Posted on 04/05/2011 12:45:37 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Inspired by Cord's thought-provoking post on the per gallon prices of various liquids, and by Sarah Palin's ill-informed Facebook rant on the "$4-Per-Gallon President," I decided to take a closer look at gasoline prices around the world. Mrs. Palin might be interested to learn, that the world already has quite a few $4-Per-Gallon Presidents. In fact, the world already has $6-Per-Gallon Parliaments, $7-Per-Gallon Prime Ministers, and $8-Per-Gallon Presidents!
We've collected a broad sample of gas prices from throughout the industrialized Western world in the chart below. Important to note: this chart includes only official data from throughout the European Union and North America. I've included some self-reported gas prices from a handful of relevant nations below the chart.
All of the European data comes from the E.U.'s European Energy Portal website. U.S. and Canadian data come from the respective Automobile Associations.
Here are a few others countries that I thought were interesting, but for which I couldn't find official data. All of these numbers are self-reported within the past six months (unless otherwise noted) through the Gasoline-Germany website, a popular energy and petroleum forum.
An odd trend seems to be that the most of countries that have gas prices under our own, are those same countries that so many politicians routinely cite as "evil" or "undemocratic." Does Sarah Palin want our oil economy to be more like Iran and Venezuela?
From this recent chart in the Economist, you can see that the bulk of the premium costs in most European nations is due to higher taxes and duties on crude and gasoline. Many nations recognize oil as a finite resource, and are utilizing gasoline taxes to reduce oil imports, create a more efficient transportation system, and better prepare for longer-term oil price volatility.
Posts 21, 26, and 31 above seems to have answered your question.
“See my #45 for the answer.”
WRONG!!! But nice try.
“Posts 21, 26, and 31 above seems to have answered your question.”
Not quite. Those posts tell me the mechanism...they don’t don’t tell my WHY. In other words, why isn’t food taxed at three times its cost (i.e., 300%)?
“Quiz question of the day:
Why are gas prices SO HIGH in Europe?”
...and the answer is:
Because people are WILLING to pay those taxes to drive. Try a stunt like that with trains or buses, and they will be EMPTY overnight.
Please keep that in mind as our governments (at fed and state levels) start the push for a mileage tax. They know that people WILL PAY at least 20 cents, if not 30 cents (and maybe more) PER MILE to drive...and up to a dollar per mile to drive when and where they want (as they’re now paying in California on Highway 91).
There is a TON of money to be ‘captured’ out there from you drivers. What they are doing (now) is complaining that the 483 owners of Chevy Volts don’t by (much) gas, so the only ‘fair’ option is a MILEAGE TAX.
DO NOT EVERY ALLOW IT to get started, no matter how ‘fair’ it seems. If they need revenue for roads, let them raise the gas tax a dime, but NEVER let them start on a mileage tax, because that involves HUGE TOLLS and the tracking and recording of EVERY vehicle that moves.
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