Re: Gas prices aren't dropping

You don't know how lucky you are! Thanks to our govts ridiculous fuel taxation policy (>80% tax), here in the UK we currently pay approx 84p per litre. At current exchange rates that works out at $5.83 per US gallon (3.78 litres), or for a UK gallon (4.54 litres) that's $7.02!

Exactly!

Prices in the US have never been more than half (usually less) than in western European countries and they still moan. I suppose it's relative. A

10% rise feels painful even if it's from a low level.

In fact, despite recent increases I am not sure that UK prices are at their historic highs in real terms. Plus cars have become cheaper (in real terms).

DAS

The 'ridiculous fuel taxation policy' doesn't seem to affect car usage which continues to rise, so people can obviously afford it. Or do you think every journey is a matter of life and death? Say you did lower the fuel tax levels significantly. Which services would you wish to see cut, or how would you prefer to pay the same overall amount?

Interesting comment. For Americans we should consider all the services we are not provided by our government...reliable retirement, medical for all, western world standard school systems, colleges with low enough tuitions as to be accessable by all.... because we heavily fund the military establishment that is supposed to strike fear into the oil country dictators and royalty who in turn provide oil in amounts and at rates that keep our prices relatively low.

Personally I'd rather pay high gas prices and instead have medical for all,

1st class primary and secondary education, as well as college tuitions that the average wage earner in the US could actually afford without mortgaging their futures.

Trouble is the UK is moving further away from 'state' funded services. University education is now mainly paid for by the student in the form of loans. Some health care is still 'free' - mainly the serious stuff. But much routine work like dentistry, spectacles and eye testing, has in the main got to be paid for fully.

So, in the UK, we have the probably the most expensive fuel in the world, high taxation rates and shoddy public services to show for our money. Marvellous!

"Dave Plowman (News)" haute in die Tasten:

It is the same in Germany: The cost for retirement, health insurance and social secutity are paid by employers and employees at 50% each. Currently these cost eat up

40% of my salary. As the population is growing older and older (less new babies, more retired persons), the workforce becomes smaller. Besides that we have an unemployment problem, which especially affects elder people. The employers have always demanded to lower the cost for social security in order to make work cheaper (and their profits higher). So currently more and more services are cut back in order to lower the funding. This would be useful for the employers, but not so useful for the employees, which are earning slightly moe but have to pay now for many things which were free in former times. Currently there is no politician visible, who has a convincing answer for that problem. Raising gas tax is a very common way to get more tax money - however it is very unpopular. And our secretary for enviromental affairs sounded quite proud, when he issued the information that gas consumption in Germany has decreased by 3% in the last year. I doubt that there really was a decrease, but many people who live near the border travel to one of our neighbour countries to fill up the tank (and buy a carton of lower taxed cigarettes). If you can save up to 15 bucks with one tank refill, how far would you be willing to travel for that?

Frank

Frank

But the rich are doing very nicely thank you. And that's what you voted for.

Don't care. Example:my oldest daughter went to Denison University which cost me an average of $ 32,000.00 per year. She is now doing her graduate work at Boston University which runs about $ 40,000.00 per year. I can manage this, but at costs that high most in this country cannot. By contrast a friend of mine's daughter did her grad work at Kings College in London and he paid $

10,000.00 US...not for two semesters but for an entire year. There is simply no comparison between education cost for our two countries. And we should be better able to provide for our people than Britain for thiers.

Dave, you'd have to understand the costs for the average American in terms of medical, dental and optical along with other costs here to understand just how beaten down the middle class of our country truly is. If you are poor or rich here you get equally good medical coverage, but if you are middle class you probably have a very very difficult time providing any of these coverage's for your family and self if it is not provided by your employer.

"Ramone Cila" wrote

You're talking purely private schools, here. FYI, tuition at public universities in the US (well, west coast/mountain/midwest) runs around $11-12K per year, which includes housing. Also FYI, most universities *PAY* graduate students. IMHO, you've been ripped off for an education that is, while more prestigious, is no better in real terms than better public institutions.

Floyd

My God, what a dolt you must be. You aren't even aware of the area of study or the programs offered by the schools in question, but you know for certain it can be equaled by any "better" public university for far less money. I find it hard to believe you think there is reason in a baseless comment.

By the way, you would be very hard pressed to find anyone willing to opine that Denison, which I doubt you know ***anything about***, and Boston U, of which you likely know only slightly more, are "prestigious" universities (apparently it is you who equates expense with prestige). But they do happen to be among the best universities for the field of study my daughter is pursuing, and none of the others are public schools.

It is for that reason your assertion above is indefensible. Basically, it's just stupid. And "IMHO" feeling insignificant isn't an excuse for speaking like a nitwit.

But back to the issue at hand: while tuitions at British universities vary greatly by school as well as band, the fees one pays at a meddlin' US public school will equal, and often exceed, those required at a top line institution in England.

"Ramone Cila" wrote

It seems like this is a touchy subject to you. My comments seem to have hit a nerve: unlikely unless I'm right. In any case, the main thrust of my comment that compares US and UK costs, remains and disproves your assertion. Sorry, you're the dolt.

Floyd

I have been following your OT discussion and have a few comments to add:

In my opinion anyone who spends $130k for an undergraduate degree is a fool. Yes, the total tuition and expenses at a private school can add up that high on paper, but the vast majority of students attending private schools in the US get grants and/or scholarships that reduce the bill significantly. If you actually paid that much for your daughter's college out of pocket then I feel bad for you, because as the other poster said, you got ripped off.

Please, tell us what program she was studying at Dennison that she could not have found at a less expensive school and then still managed to get into the graduate program she needed?

-Fred W

What you call a fool, I call a person who is responsible to his situation.

Some people won't qualify for any assistence whatsoever Fred. I happen to fall into that group. And some people, even though they can easily pay the costs, still grub for assistence that would help those truly in need. But you see the issue for me is not what I spend, but that the costs have become too high for many others.

Of course I didn't get ripped off. Please think in context. Not every single person in the country who can afford the bill is competing against those who can't, for the same assistence money. It was a concious effort on our part to decline any opportunity to gather cost assistence. And I will do it with my next daughter as well.

If you think the choice is being ripped off or taking money away from the pool that would help others in a lesser position than me.......then you are the fool.

To what end? Neither you or Floyd seem capable of thinking outside your own little box of experience. My personal belief is that people who can afford our high tuition costs, yet compete for the money that would really help those who cannot, are greedy shitheads.

The answer is greater access to college for everybody and that is attained by lowering net costs.

"Ramone Cila" wrote

To us, you're the one not thinking out of the box. FYI, my wife and I have donated scholarships to dis-advantaged and minority students. I daresay our means is greater than yours, but still find public schools (of all grade levels, including college) more than adequate. My sons could have gone anywhere, but chose public (out of state). I'm sorry if you are offended, but I personally see aspects of the private school industry (exclusive of the prestige/elitest aspects) as part of problem, with education and it's funding.

Both public and private, I would agree.

Floyd

So someone mentions gas prices, and a few folks decide that's a chance to go off on geo-political ranting.

Take a look at the name of the group(s) you're posting in if you need a refresher on the topic at hand, folks. Sheesh.

~~R.Banks

Oh look....his pussy hurts.

Trolling.... trolling.... trolling....