Fuel costs are coming down because drivers, in the last 7 month, have driven 40 BILLION miles less. Americans ain't stupid. Some may be, but most are permanently altering their driving habits.
This effect has sent the feds into a tizzy. The fuel tax is off by a whopping amount and they are trying to figure out how to replace the lost revenue.
Get ready for toll roads, and other creative 'fees'. The feds aren't likely to raise fuel taxes this year due to the election. They ain't stupid either.
A person that trades their Expedition for a Prius isn't going to go back to an Expedition any time soon. The auto market cannot retool for tiny fuel efficient vehicles fast enough.
This is a remarkable change when one considers that the US uses 25% of the world petrol production. However, we also produce almost 30% of the world GDP. We have global impact.
Add to the mix that the US is the marketplace for the countries that compete for crude...and who knows. We sneeze, they get sick. Without our marketplace, they don't need oil. We may find a barrel of oil dropping precipitously in the near future. That would be nice for us bus owners (back on topic eh?).
In the past, every time the market started reacting to high fuel prices, the prices came down suddenly. I've often wondered if this wasn't planned to interrupt permanent change in driving habit. Seems they may be too late this time.
I live near the NC/SC boarder. Most of the diesel that I buy comes from SC since they are often sell the lowest priced diesel in the country. North Carolina state fuel tax is usery! All of us 'boarder' residents buy fuel in SC. Good thing RVs aren't apportioned.
BTW, Gus, JR don't believe 'everyone' believes any particular line. About half the country is, to some degree, a right-wing busnut (Mom and apple pie), and the other half is made up of...well....collectivist zealots (AlGore and T. Boone Pickens. Both of whom will pick the taxpayer's bones clean!).
I'm not at all a fan of Bush/Cheney. I am positively not a fan of 'Cap'nTrade' Reid/Pelosi. I personnally believe that they are all buffoons. Reid/Pelosi/AlGore are downright dangerous...IMHO. Still, I come down on the side of least government intervention. The market will take care of itself. Sometimes it ain't clean and neat, but it works best. Government by fiat is a disaster in the making.
Witness the unexpected reduction in fuel use. The feds didn't expect that hit. Too damn bad.
Regarding Rush Limbaugh...he's OK. But Limbaugh isn't far enough to the 'right' for me. I'm a Mark Levin fan...check him out on XM sometime. You'll love Rush in comparison...!
For the sake of sanity of the board, I'll bow out now. I promise!
Politik that relates to the cost of bus ownership should be fair game. Let the chips fall where they may!
No matter how you shake it, one has to agree that the Democrat Party and their environmental cabal have blocked all forms of energy production in this country for years. That is not an arguable point. What we use for fuel is arguable. And I'm open to any suggestion. The environmentals are actively blocking wind-gen here in the NC mountains and Martha's Vinyard, coal in any form, hydroelectric in Georgia, nukes anywhere, any production of oil drilling or mining, and often even building transmission lines. Their idea of a perfect world would be to resurrect the 1700s. Of course, the envrionmentals would be strongly against horse emissions.
T. Boone Pickens says we cannot 'drill our way out' of the shortage...maybe not, but we aren't going to 'wind-gen' or 'solar' panel our way out either. At the least, drilling might bridge the problem. It'll damn sure scare the sheets off the Arabs.
They keep talking about 2030...I'll be dead and buried by that time. What about 5 years from now...let's talk about energy in 5 years. I know...that's narcissistic. Sorry.
Hey, the bright side, since my EV is such an polluter, I've got a few horses here....I'm ready for the new America! Does that suit?
DRILL HERE, DRILL NOW! JR
