Affordable gas crucial to survival

President Obama has a lot to say on the importance of education in keeping our nation competitive and strong. I agree. But as a mother of two who must drive more than 100 miles a trip to pursue my college degree, I wish the president had more to say on keeping gas affordable.

It’s difficult enough to stay afloat financially today, but if the cost of gas rises to the levels of last summer, I may have to interrupt my studies and put on hold hopes of leveraging my degree to get a better job. For me and for others who must drive extensively for school or business, it’ll be hard to get ahead if fuel prices rise again.

Affordable gas is not simply a convenience issue. For many of us who are struggling to build a better future in tough times, it’s become a survival issue.

Emily Harvey
Ottawa, Kan.

Comments

[Wilson]

Every response here deals with the availibility of oil or the next energy source with interest in maintaining our extremely energy ineffecient and dangerous lifestyles. I look forward to the day when the personal car is no longer an absolute requirement for transportation in most American cities. 40,000 lives per year, pollution concerns rather you believe in global warming or not, and declining resources suggests there has to be a better way. And there is.

Most of the rest of the world does well living in much denser environments than we do in the US. Density is better served by public transportation than suburban wastefulness. All the electric cars in the world will not solve our energy problems but an evolution towards denser residential and meaningful public transportation actually will.

[NoMoreMrNiceGuy]

Emily define affordable? What is affordable? Based on what metric?
Just like affordable housing. What is affordable? Homeowners want rising "value" but affordable. How does this work?
Explain this.
I want affordable taxation.

[NoMoreMrNiceGuy]

Emily it is obvious you have flinked basic mathematics. Over 90% of the nation STILL pays their bills and stays employed.
There are plenty of jobs available, it is not my fault or anyone elses fault if someone does not posses the skill set that is in demand. Is everyone supposed to work for the government? What about all the short term bridge repair or road repair jobs? The single mom should have considered her position before the gratification sessions.
It is not a crisis as much as it is a correction. So you think higher taxes and more frivolous spending on foodstamos and pork programs and projects will create jobs?
We do need to reduce consumption as does China, India, South America, etc. We do not control the world. So many of the enviro ignorant fail to understand that gasoline is not the only product that is in demand and consumed. There are another a plethora of other petro based products that we consume, many of which YOU Emily, soncume without any regard to the affect on consumption. YOu are as much of a hypocrite as anyone else. I am not a Republican and certainly not a socialist whiner like yourself. Grow a pair, get a job or two ro three, whatever it takes. or do you need Uncle Obama to hold your hand and pay your way because you are too weak to stand on your own? By the way demand is decreasing.

http://www.api.org/Newsroom/us_oil_demand_feb09.cfm

[KC Educator]

I had posted this on a diffent topic, but it seems appropriate here also.

The reason why there is concern about the world wide demand for electricity is because almost 100% of electricity is generated through burning fossil fuels, which is a finite energy source. Some will say that we have already hit peak production of fossil fuel. If that is true, production will only go down as demand rises, making energy virtually unaffordable. T. Boone Pickens has said it very well. "We can't drill our way out of this crisis." Renewables are the bridges to augment the remaining supplies of fossil fuel until we can find a more sustainable source of energy that is safe to use. We use more of the current supplies of fossil fuels than any other country. We need a national energy policy that looks to the future. If we can reduce demand of fossil fuels, we can lengthen the supplies and keep the costs of coal and oil low until we develop a better source of energy. If we don’t act now, we won't be able to afford it later.

[Marctnts]

"We in the US have ZERO control over it."

"The only way to reduce the cost of oil and gas is to reduce the demand."

Kee's "drill and it will all be better" arguments are nuts, I think most of us agree on that. I do, however, think that the government does (or will try to) have more control over the price of fuel than many want to acknowledge. Not raw oil prices, but rather the price of the delivered product through taxation. Right now, Kansans pay $0.424/ga in taxes ($0.184 federal and $0.24 state) and Missourians pay $0.354/ga in taxes ($0.184 federal and $0.17 state).

I think that once the economic crises calms down a little, we'll start to see proposals to greatly increase the tax on a gallon of gas in order to artificially curb consumption.

[KC Educator]

NoMoreMrNiceGuy,

The really sad thing is that you don't consider that over 16,000,000 people being out of work and unable to support their families as being a crisis. You don't care that over 20,000,000 people are struggling to provide shelter for their families. And you think that a woman who is trying to improve her situation is pathetic. This is a true endorsement of compassionate conservatism.

[solomon]

(El Mon)"Kee, I guess I'll have to keep repeating this until you get it."- v-v

...here lies madness...

[viet-vet1970]

Kee I guess I'll have to keep repeating this until you get it. Developing "our own oil reserves" will not affect the price of crude oil or gasoline.

Why? Because the U.S. has 2 percent of the world's undeveloped oil reserves. Even if ALL untapped U.S. sources were tapped it would not affect prices.

Even if by some miracle U.S. oil reserves were doubled, or TRIPLED, there would be no net effect on oil or gasoline prices.

In the battle of supply vs. demand the U.S. has much of the demand and very little supply. That's a fact of life that will not go away no matter how often you chant "DRILL, DRILL, DRILL."

The only way to reduce the cost of oil and gas is to reduce the demand.

[NoMoreMrNiceGuy]

Obviously Emily is not an economics or energy science major. The President does not control the costs of gasoline. Maybe Emily should write Obama and ask him to get Congress to repeal the largest profit from a gallon of gas, tax. Then she can also help contribute by not urchasing petroleum based products. Why are you not taking online classes Emily? Why do you have two kids if you can not afford them? Why don't you move closer to your school? Why NOT get a better job? Sorry Emily, you sound like the consumate whining single mom.
Tough times? The employment rate is 92% and more than 90% of homewoners pay their mortgages.
Hope you do not score a 90% or better on your academics, that would be considered a crisis and failure.

[Kee]

OMG sacriledge, how dare you Emily question the price of gasoline and "know-it-alls" who dare to tell your where you can drive, when you can drive, and what car you must drive!

Where the hell do you think you are Amercica?

The next thing you know Em, you might suggest (gasp) developing our own oil reserves offshore and in the Artic!

Can you imagine!

[rjr]

Emily,
10 years ago I wanted to move my family out south in JoCo. And then I did the math.
What kind of car do you own ? Do you live on a bus route? Have car-pool friends ?
Did you look at the mpg of your current vehicle when you bought it ?

Those were some of the choices we decided that we wanted to be able to take advantage of and not spend an hour or two a day driving to/from work in downtown KC.
I'm 15 houses away from a bus route, have co-workers nearby, drive a bio-diesel fueled car that gets 35-40mpg.

The affordable gas you talk about ...We in the US have ZERO control over it. You should ask your car dealers where the hybrid/diesel/plug-in vehicles are.

[whispering_to_kc]

Here ...

http://www.ottawa.edu/

I wonder how long Emily's been driving to Emporia/Topeka/Lawrence/KC thinking there were no schools at home.

You're welcome.