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Originally Posted by DavidMn
So I'm watching CNBC this morning and this fellow was on there blabbering how oil will be over $100 by 2007 saying it's the end, Armageddon, Blah Blah Blah. I've read more intelligent people than myself (there are alot of those  ) say it's bad in that the economy will go in the toilet and some others say it's good because people will have to change their habits. I guess I tend to fall in the latter camp. But what the hell do I know? |
Is it good that people are changing their habits? Of course it is- but it's BAD that it's happening so quickly. Gas prices have tripled over the last ten years and my disposable income has certainly NOT. The price hike has come too fast to do anything but harm consumers- if it was more of a gradual change, with people given more time and more options to come up with solutions to lower gas consumption and save money, it'd be fine.
Most people don't live in areas where public transportation is accessible or a viable option. In order to change their gas consumption, their lives have to be uprooted- move to an area closer to your job or school or find a job or school that's closer to your home, buy a new vehicle that's more efficient, cut down on things like extracurricular activities for you or your kids, etc. This isn't something that can be done overnight by ANYBODY, and no one's paycheck is being doubled overnight either. Change is good- but it needs to be gradual, not these steep overnight hikes.
In an ideal world, I'd live in the city of Chicago again, where I could efficiently get around via the excellent CTA to whatever job, school, errand, etc. I need to get to. But I can't- I cannot afford the higher housing costs, the higher taxes (property, sales tax, etc), the high city fees (parking, vehicle stickers, even pet licenses are out of control), the more expensive goods, and the $8.00 a day in CTA fees to get to my suburban job. It all balances out. Cheaper places to live, more money on gas. More expensive places to live, less money on gas. Etc.