Why Isn't Gas An Issue In This Election?

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 03:45 AM

Okay so what’s wrong with this picture?

The price of gas in Texas , that’s where the hurricane hit the hardest, is $4.30 an imperial gallon, that’s the same measurement that we use in Canada.

Now let’s see Los Angeles, that’s where Arnold is trying to reduce the amount of fossil fuels being used and BC got the idea to add the carbon tax from… HMMM. $4.30 a gallon.

How about Las Vegas , right in the middle of nowhere they have to truck their gas in from all over the world, $4.18 a gallon you say… well considering that we pull the stuff out of the ground here in BC , send it along the pipe to PG where it gets refined and then it’s offered for sale here.. Gee Whiz… only $6.59 a gallon, but that’s a way down from a couple of days ago when it was $6.73 a gallon.

I’m using the gallon measurement for a means of comparison and also using our Imperial gallon to make a proper comparison.

Now let’s look further, it was the hurricane that caused that spike in the prices now wasn’t it. Well that’s what we were told. Oh did I forget the average price per liter here in PG is 147.9 the average in Canada is $1.40? Oh I must have forgotten that we have a refinery here that’s why its more expensive.

Now if that shouldn’t be an election issue then what is?

We are being ripped off and we as Canadians are sitting back and taking it. Now the politicians are saying well we had an inquiry and there wasn’t price fixing. Just happens that in every single city (including ours) gas stations all have the same price .

If we don’t start hammering on the political parties this one will go down as the biggest rip off of the century and the government was a party to it, standing back and watching it happen.

If the government of the day doesn’t want us to use so much fuel, then come clean. If you’re looking for alternate sources of energy then do it, of course knowing full well that the major gas companies are buying up any new energy source that is being discovered and we may get a new source, but with it will come the same old gouging.

We need a wakeup call in Canada, but for the love of me, every political party has been sitting on their prats reluctant to make this an issue, and you wonder why.

I’m Meisner and that’s one man’s opinion.

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Posted on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 03:45 AM in Views by Ben Meisner

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Comments

Posted by: zoom on September 17 2008 8:28 AM

How much tax (federal and provincial) do we pay on a gallon? That might make up some of the spread. The currency difference might make up some of the spread. And not every single city has 'the same prices' I have noticed in Vancouver, that prices do vary slightly at certain times, I have also noticed in PG the prices are different. $1.44 at some and $1.39 at some others.

Posted by: lostfaith on September 17 2008 8:56 AM

Thats right Zoom defend the thieves.
We all appreciate your help.
Keep up the good work.
Running for office perchance?

Posted by: zoom on September 17 2008 10:01 AM

Not defending the thieves, just pointing out the differences when comparing US to Canada..Like comparing apples to oranges. And maybe one of the thieves would be the government and the large amount of tax/gallon. Why the heck would I run for office, to inefficient for my liking and I would probably end up beating someone.

Posted by: Shellshadow on September 17 2008 10:26 AM

Canada needs to STOP putting all OUR oil on the world market. Take care of the CANADIAN PEOPLE first. Only the surplus should be shared. END OF STORY!!!!!!! This oil gauging is creating the downfall of things as we know it. It is absolutely ridiculous that our government officials are sitting back allowing this sort of thing. I am so disapointed in the people who we pay to look after us, they are the ones destroying everything good in life. All they are is puppets that non-Canadians can buy by a flick of their finger. They have turned their backs on the people and Canada. Get ready my friends because things will get much worse for a lot of people. Many of us will join the the ever increasing list of the poor!

Posted by: lostfaith on September 17 2008 1:06 PM

Doing a way with the middle class has been a major part of the Canadian Govt and their corporate buddies agendas for years.
Slowly but surely we are moving towards two classes of citizen in this country.
The rich and the poor.

Unless of course we the people do something about it.

Posted by: Elsies DAD on September 17 2008 1:41 PM

GW Harper ain't gonna do a thing now is he.All the oil-gas from the sands now where do you think all of it is going to feed the greedy buggers south of the border.We send it raw, we buy the refined product back COOL EH!! Maybe about time to redo this NAFTA in our favour this time,if they [yanks] do not like it then let em go to Mexico.See what they say.Next Quarter profits should be coming soon,bet they made $60 billion not bad EH.All the while we are being squeezed,again Gw Harper just remember when you go to the polls.If he get a majority LOOK out.Dangerous.......Lets boycott Esso time to wake up.

Posted by: meisner on September 17 2008 2:22 PM

As a foot note in BC the total taxes both provincial and federal adds up to 176.16 cents an Imperial gallon, which makes the fuel in Texas per Imperial Gallon 60 cents less or 13.18 cents a liter cheaper than in Prince George.
Vancouver pays an extra 6 cents a liter for transit tax.

Posted by: NMG on September 17 2008 9:00 PM

Gas has been going up in price ever since I started driving and I suspect that has been the same trend that everyone has seen. Why then, when that trend continues, is it such a shock to people?

Want to do something that will have an IMMEDIATE impact on how much you are paying for gas? Don't use as much . . .

Posted by: zoom on September 18 2008 6:40 AM

Thanks Ben for digging up the taxes we pay in Canada/BC for gasoline. It reinforced that the government is the theif in this case. While the oil co's are making huge profits, they are also contributing more to the tax pool with the income taxes they pay (yes,they do pay taxes), the taxes all their well paid employee's make, as well as the royalties they pay. The total revenue from 'all' sources of oil is staggering. While I dislike paying $100+ to fill up my gas guzzling, carbon puking truck, I would suggest the revenue the government is making helps pay for our healthcare,education and welfare systems.

Posted by: zoom on September 18 2008 7:06 AM

as a footnote the 13.18 cents per litre spread between here in Texas may simply be a currency issue. So in reality the biigest difference is taxation...welcome to Canada

Posted by: taxinapothole on September 18 2008 7:11 AM

zoom, you are in a dead zone, don't support the thieves!! buy your last tank of gas, and run, run for the hills, because attitudes like yours are the problem!! Go to the hills, and live like the bushman, in the dark ages!! You, and people like you, that think this way, well, may I say any more!! Lost souls!!

Ben, you do a fine job of exposing these sorts of things, but we need a society, that has enough b--ls to stand up, and say........we have had enough!!

CIVIL DISOBEDIENTS!!! We can't wait for the next election, so they can say what they please to get elected, then do what they want, when they get in!!

Bad government should be challenged now, not at election time. I say, shut this country down now, today!! They have a sale on rope at Home Hardware!! Hang 'em high!!
This is our money, and I have had enough of the BS.

Posted by: zoom on September 18 2008 8:45 AM

taxi, please enlighten me as to where I am wrong. $1.76/gallon in taxes is huge, not to mention the taxes, royalties big oil pay. These go directly to government coffers to pay for the services we all have. And I do agree that it should be an election issue,and these taxes should be evaluated. Remember however less tax revenue means less money for the services we have. How do you propose these services are paid?

Posted by: govsux on September 18 2008 9:02 AM

If we axe the taxes, will big oil just charge more? They know the market will pay.

Posted by: zoom on September 18 2008 9:18 AM

good question govsux. Which is the less of two 'evils', corporate profit or gov.mismanagement. I'll take corporate profit since we can see the carnage in the US with corporate failure