Speak for yourself. My monthly gasoline bill is over $400 per month. Tell me that ain’t a crisis.
Your crisis is not the nation’s crisis. Individuals, even groups, get in crisis all the time, that doesn’t mean the country has to stop and do something about it.
The trucks we use are very productive compare to anything equivalent. My bus pass is $220 / month ($330 without the metrocheck subsidy), I drive at least once a week so pay for the bus I'm not using and 5 gallons of gas. But all that is cheap compared to the work time gained, better job, mobility, and flexibility. The cars and trucks just happen to be very heavy and energy inefficient while also being very productive tools.
There will be a crisis for many until people adapt. That said, people who run small businesses dependent on energy are going to have to diversify.
It's a crisis for you for sure, but it isn't an energy crisis. Its due to a number of bad economic policies and decisions, such as failing to drill for domestic oil in a timely manner, and that is the fault of Congress getting in the way.
Energy is abundant, and very reliable.
Stu can seldom carry on a conversation long before it turns into an insult match, since he’s the world’s greatest expert on everything. I know what you’re saying. IMO-there IS NO free market on gasoline, because you can’t go across the street to an alternate energy source, the way you can go to another store to buy say, a shirt at a lower price. The price of gas isn’t hurting me the way it is you for one simple reason-I’m retired. You already know, I’m sure, that you can only “consolidate trips, cut back unnecessary driving”, etc;all that crap you’ve been told before, so much. You then reach a point where you cannot cut back any further. 90% of most folk’s gasoline is used for going to/from work-and that amount is non-elastic. I’ve also heard the idiotic argument here that “compared to the price of milk, why, gas is a bargain.” The difference is, you don’t need to fill your car with 20 gallons or better every time you turn around-your car doesn’t run on it. Therefore, you don’t need as much milk. Straw man argument. When I bitched about gas prices a time back, I got the idiotic response “ I hope it goes through the roof-it keeps the riff-raff off the road, and I’m in sales, so time is money.” (And people wonder why conservatives are seen as non-caring swine). Another response I got: “I’m doing just fine with my oil stocks, so I’m quite happy.” It boils down to mainly one thing: If you have money falling out your ass, you don’t see a problem. Because you don’t have one. “Free market”, etc. But MANY do. Many millions. And when they go to the voting booth in November, they’re going to vote their wallets. And many will believe the cRAT lies and vote against conservatives. Republicans should have done something-ANYTHING-to at least make it look like theywere TRYING to do something-while they held congress. It’s too late now. And it’s starting to affect me at the grocery store, since everything’s brought in by truck. Serious problems are arising, the country is on the line, and I personally am as worried as you are. Oh-yeah-you’ll also hear, when the gas to go to and from work is mentioned-”Simple-sell your house and move closer to work, or find another job.” Yep-real easy answers by some here. I’ve learned the hard way, nothing brings out the sheer hatred and division here more than threads on smoking or gas prices.