Gas Prices Expected To Reach $3 A Gallon By Christmas

Check out what Canadians pay for gas. $1.12/liter = about US$4/US Gallon for regular gas. But the real shocker happens with each step up from regular to midgrade and super: about $+0.35 per gallon per grade! Talk about being hosed. Give that some thought next time we complain about the price of gas.

really? Gas where I live is about $0.89/liter = US$3.34/US Gallon

OMG, I thought all of those socialist programs like Universal Healthcare were actually free in Canada and Europe?

I'll choose and pay for my own healthcare, thanx!

Gas taxes go directly to fix our roads not our health care. Which are in a constant state of repair due to our winters.

Seriously Joe?

Taxes are taxes, if it didn't go to roads it would go somewhere else.

This shouldn't be news to you.

I don't understand your point. Are you saying it's better to have a flat tax across everybody? even applying it to the people that don't drive? The gas tax is effective in that it is able to sustain the continual maintenance of the roads without robbing from other government programs. The fact that it may or may not be pooled into a larger sum of money before it is redistributed does not change the net scenario.

@Joe-

Governments need x amount of dollars to operate. How they get that money is a moot point. Besides, everyone uses the road in some form or another. If you don't have a car, you are in a bus which is on a road. If you are home-bound, you still receive food and medical supplies via trucks that utilize the roads.

And to your flat tax statement, yes I would like a flat tax. I hate having to pay more tax nominally AND as a percentage of my pay. Why should I get penalized for busting my @ss in college and getting a decent job that pays a decent salary.

Everyone should pay taxes because everyone receives services from the government, period.

Lets see now
"Besides, everyone uses the road in some form or another. If you don't have a car, you are in a bus which is on a road. If you are home-bound, you still receive food and medical supplies via trucks that utilize the roads."

Your point being? The person paying for food and supplies or using the bus is still paying for the price of the gas and the associated gas taxes used to provide that service, it was included in the price of the service. They are still being charged for the proportional amount of use of the roads that they are using.

"And to your flat tax statement, yes I would like a flat tax. I hate having to pay more tax nominally AND as a percentage of my pay.."

This is an interesting point. If such a system was in place it would provide some encouragement for people to get better paying jobs, but as a whole, there would be more people that suffer due to this form of tax structure. The poor outnumber the rich many times over, if you're paying the same taxes as poor people then tens of millions of people simply wouldn't pay their taxes because they couldn't afford them. In the hierarchy of human needs food and shelter will always take precedence over taxes. All in all, flat taxing would net less revenue for the government and be altogether unsustainable.

Also, as a side point, you live in the USA where half of all government revenue goes to war and only about 30% of that revenue comes from taxes in the first place. You honestly have bigger things to worry about then being taxed more then poor people.

@joe
"Your point being? The person paying for food and supplies or using the bus is still paying for the price of the gas and the associated gas taxes used to provide that service, it was included in the price of the service. They are still being charged for the proportional amount of use of the roads that they are using."

Thanx for agreeing with me. It's a zero sum game.

"This is an interesting point. If such a system was in place it would provide some encouragement for people to get better paying jobs, but as a whole, there would be more people that suffer due to this form of tax structure. The poor outnumber the rich many times over, if you're paying the same taxes as poor people then tens of millions of people simply wouldn't pay their taxes because they couldn't afford them. In the hierarchy of human needs food and shelter will always take precedence over taxes. All in all, flat taxing would net less revenue for the government and be altogether unsustainable."

Currently 90% of the tax revenue is contributed by the top 10% of the population. This is based on 2008 tax revenue. Secondly, any tax system is based on a percentage basis so the poor will never pay the same amount, just the same proportion of their earnings.

"Also, as a side point, you live in the USA where half of all government revenue goes to war and only about 30% of that revenue comes from taxes in the first place. You honestly have bigger things to worry about then being taxed more then poor people."

Actually, no i don't. I rather not get into a conversation about war and foreign affairs. I'm tired of supporting the multiple generational welfare recipients who know its easier to suck on the governments teeet than to get a job. :-)

"Secondly, any tax system is based on a percentage basis so the poor will never pay the same amount, just the same proportion of their earnings."

lol yet you want a flat tax where everyone pays the same thing.

