rising and rising.

Here in Manchester, UK, it is the equivalent of $5.33 per gallon and rising.
Geez - I guess we shouldn't be complaining too much about $2.00 a gallon!
Do you know how much tax $ is associated with this price?
I think 60% or so. I'm not sure.

Here in Manchester, UK, it is the equivalent of $5.33 per gallon and rising.
Geez - I guess we shouldn't be complaining too much about $2.00 a gallon!
Do you know how much tax $ is associated with this price?
I think 60% or so. I'm not sure.

Pretty infuriating, the amount of tax assessments that can be rolled into goods and services isn't it?

Pretty infuriating, the amount of tax assessments that can be rolled into goods and services isn't it?
Well, I don't have much of a problem with the taxation as far as where it is spent is concerned. My family's tax burden is 40%, and I am satisfied that the extra tax does make a difference as regards state provision of various things. However, the managerial culture that is emerging is getting ridiculous, and I am worried that the tax money that we are quite happy to pay is being spent less and less efficiently.

I filled up at $1.99 yesterday. Most stations here seem to be over $2.00, though. (Minneapolis, Minnesota area)

Here in Michigan it ranges from $2.04 - $2.06 a gallon.

However, the managerial culture that is emerging is getting ridiculous, and I am worried that the tax money that we are quite happy to pay is being spent less and less efficiently.

Yes, that is a decided concern in the administration of programs funded through means of a tax revenue. There is a high potential for waste in these types of systems.

However, the managerial culture that is emerging is getting ridiculous, and I am worried that the tax money that we are quite happy to pay is being spent less and less efficiently.
Yes, that is a decided concern in the administration of programs funded through means of a tax revenue. There is a high potential for waste in these types of systems.
I read in a newspaper recently that the NHS now boasts one manager for every four health workers. Scandalous. That quantity of red tape should not be necessary.

1.98
I guess I shouldn't feel bad...I seem to be one of the cheapiest

I read in a newspaper recently that the NHS now boasts one manager for every four health workers. Scandalous. That quantity of red tape should not be necessary.

Agreed - that's beyond excessive. To add insult to injury, typically the service level seems inexplicably to go down in direct relation to the number of layers/personnel added!

I read in a newspaper recently that the NHS now boasts one manager for every four health workers. Scandalous. That quantity of red tape should not be necessary.
Agreed - that's beyond excessive. To add insult to injury, typically the service level seems inexplicably to go down in direct relation to the number of layers/personnel added!
Inexplicably, LOL. That's because every step of the way, the staff have to fill in paperwork, half of which is either a*se-covering for management or updates on how they are doing meeting government targets. Which are usually purely political in nature.

Most gas stations around here run at about $1.90 - $2.20 for Premium.

its up to $1.21 per litre which is well higher than American prices but not quite as high as british prices. Britian isn't helped by the population density and the government trying to discourage you to drive.

Inexplicably, LOL. That's because every step of the way, the staff have to fill in paperwork, half of which is either a*se-covering for management or updates on how they are doing meeting government targets. Which are usually purely political in nature.

Yes, "inexplicably," I see you caught my sarcasm here :)
The amount of wasted time, paper and other resources is pretty incredible -- and for what purpose? Sheer self-perpetuation ...

DP

The cheapest gas is 1.50, the highest 2.50 and still rising. What's worst is that the tax is only 14% down here so that makes it even worst. If Clinton were still in office we wouldn't have this problem and if Gore were in office Clinton would make sure he did right and opened the national reserves like last time. :x

$2.13 a gallon here, that's probably the cheapest you'll find in the Valley of the Sun, too. I've seen $2.29 a gallon. Makes you miss the years before 1999, when it was $.99 (in 1999 it hit $1.15, IIRC).

its up to $1.21 per litre which is well higher than American prices but not quite as high as british prices. Britian isn't helped by the population density and the government trying to discourage you to drive.*Was about to say something about how that was more expensive than British prices but then noticed the lack of the £ symbol.*

its up to $1.21 per litre which is well higher than American prices but not quite as high as british prices. Britian isn't helped by the population density and the government trying to discourage you to drive.*Was about to say something about how that was more expensive than British prices but then noticed the lack of the £ symbol.*

thats $1.21 NZ as well (its about $1.26 for the high octane stuff). I've worked it out before and I can't remember the exact price it would be in US$ /gallon but like I said its more, but less than the brits.

its up to $1.21 per litre which is well higher than American prices but not quite as high as british prices. Britian isn't helped by the population density and the government trying to discourage you to drive.*Was about to say something about how that was more expensive than British prices but then noticed the lack of the £ symbol.*

thats $1.21 NZ as well (its about $1.26 for the high octane stuff). I've worked it out before and I can't remember the exact price it would be in US$ /gallon but like I said its more, but less than the brits.Converting monetary/volume to other monetary/volume systems is tiring. I've tried before, lol. I'm not about to again, lol.

