Posted by jdemaris on November 14, 2007 at 06:18:19 from (69.67.229.56):
In Reply to: GAS/DIESEL prices posted by Gary in TX on November 14, 2007 at 05:35:46:
The price for fuel in England has costs for welfare and medical care included in the price. Our's does not - at least not directly - although we all pay Federal and State taxes on it. Those taxes are probably buying meals and hookers for politicians instead of health-care.
In England, there are all kinds of fuel efficient turbo-diesel cars and trucks that are not allowed in the U.S. - and many are made by Ford and GM.
I don't like the prices now - but . . . this country wastes tremendous amounts of energy with no apparent long-term goal for an alternative. We've been paying artificially low prices for years - and now they are coming closer to true reality. Problem is - why? If $4 per gallon was only due to supply and demand - I wouldn't feel so bad. But . . . if it's a artificial hike making a few people rich - than it does tick me off.
If frivolous air travel was cut back, and our country's infrastructure was once again designed around rail and water shipping - instead of diesel tractor-trailers using inland roads - we've save a huge amount of fuel. Our entire economy is based around waste. I recently bought some framing lumber - and it came from Russia - yet I live in a heavily forested area in New York. Our local dairy farms ship their milk to New York City - 200 miles away. When I buy milk down at the local store - it usually comes from Massachusetts.
In the 1960s, entry-level jobs were often $1.50 per hour and I was making $4 per hour at my job, gas was 25 - 32 cents per gallon, and a new small car - like a Volkswagen or Renault cost less than $1000 brand new. I often had a harder time affording gas then at those prices, then now.
Today - it seems many entry level jobs are more than $10 per hour, skilled jobs much more, gas is over $3 per gallon, and new "cheap" cars are $12,000. Note, that the average Detroit auto worker gets paid $78 per hour when benefits are figured in.
Based on that, I don't see where $3 or $4 per gallon is out-of-line - it costs less than a lot of bottled water.
This country - and its citizens - can moan and groan as if we deserve cheaper fuel than the rest of the world as we waste it faster than we can get it - or - we could try to do something about it that is not based on a finite fuel source. Yeah, it's not easy for the individual - and it seems many people just sit back and wait for the government to find and answer. Just keep in mind - all the governemt is - is a bunch of individuals - made into a group - that gets paid regardless of job-performance.
Fuel shortages and price-hikes lead to personal innovation - from individuals and private companies - which sometimes leads to some interesting stuff. We'll see.
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]
Today's Featured Article - An Old-Time Tractor Demonstration - by Kim Pratt. Sam was born in rural Kansas in 1926. His dad was a hard-working farmer and the children worked hard everyday to help ends meet. In the rural area he grew up in, the highlight of the week was Saturday when many people took a break from their work to go to town. It was on one such Saturday in the early 1940's when Sam was 16 years old that he ended up in Dennison, Kansas to watch a demonstration of a new tractor being put on by a local dealer. It was an Allis-Chalmers tractor dealership,
... [Read Article]
Latest Ad:
Sell 1958 Hi-Altitude Massey Fergerson tractor, original condition. three point hitch pto engine, Runs well, photos available upon request
[More Ads]
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy
TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.
