I’ve taken the gas price survey off the front page, but it’s still below if you want to vote or make a comment.
{democracy:6}
Two items missing from the poll, that I didn’t think of including are: the fluctuating US dollar and the impact of China and India’s expanding economies. If you’d like to comment on those items, or any other gas-price issues, feel free!
Cheapest gas I saw yesterday in Coeur d’Alene: $3.78 at the 3rd St/I90 Exxon.
Comment by Dan — June 16, 2008 @ 11:59 am
Where’s the $5.47 for Regular, Dan?
Comment by mary — June 16, 2008 @ 12:44 pm
It’s in Photoshopland, Mary.
Comment by Dan — June 16, 2008 @ 12:50 pm
The decline of the dollar’s purchasing power, and the increased use in China and India are the most importnatn reasons, Dan! You forgot one other reason people are pushing: speculators. I don’t agree, but that’s what I’m hearing. Anything to convince each other our economy is okay, right?
Comment by Bjorn — June 16, 2008 @ 1:05 pm
The dollar is declining so that Bush can write down the interest on his expensive war. But I would blame congress for not having an energy policy in this county. They giveaway tax dollars to speculative and questionable sources that don’t yield the kind of punch we need energy-wise. I mean, I favor wind and solar power, but they cannot supply us with enough energy in the near future.
I favor nuclear power. I favor drilling. Congress has stifled these efforts and others to keep us energy dependent. Clinton and Bush Sr. locked up millions of acres of reserves in Utah and elsewhere. That sucks.
Comment by Dan — June 16, 2008 @ 1:14 pm
It is time to apply what we’ve learned in drilling engineering and use our Alaska oil resource. There will be some sacrifices on the nature front but our financial situation demands that we un-tether ourselves from external suppliers while we develop non fossil alternatives.
Comment by Wallypog — June 16, 2008 @ 2:46 pm
I agree with Dan that Nuclear Power is definitely one of the answers. The problem isn’t congress, it’s actually that the public is ignorant of the real risks. They look at incidents like Three Mile Island and Chernobyl, and freak out about anything nuclear. There was an incident when a Supermarket (in California I believe) started selling irradiated strawberries. The protesters clogged up the store front so much that the store had to close until they got rid of the strawberries. The protesters’ excuse was that the strawberries were “radioactive” and not safe to eat. When in reality the opposite was true, irradiated produce takes longer to go bad and has fewer harmful microbes in them. My point is that the reason this protest occurred was the publics ignorance to the facts. Before any Nuclear Power research and use can be, on a large scale, accomplished, we must first educate the populous. Before that time Congress is in a deadlock, few areas in this country will elect a congressman that supports nuke research.
As far as drilling in Alaska, that might work for a time, but we have to look at energy alternatives in order to protect the future of America. Research into superconductors, efficiency in wind and solar energy, and funding for nuclear power and nuclear research must be increased.
Regrettably, in my opinion, society has always been shaped on resources. Every superpower, since the dawn of time, that fell did so because they lost the resources to continue. Spain lacked the resources to rebuild after the loss of the Spanish Armada, Britain lacked the resources to hold their empire (Especially after Ghandi disrupted their economic flow out of India and South Africa), and Russia didn’t have the money (or energy) to keep up the arms race with America. We must secure energy independence if we are to survive, but drilling in Alaska is a temporary solution.
Comment by Mark Altman 2nd — June 16, 2008 @ 3:01 pm
Coal is the answer. The Fischer-Tropsch Process is very much the carbon based answer. America has reserves sufficient for centuries of progress using this methodology. Hence the left’s hatred of coal and carbon.
Comment by Pariah — June 16, 2008 @ 5:37 pm
Apparently some oil is available yet in Oklahoma from some small operations, 10 bbls or less/day. I have a relative who has invested in some property, got it back in production, sold it and is now wildcatting with three or four more and producing the black gold. I don’t have too many details concerning government interference, etc. but from what the family gossip is, he’s getting along very well, and this is part time, making periodic trips to Oklahoma.
Comment by Gary Ingram — June 16, 2008 @ 7:56 pm
What Mark Altman 2 doesn’t realize,
is it’s the ‘environmental activists’
that are trying to destroy Americas
future.We are dependent on foreign oil partly because,of these environmentalists like Al Gore shutting down the Artic National Wildlife Refuge for oil drilling.
Activists have destroyed the logging industry,which has affected reforestation,mills etc.These environmentalists have tried to shutdown some mining.When they try to shutdown our natural resources,it puts a stranglehold on our economic viability as a nation and weakens our country.Whats worse is that most of their activism goes through the courts,which delays any decisions for years.
IMO-these environmental activists
make up a tiny fraction of the populace and don’t really represent the majority of the publics opinions.
Most of these activists tend towards liberalism and are misguided people.
I couldn’t write what I think about these so-called activists.I’ve lived through this activism personally and remember seeing the (earth firsters)
out in force near forest service roads near Grangeville.
Mark 2 says;that drilling in Alaska is only a temporary solution.
Could of fooled me, after 32 years of pumping black gold from the Alaska pipeline,which makes up to 17%
of our oil needs here at home.We need to have a combination of more domestic oil,combined with other alternative fuels like ethanol and
other energy sources.One thing is for sure oil and gas will always be in Americas future,because if it wasn’t it would devastate the economy too much.To many jobs at stake and the Federal Gov’t wants those tax dollars.
