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So Much for the Recovery
- Thread starter jaywa
- Start date
The median income in Canada is higher than the US, which I've always assumed is related to everything being more expensive there.
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
Being originally from rural Ireland, I understand the need for a car.....we get by paying $8 a gallon. My dad racked up over 300k miles in the last year due to his work. I doubt the average person in the states drives much more than 300,000 miles per year. There may be some, but I'd be willing to bet they're the exception.
Suck it up guys.
Suck it up guys.
While fuel taxes are certainly higher outside the US, it's not that simple. Oil is traded in US dollars, so when other countries buy it, they're subject to exchange rate fluctuations which can be quite dramatic and make a fair bit of difference at the pumps.
The cost of running a car for me in the US is much the same as it was running one in the UK - the price difference of fuel is offset by the more efficient cars in the UK and shorter distances driven. I've driven more miles in my last 3 years in the US than I did in the previous 35 in the UK!
I wish the US would cotton on more to the diesel thing though... there are diesel cars in Europe that are getting 60+mpg, along with staggeringly low emissions. They're surprisingly sprightly too - diesel engines have bags of torque, even if they're not quite V8-killers.
Im sorry, but Im having a little trouble believing that one. No one drives a thousand miles per day at their own expense at $8 per gallon and has enough money left over to pay for cost of living in Ireland.
Try that with someone from London
Even London is more compact than a city like Tampa.
Dunno about that, especially if it's someone who drives for a living. I've seen cab drivers in the UK put 200k on their cars in a year. Maybe he meant 300k kilometres (Ireland has gone fully metric)? Plus, I'd imagine it was a company car with someone else paying the fuel bill.
Ireland's cost of living isn't actually all that high, in the grand scheme of things. Day-to-day expenses are kinda high, especially with 21% VAT, but there's a lot of stuff that people forget - Ireland has no property taxes, there's an incredible amount of expenses that can be written off against your income tax bill, the cost of doing business is extremely low and, as members of the Euro, they benefit from a good international exchange rate right now. Fuel is expensive, but fuel-efficient cars are strongly encouraged and most people drive diesels, which, as I said before, are usually good for 50mpg+.
I can't believe some people seem to like high gas prices.
Had the US been wise 10 years ago, we wouldn't need OPEC today. We can't turn back the clock, but we can do something to stop buying oil from OPEC 10 years from now. One of those things is drilling.
Had the US been wise 10 years ago, we wouldn't need OPEC today. We can't turn back the clock, but we can do something to stop buying oil from OPEC 10 years from now. One of those things is drilling.
FYI, paying $8/hour, and driving 300,000 miles, getting 50 mph would cost some one, out of pocket, $48,000.
My dad runs his own business VS, any money he spends on fuel comes out what will be his salary. I did jump out of the traps without thinking properly, though, now that I think about it, the majority of those miles, as business expenses would be VAT free, dropping it to around $6.60 per gallon, still, considerably more than $4 with considerably more than your average distance. When I go back home to visit, I should be able to take a photo of the odometer and registration book of the car so you can see the time of purchase and the miles racked up already. Any other information will, obviously for privacy, be blurred.
For the record, the business is based in N. Ireland, so last year was at 17.5% VAT, not the 21% of the Republic.
For the record, the business is based in N. Ireland, so last year was at 17.5% VAT, not the 21% of the Republic.
The US is as much a part of OPEC as the Saudis. The people who run the oil racket in the US have too much to lose by severing their ties with them. Only about 10% of US domestic fuel consumption comes from sources inside the US - you'd have to do a hell of a lot of drilling to make up that shortfall, destroying the environment and doing absolutely nothing to wean the US off fossil fuels.
The same amount of money that could be invested in drilling could be invested in further alternative energy research for a significantly higher long-term gain, which would include energy independence.
Unless hes doing circles around Ireland for about 20 hours a day with no time to sleep,refuel,bathroom etc. I just cant see it. If his father isnt paying for the fuel, then there was no point in his post,lol. Not trying to be rude. -Luke
VS, its 12-15 hour days, 6 days a week, if you must know, and yes, quite a lot of that will be a good ol' circuit of Ireland. Your insinuations about my honesty are not appreciated.
Non-OPEC oil is the majority of what we buy. Our own vast untapped resources could supply the rest.
Alternate energy sources will come about in good time, as technology advancement never sleeps.
I didnt say anything about you lying or telling the truth. I simply stated that "I" had trouble believing that.
Sorry, but I think the billions that could be spent on drilling could be better spent on improving alternative energy technology. Technology advancement never sleeps, but it moves a damn sight more quickly with more money pumped into it.
For instance, did you know the amount of methane that comes off the US's many landfills is enough to power every car in the US? Your average gasoline engine will run quite happily on methane, and without the horrible fart smell. Combine that with the type of hybrid technology that can be seen in the Chevy Volt and there's one of many shorter-term answers to how to get by without using oil. Even without methane, the US has ample supplies of natural gas which is also engine-friendly and far cleaner, not to mention easier and cheaper to drill for.
Shame it won't happen while the US is being run by big oil. They have too much to lose.
Once again, I wasnt trying to be rude but your first words to us Americans was to "suck it up". If your father does travel that much, that is far from typical. I dont think Americans would be complaining if it didnt greatly affect our lives and finances.
