Oregon Gas laws (- Yet another attack on freedom)

CAPITALISTCHICKS.COM ^ | FR Post 12-1-2002 | Debbie Brannigan

[tje]

Wrong call on this one. Gas is the same price or cheaper in places where you have to pump it yourself. Look at the price of non-self serve gas in other states, talk about a rip off!

[Koblenz]

I pump my own 99% of the time. Gas is about 1.47 in Philly area.

Here in Greenwich, CT, gas is about $1.70 a gallon, give or take. And that's self serve. In NJ, when I go there (not too often), I always fill up. Well, I don't fill up, I ask the guy at the Vince Lombardi rest stop, the last rest stop in the state before the NY border, to fill up my tank.

[ThinkDifferent]

it does create some jobs I will admit

Well yeah, but so would throwing bricks through windows and paying repairmen to fix them. The jobs are economically inefficient.

[ThinkDifferent]

The law is socialist, stupid, economically ridiculous. It's a great thing! It's great because it is a state law. The people of Oregon have decided to do this to themselves. Would that the Tenth Amendment applied to all other areas of state decision making.

Absolutely right on all counts.

[ladylib]

I guess everybody thinks the same way (or at least a lot of people), because if they wanted it, if it was so damn important to them, they'd have it. It wouldn't be such a big deal for the legislature to pass a law.

[A CA Guy]

Sounds like Oregon created another Make-Work job.

How much higher were gas prices due to all that?

[FreedomCalls]

The variance in gasoline prices throughout the states is really a function of the difference in state gasoline taxes. Look at this page and you can see that if you live a little north of the Georgia/North Carolina border it is really worth it to drive over to Georgia to fill up. Likewise if you are headed south on US441 hang on until you get south of the border.

Just giving a quick glance at the table, it appears the GA/NC border has the biggest tax differential.

[Rocksalt]

"The jobs are economically inefficient."

Could you expound on that a little for me? I'm sure you're right,but I'd like to hear what makes them so.

[Paleo Conservative]

The law is socialist, stupid, economically ridiculous. It's a great thing! It's great because it is a state law. The people of Oregon have decided to do this to themselves. Would that the Tenth Amendment applied to all other areas of state decision making.

Absolutely right on all counts.

We also have a system of Interstate and US highways that connect communities to the rest of the United States. These laws interfere with interstate commerce. According to Article I, Section 8, Congress has the power to regulate interstate commerce.

Article I Section 8 The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

.........

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

I think there should be a buffer zone within a mile of any Interstate or US highway in which the states would be prohibited from prohibiting self-service gasoline stattions.

[ThinkDifferent]

It's a form of the broken window fallacy. When customers are forced to pay for having their gas pumped even if that service has no value to them, that money cannot be spent on goods and services that they do actually want. Thus, economically efficient transactions are prevented from occurring.

[r9etb]

You know, somebody posted this PMS from the capitalist chicks several months ago. This has been the law in Oregon for at least 40 years.

[aimhigh]

The state of Oregon has the highest gas prices in all of the contiguous United States thanks to taxes and restrictions imposed upon it's service stations.

I just paid $1.29 a gallon in Salem, OR. And my hands don't smell of gasoline.

[DLfromthedesert]

So you need a LAW to go to a full service station? PUH-LEEZE!!!

[error99]

"...I think the a federal law should be passed requiring all retail outlets selling gasoline within one mile of an Interstate or US highway to have self-serve pumps..."

Shirley, you jest...

[error99]

"...It's a great thing! It's great because it is a state law. The people of Oregon have decided to do this to themselves..."

And if the feds tried to force Oregon have self-serve gas;
And if Oregon resisted the new federal law;
Then historians would call it a rebellion over
the "cause" of self-service gasoline...
(if you catch my drft)

[Slyfox]

Did I say I needed a law? Nope, I didn't. In fact, I think the law is stupid.
All I said was that it was nice to have someone else do it for me.

[error99]

"...Apart from this uncivilized barbarism, Florida is pretty cool..."

Wait till you see the bikini-girl hot dog vendors on the roadside - its a hoot !

[rockfish59]

Hmmm, I wonder if Oregan(o) has a big earthquake fault too?

[Squantos]

In the same spirt of keeping us safe I think Oregon should pay me not to visit there. Albeit I do so for free thus far........

Stay Safe !

[error99]

"...Who enjoys smelling like gas?..."

Amazing as it may sound, it is quite possible to perform this task without getting gasoline all over your shoes...