Comment by kageman — June 16, 2008 @ 9:16 pm
Seems to me with the devaluation of the dollar for four bucks you only get three,so really we pay three bucks a gallon. The problem as I see it we sold our souls and OUR government to the corporations who in turn sold it to the Chinese [who don’t give a damn about human rights or what they dump in the ocean as well as in the air] the environmental movement just facillitated in this probably unknowingly. Unfortunately there’s no going back, For a country that has produced uncountable progressive products from dirt to man standing on the surface of the moon and now is handcuffed by so many rules that take us out of the world market is deplorable. Ask your self what will be the next third world country? I witnessed my community change from a thriving logging ranching community to what it is now known for as the pot grower heaven [as reported in the C.D.A. press] most all of the folks who were hard working have either packed up and moved [my self included] or gone broke thanks to the spotted owl. There has to be a balance and America has the ability to find it, I think were runnin about ten years late. this country was built on cheap gas that’s why the suburbs were attractive in the fiftys. now the Chinese and Indian economys are starting experience the growth we had then and the citys with people living on top of each other are being torn down bicycles are being traeded for automobiles, from Tieneimn square [probably misspelled] to the Olympics you figure it out and let me know.BOYCOTT BEJING!
Comment by casper — June 17, 2008 @ 6:59 am
Casper, why punish the American athletes who have been training for years to compete in this round of the Olympics. They only get the chance every four years. Should they lose out because the site of the event, that the athletes had no choice in, is a country with political problems? Keep the world’s athletic competition out of the governmental stew. Boycott products from China if you want, but not the Olympics.
Comment by mary — June 17, 2008 @ 8:39 am
There was a pretty good post on the American Conservative Magazine blog (http://www.amconmag.com/blog) about this issue today. “Energy independence” sells well on both sides of the political divide, and support for domestic drilling resonates with conservatives who don’t like coming second to caribou.” bwahahahaa 😉
Comment by Bjorn — June 17, 2008 @ 12:02 pm
I just got home from Calif. where I paid $4.67/gal in Fresno.
Most stations in that area charge extra for credit or debit card use and some cut off the pump at $35. Let’s hope we don’t reach those prices here.
Comment by reddy — June 17, 2008 @ 5:15 pm
Just to clarify what I refered to as from dirt what I intended to say was this country manufactured products from natural resorces, something the world admired us for after all it was the U.S.A. who put a man on the moon and my father worked for one company that made machined parts from material that was mined and processed in the U.S.A. for that and other projects creating many jobs and producing a work force second to none, that was then and this is now then with gas then at thirty eight cents a gallon then we could afford the luxury to live in the suburbs so if I do the math which i’m not really good at if you burn one gallon each way back when they traded the orange groves for suburbs it cost for the year’s commute $197.60 and today the same fuel consumption costs $2340.00.Where on the other hand the countries we now refer to as developing are the same as the ones we used to refer as communist yet they are still what is in my opnion police states. Which brings me to answer Mary I am absoulutly not in any way intend to punish not only american athletes nor the International athletes and I stand behind the Olympics, but I feel the International Olympics Comittee is driven not as much by the games as they are by the DOLLARS. so please don’t misunderstand but it sounds like some local politics I have heard of. A just so you know I also BOYCOTT WAL MART!
Comment by casper — June 18, 2008 @ 6:15 am
I’m with you casper!
Comment by concerned citizen — June 18, 2008 @ 8:30 am
Well,,Here is my input whether you like it or not. Why Drill more oil,If you actually know whats going on in the oil biz,then you know that the US sells 80 percent of the alaskan oil to foreign countries while we buy it back at that price they are charging! Yes,I know somone working the slope in Alaska. And here is another thing,No one makes you buy the gas/oil. Dont like the price,,you are free from buying it ,its not a company store? Quit complaining about the price,,dont get any,or get a hybrid that gets 54 miles per gallon on average! That will help. Oh ,BTW,Gas is cheap now compared to what its going to be! And why boycott China, No around here in the US can afford american,so if you look around. Most are going to Walmart and such buying Chinese Vehicles to clothes to save money. Get with the program or you are going to lose. We are in a different time in Era!
Comment by cityspy — June 18, 2008 @ 8:34 am
to; cityspy the bottom line is china has no union workers and really and in my opnion the union’s have a dictated the corporations into seeking the workforce they had at the inception of the union.
I understand there will never be cheap AMERICAN GOODS again, but we have to understand the unions are like any political and or relgion as time passes corruption greed and POWER become the focus, man[kind] has proven this as long as man has stood on this earth. the second fall of the roman empire maybe just around the corner.
Comment by casper — June 19, 2008 @ 5:46 am
Yes, I agree with you 100 percent! I have been to China, Been to Thailand. It seems those people work very hard for what they have. The average person in Thailand was making about five bucks a day(Alot less in China). Bottom line is we need to be in the same catagory as most countries to be in line with what things cost,then no one would buy foreign anything and bring the work back to America,It will never happen though.
Comment by cityspy — June 20, 2008 @ 8:14 am