"Actually, no i don't. I rather not get into a conversation about war and foreign affairs. I'm tired of supporting the multiple generational welfare recipients who know its easier to suck on the governments teeet than to get a job. :-)"

lol here are a couple links that might change your mind.

http://coto2.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/2009-gov-chart-x-nationalpriorities-org.gif

http://washedit.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/government.gif

If the american government cut back military spending to 10% of the total budget and continued borrowing the way it does, you wouldn't be paying taxes, the government would be paying you!

@joe

"lol yet you want a flat tax where everyone pays the same thing."

I think you are confused about the meaning of "flat tax". The meaning of flat tax is a flat tax rate across all income levels. The proposal in the US is 15% FLAT TAX. Also, all studies conduct by research groups have said a flat tax would actually net the same amount of revenue as the progressive rate we have now, does.


"lol here are a couple links that might change your mind."

Actually, no it won't. You cannot justify multigenerational welfare.


"If the american government cut back military spending to 10% of the total budget and continued borrowing the way it does, you wouldn't be paying taxes, the government would be paying you!"

Their job isn't to pay us, it's to protect us. I'll take my F22's and F35's and anything else our military needs and you can cut all these excessive social programs that do nothing more than make people dependent on the government teeet.

BR

This article is already outdated to me. Being in CT we are ALWAYS above the averages. I have been paying 3.05-3.11 or more since November.

With Obama politically weakened (neutered?) by the mid-term elections, the oil companies once again feeling emboldened to do what they want with gas prices and little fear of government interference or retribution.

I still say that GM (and the Volt) is going to look pretty smart in 2013 (after the GOP re-takes the White House and the oil companies are given free reign) when gas hits $4+ per gallon again.

No its called a devalued dollar.

Gas has been above 3 here for the last year. I paid 3.29 last week to fill up with regular.
T

Where is "here"?

its $3.45 where I live already so I dont know what this article is talking about

Here in Europe we pay 1.45-1.50 Euro/Liter --> 1.9-2.0 USD/Liter
Since 1 USGallon = 3.7854 liters
3.7854 x 2.0 = 7.60 USD/Gallon

Who said 3$/gallon is to high!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Yours may be higher but , we are taxed on everything and if we break an arm or get sick we have to pay for that too if you are one of the non insured people . By the way how much do you pay for health insurance

also how many hours do you work in a week?

also how much paid vacation and convelescent time do you get in a year? Lots of american companies don't give you anything, and won't give you full time status to avoid paying any benefits.

Guys, you are going to pay one way or another. Would you rather have an inefficient government provide you health insurance(which you will pay via taxes) or would you rather have a more efficient private insurance/healthcare system provide it? I'll choose the later. Im happy with my health insurance, thanx.

For those without it, get a job.

I don't trust government when it comes to anything relating to effectiveness or efficiency. Look at the DMV, postal service, Amtrak etc. Besides public safety and some infrastructure systems, government should not get involved.

Damn Liberals.

@kablaam

" Would you rather have an inefficient government provide you health insurance(which you will pay via taxes) or would you rather have a more efficient private insurance/healthcare system provide it?

- Are you serious? Healthcare and Insurance companies only job is to see how much money they can get from you (profits). Actual Healthcare is secondary. The Insurance and Healthcare industries are the biggest thieves. When something is profit driven you usually end up paying more. And besides, No one should really profit from someone getting sick. That’s why our system sucks.


"I don't trust government when it comes to anything relating to effectiveness or efficiency. Look at the DMV, postal service, Amtrak etc. Besides public safety and some infrastructure systems, government should not get involve"

- If all those areas were privatized, then the services would be more expensive. Private companies have to make profits to satisfy their shareholders. The Government doesn’t have the problem so this results in lower prices.
- As far as the post office? I’ve never sent a letter in over 30 years that hasn’t been received. Postage is $44 cents. If the Post Office were private, the current price for postage will only be a fraction of what a private company would make it.

Why is government health care working in Japan, Germany, Canada, and Europe? Private companies exist for the sole purpose of making money.

At what age can you retire and collect benefits?

