I'm beginning to worry that the price of gas may be the thing that undoes my marriage.
We've endured a lot of difficulties in our 13 years together, but never have we faced anything as daunting as the prospect of $4 per gallon gasoline at the height of vacation season.
While my wife likes to travel and see different parts of the world, I'm just as content with a week at the lake or a planless, d0-whatever-I-want-whenever-I-want-to-do-it vacation. As I watch gas prices continue to spiral upward - $3.69 at last check - I'm really trying to make the argument for a nice week off at home.
"The kids really want to go to SeaWorld, and it's something they'll remember for a long, long time," Kim said to me.
"Yeah, but it will cost $400 in gas just to get down there - that will go a long way at the lake," I answered. "Besides, the kids will always remember the vacations we didn't take, too."
I don't know exactly how this one will end, but I expect I'll be in the market for subcompact car that can haul my family down to Texas for only $300.
If there's any question about how these gas prices are now a fact of life instead of a temporary inconvenience, one need look no further than his text messaging or email inbox. I've been hit recently with dozens of high gas price jokes - many of which carry a certain .... belligerent quality that makes them unfit for republication here.
And here's a final thought - I was watching The Daily Show the other night, and Jon Stewart pointed out that the oil companies have launched a massive PR campaign to show how the business of oil isn't as lucrative as some people might think as they're watching their kids' college funds burn up in an internal combustion engine.
Turns out that oil companies don't make any money from the sale of oil - all their precious profit is gobbled up by the rising cost of crude oil, refining and taxes. Here's a graphic from the American Petroleum Institute to prove it.
OK, so they do admit to making a 7.5 percent profit, but I'll tell you what - 7.5 percent of $3.69 is a heck of a lot more than the same percentage on $2.00 gas.
--JP
2 comments:
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I believe that our government will have to step in at some point in time in order to get fuel prices back to where it is afordable to use in accordance with wages earned. Fuel prices at best should be set at 10% of the states minimum wages. Example only: If your state minimum wages is $7.00 per hr. Then the price of a gal. of gas or diesel should be ( 70 cents per-gal. ). and this is based on what I know from working with oil and gas refineries for 25yrs. Note: There has never been a shortage of oil to refine in this country ever and never will be. So do not believe what you may hear are read in news papers. Thank you for wanting true information about fuel cost.
May 23, 2008 6:58 AM
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