It's hard to remember prices that low. What's not hard to remember is the President's commitment to higher energy costs for Americans. He has always been clear that he wants to restrain our consumption by pursuing higher prices for the American consumer.
He didn't get 'cap and trade,' and we aren't quite to Europe's gas price levels, but he has a partial success to chalk up here. Energy prices are much higher than they used to be: as the sign shows, gas prices have doubled.
This chart (I clicked on the 8-year version) shows a mighty big drop in '08 - while I was out of the country and missed it.
ReplyDeleteThe sign felt weird because I remember being happy in '06 when the price briefly dropped below $2/gallon. (I ended up on local TV news because a reporter caught me whistling "Lilliburlero" while I filled up.) But from the chart I see it's plausible.
Well, if you want to go in the wayback machine, I remember paying $0.85/gal at one station shortly after the Gulf War. It was like a big "Thank You" note from Kuwait.
ReplyDelete"I remember paying $0.85/gal at one station shortly after the Gulf War. It was like a big "Thank You" note from Kuwait."
ReplyDeleteYep.
Memories of 22¢/gal Amoco 103 octane are distant, but I can recall filling up a 455 cubic inch Buick's gas tank for under $5.00. Which was a good thing since it sipped gas at the rate of ≈ eight miles per gallon.
The grocery store gas station in my neighborhood was $1.45 right before Katrina. Hasn't been that low since...
ReplyDeleteMy memories don't go back further than 29 cents a gallon, back in the Pleistocene. Of course, people thought a good salary back then was $5K a year.
ReplyDeleteI remember actual gasoline price wars and 13¢ gasoline in Kankakee.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, unlike Bthun, my parents' idea of a suitable car was an even older Ford Customline. 0-60 by afternoon.
Eric Hines
"Unfortunately, unlike Bthun, my parents' idea of a suitable car was an even older Ford Customline. 0-60 by afternoon."
ReplyDeleteDad, being fed up with my incessant pesterings for more, lined me up with a job in a tobacco warehouse during my, IIRC, 12th summer... I later realized dad took that tack so that I might better understand the care and feeding of the tree from which money grew.
From that day on, I worked to make the money necessary to satisfy my wants for more. And even when I wanted to spend my money on things like automobiles that went both fast and dry, very quickly, dad would not interfere beyond offering advice. Characteristically, dad made such offers only once.
Lessons learned.
Dad...lined me up with a job....
ReplyDeleteI had the jobs, too, but my mother (deliberately) set a nearly impossible standard. If I could afford a car (which I could), I could afford 100% of its care and feeding--fuel, maintenance, insurance, etc (which I could). And I could afford to support myself 100%--food, lodging, etc. In other words, move out. Which I could not afford. Not and finish high school and then go to college. And no one would lease to a 16-17-18-yr-old. I looked.
As to understanding the money tree, I did, and I had an up-close example to reinforce the understanding. Every Friday morning, I'd loan my older brother the financing for his date that night at 10% (per week). Every Thursday night, he'd pay the due. And then borrow anew the next morning.
Eric Hines
"my mother (deliberately) set a nearly impossible standard."
ReplyDeleteMine too. Only mine demanded that I behave...
*sighs* Now Walkin' Boss has picked up the whip and I'm still trying, with varying degrees of limited success.