Comments on: Gas Prices Get Political http://dancody.org/archives/gas-prices-get-political.html Progressive commentary & Wisconsin politics by Daniel Cody of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Wed, 20 Aug 2008 06:54:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: JB Baby http://dancody.org/archives/gas-prices-get-political.html#comment-2552 JB Baby Sat, 29 Apr 2006 19:57:27 +0000 http://dancody.org/wordpress/?p=876#comment-2552 I managed a boycott of my own last week. I sold my Triumph and bought a little Buell. Sure, nowhere near as sexy, but at 70+ MPG it'll cut back my gas consumption more than half. Now, if the rest of the county could ditch the full-size SUV... I managed a boycott of my own last week. I sold my Triumph and bought a little Buell. Sure, nowhere near as sexy, but at 70+ MPG it’ll cut back my gas consumption more than half. Now, if the rest of the county could ditch the full-size SUV…

]]> By: Scott http://dancody.org/archives/gas-prices-get-political.html#comment-2551 Scott Sat, 29 Apr 2006 17:10:38 +0000 http://dancody.org/wordpress/?p=876#comment-2551 Boycotting gas stations will sure do wonders. That'll show big oil - we don't need to travel on a weekend to see our families and friends. And that three days of lost revenue will sink them! For a boycott to be effective, it's going to have to go more than a few days. And that will never happen. Imagine those hour-long commutes, except now you're biking it... whew! You can possibly send a message doing this, but there's not a great chance it'll be heard or make any difference. I'm not sure what this will prove to Big Brother, though. Maybe that he won't get to watch us buy gas for three days. Boycotting gas stations will sure do wonders. That’ll show big oil - we don’t need to travel on a weekend to see our families and friends. And that three days of lost revenue will sink them!

For a boycott to be effective, it’s going to have to go more than a few days. And that will never happen. Imagine those hour-long commutes, except now you’re biking it… whew! You can possibly send a message doing this, but there’s not a great chance it’ll be heard or make any difference.

I’m not sure what this will prove to Big Brother, though. Maybe that he won’t get to watch us buy gas for three days.

]]> By: Last Laugh http://dancody.org/archives/gas-prices-get-political.html#comment-2550 Last Laugh Sat, 29 Apr 2006 02:39:08 +0000 http://dancody.org/wordpress/?p=876#comment-2550 BOYCOTT MAY 5,6,& 7 DON'T BUY ANY GAS What better day to start the Boycott than Cinco de Mayo. Let's send Big Brother and Big Oil both a message. BOYCOTT MAY 5,6,& 7 DON’T BUY ANY GAS
What better day to start the Boycott than Cinco de Mayo.
Let’s send Big Brother and Big Oil both a message.

]]> By: Bruno Wolff III http://dancody.org/archives/gas-prices-get-political.html#comment-2549 Bruno Wolff III Fri, 28 Apr 2006 19:39:56 +0000 http://dancody.org/wordpress/?p=876#comment-2549 The problem with high gas prices is more political than real. It is a very visible issue so politicians like to look like they are doing something to help their constituents. The amortized purchase price and maintenance (and insurance) together are comparable to the cost of gas. On a side note, if one wants to encourage people to use public transportation or purchase cars with better miles per gallon performance, letting gas prices go higher is a way to accomplish this. What probably does deserve some consideration is whether or not there was any illegal collusion involved with the increase in prices. Just having prices raise is not a strong indication of this, since in the short run, gasoline usage is fairly inelastic and there is significant lag time in adjusting production on the supply side. So it isn't surprising that Katrina could have caused a large spike in retail prices. The problem with high gas prices is more political than real. It is a very visible issue so politicians like to look like they are doing something to help their constituents. The amortized purchase price and maintenance (and insurance) together are comparable to the cost of gas.

On a side note, if one wants to encourage people to use public transportation or purchase cars with better miles per gallon performance, letting gas prices go higher is a way to accomplish this.

What probably does deserve some consideration is whether or not there was any illegal collusion involved with the increase in prices. Just having prices raise is not a strong indication of this, since in the short run, gasoline usage is fairly inelastic and there is significant lag time in adjusting production on the supply side. So it isn’t surprising that Katrina could have caused a large spike in retail prices.

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