@UAW

Funny,

Private companies are all about making money, but also about staying in business. You price yourself out of the market, you go out of business. Simple market dynamics.

Government, now I am only using anecdotal evidence here, but they are all about LOSING money.

Namely, the postal service, amtrak, the big dig etc. etc. I can go on forever. Inefficiencies and waste within the government is borderline criminal. If you don't think so, I'd like to smoke what your on.

@Lex:

You are kidding me right?

Do you know why stamps are only .44 cents. It's because taxes are subsidizing the rest. The Postal Service is bleeding cash like a whore on PMS. What is it, something like 9 billion a year in losses? Yeah, real efficient!

I guess people on this board are too stupid to realize it. Whether its government "free" healthcare or privatized health-care like here in America. You are paying for it one way or another! Look at the taxes in Europe compared to America. From income tax, to VAT tax, the overall tax rate burden in europe is outrageous. Why do you think gas is 7 dollars a gallon? It's all taxes. Why do you think a 3 series is double the cost than in America? Taxes. I spend 16k for family coverage, the best healthcare in the world. I can walk into any doctors office, get an MRI today, get the best emergency or surgical care in the world and i dont' have to be placed on a list. Mooks in europe pay that much more in taxes for crappy healthcare.

Anyone who supports universal healthcare is either lazy and/or jobless.

So the Insurance and Healthcare industries aren't corrupt? Insurance and Healthcare industries are even more shiesty than the Government. Give me a break.

Defending the insurance and healthcare companies? No person in thier right mind would do that. Unless they're a shareholder.

$16k a year for family coverage? And you are OK with that? Wow!!! You do realize that a good part of that $16k consists of nothing but excessive costs? The reason for those excessive costs is to fatten some shareholder's pockets. One day we will learn.

@lexsucks, I think you have completely misunderstood where kablaam is coming from. I think he likes the system because he is given the option "not" to pay into it. If it was $100k a year I think it would make him happier knowing that he doesn't have to spend that much money on the service, regardless of how efficient the system is.

@Lex-

I pay 16k because I choose to as it is great coverage. I can get a cheaper plan ie. HMO, but that is MY CHOICE not the government's.

I implore you to compare the tax burden of someone making 100k in the US vs someone making 100k in Europe. This is a total tax burden, meaning average real estate, cap gains/dividend, income, sales, VAT etc. It's no comparison. Look at the basis of this comparison to begin with, gas prices. Someone said in europe its 7 dollars to an equivalent gallon.

Say you drive 15000 and do 25 mpg, that's 600 gallons or 2400 dollars more in gas alone, all in taxes. That's gas alone, imagine everything else you buy.

I'd like anyone on here to price out an equivalent 3 series or audi a4 and compare it to prices in america. You're lucky if you're not paying at least 50% more. So the point to this? You are either paying for healthcare out of pocket directly or indirectly through taxes. Nothing is free in this world unless you don't work and are a bum. I like the ability to choose the best.

You're point on inefficiencies, have you been to a motor vehicle office lately. Give me a break!

Secondly the average profit margin in the health-care industry is 7%, so tell me how the majority of my 16k is to the shareholder?

The post office loses 9 billion a year, you name one private company that loses 9 billion a year that is still in business.

Bottom line let's just say I rather pay 16k for the best health-care than pay 16k more in taxes for mediocre healthcare.

Sorry you don't feel the same.

@Joe:

Huh? 100k what?

I like the system because I have a choice. I am not a lemming and need the government to coddle me and walk me through my life. I work hard and pay 16k for healthcare for my family and I. I shouldn't have to pay for you and yours as well.

Nothing the government does is efficient, what planet have you been living on?

A hammer that costs 600 dollars anyone?

That is my point.

"I implore you to compare the tax burden of someone making 100k in the US vs someone making 100k in Europe."

This is not a fair comparison. Maybe if the USA had a balanced budget it would be, but as it is, the government is loaning trillions of dollars lower your taxes for the services it does provide.

"I work hard and pay 16k for healthcare for my family and I. I shouldn't have to pay for you and yours as well."

- Do you use $16k worth of healthcare every year? If not then you are paying for someone else’s health care. That’s how insurance works. Also, are you against employers paying for healthcare?