$2.27 a gallon and the price at the pump is rising daily! :x

i pay about $2.26 for regular unleaded here in LA

I already take public transportation most places, and now my girlfriend is doing it more often simply because it's so expensive to fill up her truck.
See, this is where she went wrong. If she was driving a saloon or better yet, a hatchback, it would be a different story.Well, it's her dad's truck and so she doesn't have to pay for the insurance or tax or anything, and also it's a compact, so it gets decent mileage--about 24 mpg overall.

It just hit the dollar mark today here in Vancouver. :(

Here in Manchester, UK, it is the equivalent of $5.33 per gallon and rising.

Geez - I guess we shouldn't be complaining too much about $2.00 a gallon!
Do you know how much tax $ is associated with this price?

Could of told you that Europe was more.

its up to $1.21 per litre which is well higher than American prices but not quite as high as british prices. Britian isn't helped by the population density and the government trying to discourage you to drive.*Was about to say something about how that was more expensive than British prices but then noticed the lack of the £ symbol.*

thats $1.21 NZ as well (its about $1.26 for the high octane stuff). I've worked it out before and I can't remember the exact price it would be in US$ /gallon but like I said its more, but less than the brits.

It's down to $1.20 in AshVegas today. Might just be the Shell stations though.

Inexplicably, LOL. That's because every step of the way, the staff have to fill in paperwork, half of which is either a*se-covering for management or updates on how they are doing meeting government targets. Which are usually purely political in nature.
Yes, "inexplicably," I see you caught my sarcasm here :)
The amount of wasted time, paper and other resources is pretty incredible -- and for what purpose? Sheer self-perpetuation ...
I am glad you mention that key phrase - self-perpetuation. Joseph Tainter, an expert on complex societies, has written a paper called "Problem Solving: Complexity, History, Sustainability". His thesis is that every complex society (this can be anything from a company to a whole civilisation or empire), faced with a challenge or a task, solves it by adding a new layer of complexity to address it, but once the issue is resolved, that layer of complexity is not removed, but goes off on a search for a new problem. Thus every added layer of, for example, bureaucracy, is self-perpetuating, as it continually seeks to find reasons for its continued existence. He observes that it is uncommon for bureaucratic bodies, once set up, to declare that their mission has been fulfilled, and voluntarily dissolve themselves. What they do is continually rewrite their goals to justify their existence.

His last observation is that there is always a point, in any complex society, when the level of complexity present cannot be supported, and the system collapses. One may reasonably expect there to come a point when the NHS will have such an extensive managerial structure that it will be rendered ineffective at achieving its primary task of providing a health service. It all makes logical sense.

The most interesting parts of his work (I am about to read his book "Collapse of Complex Societies") deal with similar drivers for the collapse of empires and civilisations, and its application to present-day geopolitics are very instructive. But that, as they say, is another story.

*smirk* Nothing!

BWAHAHAHAhAHAHA!! OPEC is getting none of my money! Yay for public transit!

Here in Rochester, NY, it's just surpassed $2.00 a gallon. Of course, I know that's a bargain compared to some other areas of the nation.

I don't have a car anymore, so it affects me less than it used to, but prices here in the Bay Area are crazy-high. The cheapest I've seen regular unleaded lately is around $2.30 a gallon, and I've seen premium hit $3.00 a gallon. I already take public transportation most places, and now my girlfriend is doing it more often simply because it's so expensive to fill up her truck.

Holy poop! We talking Houston bay area or what?

its up to $1.21 per litre which is well higher than American prices but not quite as high as british prices. Britian isn't helped by the population density and the government trying to discourage you to drive.
True. At current, Britain is a net exporter of oil, meaning that prices should be quite low. However, I feel that part of the reason prices are so high there is because of taxes. What else can it be? After all, Brent crude oil is cheaper than NYMEX crude (which we use).

Thus every added layer of, for example, bureaucracy, is self-perpetuating, as it continually seeks to find reasons for its continued existence. He observes that it is uncommon for bureaucratic bodies, once set up, to declare that their mission has been fulfilled, and voluntarily dissolve themselves. What they do is continually rewrite their goals to justify their existence.

I've heard of this phenomenon ...
One example I can think of right away is the American Lung Association... it was originally founded for the treatment and cure of Tuberculosis. When that disease was essentially eradicated, the society wasn't disbanded - even though it had achieved it's stated goal.
This organization still exists today soliciting $$ for other types of lung related maladies.

The most interesting parts of his work (I am about to read his book "Collapse of Complex Societies") deal with similar drivers for the collapse of empires and civilisations, and its application to present-day geopolitics are very instructive. But that, as they say, is another story.

Yes, it is another story, but definitely an interesting one! :)
Thanks for mentioning his latest book -- sounds as if it would have some cogent observations in regards to today's global structure and current "theatre".
I'll have to check it out.

Prices in the UK work out to about $6/7 per gallon. Stop complaining and get yourselves cars with sensible engine sizes :roll:

Here in Manchester, UK, it is the equivalent of $5.33 per gallon and rising.

about the same over here in liverpool

In Sweden it's about $1,4 per litre I think...

I do not drive at all, and gas is sold by the litre here in Japan, but (if I have all the conversions right) the gasoline prices are just over the $4/gallon mark here.

Here in Central Iowa, we're paying from $1.65-$2.10

In southern Virginia, the cheapest is $1.81 for regular