Big oil gets tax breaks-do you? I don't know about the rest of R65 people, but I am retired with social security and a small pension. I do not make over $250,000.00 a year. These people also get tax breaks and pay a lower percentage than middle class working people.
The first time I went to Canada, thought it was wonderful gas was less than $.50 a gallon until I topped off the R65 for about $10.00 and realized they sell by the liter. At the time I was happy, the US did not have $2.00 gas.
My income increased over the years, but I gained more skills and produced more technical work. When as a young person, I cut grass for $.75 an hour-about three gallons of gas. Today that would be $12.00 and hour. I don't cut grass for a living any more. Actually, I don't do anything for a living anymore. When I last held a public job, I made more than $12.00 an hour, so my income exceeded gas price increases, but again, I had skills to do more than cut grass.
Banks are being forced to give decreased interest rates for those home buyers having difficulty with payments. Why not make the same requirement of oil companies? I can already hear the screaming from a certain political group.
If I want to play, I will pay. Seriously, gas prices have made a major impact on plans for a summer trip. I once traveled for about $25.00 per day by myself and only a little more with my daughter. My wife and I looked at pricing for a summer trip and even with a lot less miles per day, we are looking at $150.00 per day. Make a 60 day trip, taking time to ride two lanes and see sights and a $9,000.00 vacation is reality. For the first time, in my life, there is not a clock ticking from the time I leave home until I return. There is no job to return to Sunday night at 2300 or Monday at 0700. Now, however, the money is not there for this trip.
Enough of this rambling, I hope we are able to make at least a short trip before the weather gets hot.
Bob