- And I never said that the Government was efficient or inefficient. And I was in the Army. So I’ve seen first hand the price that the Government pays for stuff.

Kablaam

I agree with most of what you say about the inefficiencies of any government run department.
However i have to say it all depends on the psyche of the people who work in those departments.
The German, Dutch, Swedish, Danish & Swiss HealthCare systems are very efficient and offer per capita much better quality healthcare than anything available in the USA and they are Public Owned.

Now i have just one thing to ask you about your so called superior Healthcare / Insurance System.
How is it that drugs which are produced in the USA, by American companies cost more in the USA than in canada and Europe ?
I ask again. How is it possible or justified to charge Americans more for drugs made in the USA than they charge canadians or europeans ?

Might it be because the Government Operated systems in Canada and Europe would not allow Criminal levels of Extortion of its populace while it is actively encouraged in the USA.

@joe

"This is not a fair comparison. Maybe if the USA had a balanced budget it would be, but as it is, the government is loaning trillions of dollars lower your taxes for the services it does provide."

I guess you live in that mythical country that doesn't have a deficit? I'm guessing, in this country, are never guilty, have no speed limits, get 3 beautiful woman at the age of 18, and free government subsidized johnny blue?

Come on.

"Do you use $16k worth of healthcare every year? If not then you are paying for someone else’s health care. That’s how insurance works. Also, are you against employers paying for healthcare?"

Yes, I understand the principles of pooled risk. You fail to realize that everyone in that pool PAYS FOR THEIR OWN HEALTHCARE!

"And I never said that the Government was efficient or inefficient. And I was in the Army. So I’ve seen first hand the price that the Government pays for stuff"

So why are you arguing with me? You have seen first hand what government waste and excess is.

BTW Thank you for your service.

@I95

I'm going to preface this by assuming you are a US resident by looking at your handle. With that.... I think you have a, the grass is greener on the otherside mentality. Stop reading the tabloids and know that our healthcare system, our hospitals, our doctors, our medicine is the best in the world. The elite in this country does not travel to europe for major life threatening surgeries, europeans come here.

"I agree with most of what you say about the inefficiencies of any government run department.
However i have to say it all depends on the psyche of the people who work in those departments.
The German, Dutch, Swedish, Danish & Swiss HealthCare systems are very efficient and offer per capita much better quality healthcare than anything available in the USA and they are Public Owned."

More effecient based on what information? I'm not understanding how you can quantify quality per capita? Here's some information for you.... take it for what you may.

Breast cancer mortality is 52 percent higher in Germany than in the United States, and 88 percent higher in the United Kingdom. Prostate cancer mortality is 604 percent higher in the U.K. and 457 percent higher in Norway. The mortality rate for colorectal cancer among British men and women is about 40 percent higher.

Taken from: Concord Working Group, "Cancer survival in five continents: a worldwide population-based study,.S. abe at responsible for theountries, in s chnologies, " Lancet Oncology, Vol. 9, No. 8, August 2008, pages 730 - 756; Arduino Verdecchia et al., "Recent Cancer Survival in Europe: A 2000-02 Period Analysis of EUROCARE-4 Data," Lancet Oncology, Vol. 8, No. 9, September 2007, pages 784 - 796.

Breast cancer mortality is 9 percent higher, prostate cancer is 184 percent higher and colon cancer mortality among men is about 10 percent higher in Canada than in the United States.

Taken from: U.S. Cancer Statistics, National Program of Cancer Registries, U.S. Centers for Disease Control; Canadian Cancer Society/National Cancer Institute of Canada; also see June O'Neill and Dave M. O'Neill, "Health Status, Health Care and Inequality: Canada vs. the U.S.," National Bureau of Economic Research, Working Paper No. 13429, September 2007. Available at http://www.nber.org/papers/w13429.

