Gasoline prices top concerns over jobs, health troubles

[onehandle]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON - Paying for gasoline easily tops the list of economic woes facing families in the United States, according to a survey on how changes in the economy have affected people's lives.

About 44 percent of survey participants said paying for gasoline was a "serious problem" for them. Across all income levels, the cost of gas was the most frequently cited economic concern. The price of gas nationally averaged $3.60 a gallon on Monday, according to the Energy Department.

More than a quarter of households earning more than $75,000 a year described paying for gasoline as a serious problem. For those with incomes of less than $30,000, about 63 percent felt that way.

In a distant second and third place among participants' economic concerns were: getting a good-paying job or raise, 29 percent; and paying for health care and health insurance, 28 percent.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080429/ap_on_bi_ge/economi...

[Hubert Flottz]

1. To be able to clearly see the difference between a democrat and

a republican in the White House check your wallet. Your Dollar's value shrinks like crazy, every time a republican is elected or sElected...it NEVER fails to happen.

[Psephos]

13. Except for Carter

I think we put too much belief in the power of presidents to swing the economy in either direction. Present occupant of the White House excluded.

[Xipe Totec]

2. What a disconnect

the price of gas is of more concern than having a higher paying job.

A job that would earn more money one could use to, oh, I don't know...

Pay for gas?

Pay for health care?

Pay for food?

[AndyTiedye]

7. Not Really

High gas prices are causing stagflation, and most workers have little hope of keeping up with rising costs, even if they get paid a bit more.

[Xipe Totec]

12. Who said anything about getting paid a little bit more?

How about a lot more?

Which would you prefer, cheaper gas, or double your salary?

And let's face it; cheaper gas is just not going to happen.

[AndyTiedye]

14. A 100% Salary Increase is Even Less Likely than Cheaper Gas

[ohio2007]

17. downsizing and layoffs will save people on gas costs in other words. nt

[pattmarty]

3. I am still predicting a total Dem "blowout" in November........

....even with the awful Clinton/Obama primary season. I just can't see how the Republicans can convince the populace to continue more of the last 8 yrs, even with the media behind them.

[bdamomma]

8. I wish there a blow out of the criminals in the WH, they need to go.

[eringer]

4. Yeah, And This is the Albatross Hanging Around McBush's Neck

George Bush's policies in the Middle East have precipitated the high oil prices. Whether its his sabre rattling or his invasion of Iraq, it doesn't matter. Ultimately, McBush will pay for the high prices at the pump at the polling stations come November. The day after the election, gasoline prices will take a dive to stave off a windfall profit tax to be levied on oil companys.

[elocs]

5. Gas is a drug to which Americans are addicted. They "need" it above all else.

When hooked on a drug, intelligence and logic are not involved. Otherwise, why would the importance of getting the drug come before jobs or healthcare? Gas consumption could be cut significantly if Americans did not feel they have a Constitutional right to be-bop everywhere they like at any time in what is often their gas guzzling vehicles, often alone. Drive when you only really need to drive, carpool, use mass transit, bike, walk. Most of the rest of the industrialized world has dealt with high gas prices for a long time.

Just let somebody get desperately sick, or their children become very ill, then helthcare will quickly jump to the top of the list. That 63% would think that gasoline is a bigger problem than good jobs or healthcare is simply incredibly stupid.

[AndyTiedye]

9. Most of the Industrialized World Has Much Better Transit

Public transportation is poor to non-existent in most of the USA. You can't take the train or bus if there isn't one.

Move closer to work, you say? Many have, but they displace others with less income, who are then forced to move further away from work.
Besides, there is more to life than work. Do you really want to live next to an industrial park? How do you build community if everyone has to move every time they change jobs?

Health care may be a lesser concern to those who have (or think they have) good health insurance already.
Better jobs may be a lesser concern to those who are satisfied with their current employment.

[elocs]

11. You didn't mention things like car pooling. Any positive suggestions,

or simply this won't work or that won't work?

Everyday I see masses of vehicles with just one person in them. We don't have widespread mass transit because most people did not want to support the busses that drive around mostly empty. When gas was less expensive they preferred to drive everywhere, anytime alone--not just to work. People need to get to where they work, but there are many other places to which they chose to drive and do it alone and still bitch about the high price of gas.

There are ways of dealing with the high price of gas if people are willing to adapt and to make changes, but most seem to want to keep the status quo. It is easier to throw up your hands and claim we can't do this or we can't do that rather than change our lifestyles. Many more people could do much more to adapt to the high price of gas if they were willing to change. I am not going to shed a lot of tears about people who complain, but refuse to change.

I still think that peoples' priorities are out of line if they are more concerned about the price of gas than they are about good jobs or healthcare. But this is America.

[AndyTiedye]

15. We Need to Build More Rapid Transit. A Lot More.

That was pretty well implied in my post, though I did not state it explicitly.
Ridership IS way up on the transit systems around here.
Perhaps your buses are riding around empty because they don't go to the right places.
If there is no bus service at or near one end of your trip or the other, you're not gonna take the bus.
If it takes 3 buses and a half-hour wait (or worse) standing at a freezing bus stop for each one, you're not going to take the bus unless you absolutely have no choice.

Carpooling to work only works if you have VERY regular hours, and live very near your coworkers.
Non-work trips are rarely so regular as to be viable for carpooling.
Of course, we could all just sit at home all the time when we're not working. Not.
People have cut down on driving (both work and non-work) since prices have gone up.

You might consider the possibility that some people are concerned that high gas/energy prices will cost them their jobs (and their health care along with them), too.

FWIW, I telecommute.

[dweller]

6. here's one perspective

dp

[Orsino]

10. Crack addicts: crack prices top concerns over jobs, health troubles. n/t

[ohio2007]

16. Govt may increase oil prices

Pakistan


Govt may increase oil prices by Rs 3/litre

* Petroleum Ministry says govt will have to bear burden of Rs 10bn if prices not increased

By Zafar Bhutta

ISLAMABAD: The Petroleum Ministry has submitted a summary to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani recommending an increase in the prices of POL products by at least Rs 2 or 3/litre in the next fortnight.

Sources within the ministry told Daily Times that this would help pass the impact of the increase of international prices of petroleum on to the consumer. They said that the ministry had also sent another proposal recommending an increase in the price of kerosene, which had been kept unchanged on the directions of the prime minister. The sources said that the ministry had informed the premier that dealers were profiting from the low price by mixing kerosene and diesel oil, and were not passing on the low prices to the consumers.

snip

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008 \04\30\story_30-4-2008_pg1_8


So this is what happens when a country has no big oil companies around to jack the price the consumer pays at the pump.

Sure am glad Pakistan has a stable,well heeled population that would never threaten the government for raising gas prices via majority rule.

We have it real easy at this time imo




Just a matter of time until we watch the 3rd world die of starvation because 2nd world powers need to fuel their rice burners and pass the cost onto their own public. I give the new govt of Pakistan a few more months until the honeymoon is over and they may allow the 'death to america'..or ( your choice country here) rants as a safety valve distraction to the population.


http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008/04/2...

[Doctor_J]

18. $3.75 today in SE MI - new high

Can't wait to see the GE campaign ad whit crashcart explaining how the Iraq occupation would pay for itself through low gas prices.

[AndyTiedye]

19. Cheapest I Saw Today Was $3.94 (Cash Only). Most Over $4 (up to $4.19 for Regular)

Of course, we pay the highest gas prices in the country (even higher than Hawaii) because The Cheney wanted it that way.