Canadian and British patients wait about twice as long - sometimes more than a year - to see a specialist, to have elective surgery like hip replacements or to get radiation treatment for cancer

Taken from: Nadeem Esmail, Michael A. Walker with Margaret Bank, "Waiting Your Turn, (17th edition) Hospital Waiting Lists In Canada," Fraser Institute, Critical Issues Bulletin 2007, Studies in Health Care Policy, August 2008; Nadeem Esmail and Dominika Wrona "Medical Technology in Canada," Fraser Institute, August 21, 2008 ; Sharon Willcox et al., "Measuring and Reducing Waiting Times: A Cross-National Comparison Of Strategies," Health Affairs, Vol. 26, No. 4, July/August 2007, p

Noticed how I said balanced budget? The Canadian budget has been running a surplus since 2008. And yes we felt the recession as well.

Sorry Kablam

I am a UK citizen and i live in the UK.

However i have also lived in the USA 1999 - 2008 so i know a bit about what i speak of.

I also travel to europe weekly and canada at least twice a year.

Statistics can be made to look positive depending on how you compile it but i guess your mind is already made up. {like the NY Resident who argued with me till he was blue in the face that the USD was stronger than the GBP, he even had a "Book Of Facts" to back him up} Faced with such "facts", i had to aquiesce even though i change money almost every week and knew at the time 1 GBP was worth 1.76 USD

Wonder why you never got back to me on the cost of USA Manufactured Drugs to USA residents V Rest of the world ?

I await your response.

BTW: The stats shown over here in Europe is that the USA has higher than average mortality rates in areas like Child Birth,Infant Death, Diabetes. A 2006 study stated that the USA came in second only to Latvia in the area of Infant Mortality.

@joe

OTTAWA (Reuters) November 25, 2010 - Canada's budget deficit in September fell to C$3.92 billion ($3.84 billion) from C$4.97 billion a year earlier on stronger revenues, the department of finance said on Friday.

Revenues were up 13.1 percent to C$17.31 billion from September 2009 while expenses increased by just 3.1 percent.

In the first six months of the current fiscal year, April to September, the budget deficit dropped to C$17.44 billion. This compared to a shortfall of C$28.64 billion in the same year-ago period.

@Speedingticket

"Statistics can be made to look positive depending on how you compile it but i guess your mind is already made up. {like the NY Resident who argued with me till he was blue in the face that the USD was stronger than the GBP, he even had a "Book Of Facts" to back him up} Faced with such "facts", i had to aquiesce even though i change money almost every week and knew at the time 1 GBP was worth 1.76 USD"

Les not get into economics and the dollar. There is no denying that the conversion rate for the the Sterling is more than the Dollar. This means nothing.

"Wonder why you never got back to me on the cost of USA Manufactured Drugs to USA residents V Rest of the world ?

I await your response."

Are you being fececious or serious? This is a sour subject for me but here goes.
Let me just say that I pay 5 dollars for all of my prescription drugs, if needed.

Lets just say market dynamics in Europe and Canada, and others that are not free, keep prices down artificially. Simple market principles, if drug x costs 8 billion dollars to research and create, you must amortize the cost of the research and on going studies into the current drug costs. If you have a socialist government mandating that drug x can only cost y amount of dollars(or pounds), then how will these drug companies pay for the cost of RD, production, facilities etc.? May you suggest they go bankrupt? No, then how will you keep your Infant Mortality rates so low.? Lol j/k.... Ah, well they make it up somewhere else, namely in the USA.

All-in-all, simple market dynamics. I hope this is not news to you???


"BTW: The stats shown over here in Europe is that the USA has higher than average mortality rates in areas like Child Birth,Infant Death, Diabetes. A 2006 study stated that the USA came in second only to Latvia in the area of Infant Mortality."

I did my thesis on infant mortality 15 years ago. Europeans definition of "live birth" vary greatly from that in the US. I won't get into specifics since this board has been hijacked by us, but it artificially lowers "birth numbers" and raises infant mortality rates. This was a controversy for decades and continues today. As you said, there are lies, damned lies and statistics.

In the Seattle area we've been over $3 for many months, maybe even back to last year. Can't quite remember. Regular is around $3.15 and premium around $3.40. I've seen diesel anywhere from $3.35 to 3.65 for over a month.

009 get your shit together. Your way late to the ballgame.Or should you have said $4 instead of $3.What a waste of space.

BTW, the agent is referring to the NATIONAL AVERAGE PRICE of gas.

This is still 2.95 according to AAA.