At what point will they STOP saying,"but compared to gas prices in1981..."

[Up2Late]

That REALLY Pisses me off. :mad:



I mean, What's It Going to take?

For them to finally say, "You know what, these Gas Prices Really Suck!"

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

1. When Those Prices Seem Low With Inflation Factored In n/t

[Richardo]

2. I've heard the inflation adjusted number is $3.04

So part of the country is there and beyond.

They can retire that one.

[ThoughtCriminal]

3. When are they going to

Remember that the economy sucked in 1981 too? Like the high price of gas was a good thing then?

[mcctatas]

4. As soon as they figure out a way to blame today's gas prices on

Bill Clinton or France.

[Bluebear]

5. "Nasal spray is $39.20 a gallon, by comparison"

:crazy:

[Broken_Hero]

8. Yeah no doubt.

Freepers always responded to me by saying, well milk per gallon is still more expensive, and i'm like...NOT now you idiots. Yesterday i paid 2.53 a gal for gas....milk at walmart in Neosho Missouri is 2.45 cents...so, freepers, please lay off the milk...:)

But still the strong supporters of bush, say its not his fault, and this and that...but who's fault is it? I say its the presidents, he is the most powerful man on the planet (heaven forbid) and freepers tell me its not within his power to fix, or alleviate some of the pirces at the pump? I believe he could, but he isn't...that just goes to show you what kind of a man Bush is, he is a greedy little man, who only thinks about himself...and people like this man, it almost makes me sick. At least some people on the RW are waking up to this though, but its sad it had to be a jolt to the pocket book to make them think, or question Bush.....laterz.

[Amonester]

9. Freepers don't pay for milk, gas, or anything...

Their mommy does that for them while they ramble in the basement... disassembling instead of enlisting (as they should). B-)

[Up2Late]

14. Oh the "Gallon of Milk comparison really Chaps my...

I'd love to tell someone who used that one on me, "Well, the Last time I checked, I didn't have to buy 20 Gallons of Milk every week, JUST to Get to WORK (and Back)!

And Yes, He could do something if he wanted to.

If you go back and check the last few years that Clinton was President, He called the Oil Company CEO's on to the carpet (and sometimes to testify before Congress) when ever Oil and Gasoline Prices Changed a bunch for no apparent reason.

Often, it was because the Republicans in Congress started screaming and yelling and accusing him of NOT doing anything to fix things.:eyes:

[MercutioATC]

6. It's a valid comparison. Gas prices ARE lower than they were in 1981.

If we had the same relative prices now that they did in 1981, gas would be over $3/gallon. Both prices suck, but gas WAS more expensive in 1981 than it is now.

[Skittles]

11. WHO GIVES A SHIT WHAT GAS COST IN 1981???????????

it's just propaganda bullshit

[MercutioATC]

16. It's not just propaganda.

Historical prices are a valid benchmark.

Perhaps a MORE valid benchmark would be what we pay for gas in relation to the rest of the world.

By either standard, we have been consuming vast quantities of very cheap gas for decades. It's still cheap at nearly $3.00/gallon.

[Skittles]

19. what we pay compare to the rest of the world doesn't mean SH**

I have lived in England and America - when I lived in England yes I paid more for gas but I did not spend thousands a year on my teeth or health insurance either. The point is while there is factual info to be had, the press touts them for PROPAGANDA PURPOSES ONLY

[area51]

28. "... in relation to the rest of the world."

I think in the countries you refer to, people there actually have universal healthcare, which is a huge factor in saving money. (Which I believe Skittles already mentioned.) Also, they probably actually have amazing things like decent-paying jobs, a decent mass-transit system, & lots of vacation time.

[Up2Late]

30. I'd like to add to what you said in that, a LOT of the Higher Price in...

the EU or England, a LARGE part of the higher price is Gasoline (Petrol) Taxes, which go to, among other things, maintaining the Roads and Highways which, by comparison are MUCH better.

One thing I've noticed when comparing the Highways in Southern France to the Metro Atlanta roads (which are fairly good by U.S. standards) that if you try to go 130KPH (81MPH), you almost lose control of your Car when crossing highway bridges.

At the same speed in S. France (which is the Highway posted speed limit, you rarely even notice the bridges or even how fast you are going. Even 110 KPH (68 MPH) can be a rough ride here to.

[kestrel91316]

15. Funny, but I have no memory of "high gas prices" in the early 80s,

and I was a frigging poverty-stricken graduate student then. Gas wasn't high enough for me to take notice then - why is it now??

Factoring in inflation? What a crock. I question their numbers.

[MercutioATC]

17. You don't? The average pump price was $1.42.

That was quite high for 1981.


The median family income in 1981 was $22,390.

The median family income in 2004 was $57,500.
That's 2.5681 times the 1981 median income.

Multiply the 1981 pump price of gas ($1.42) by 2.5681.

The result? $3.65/gallon.

[LostinVA]

27. It is NOT a valid comparison -- because we earn MUCH less

Now than we did in 1981. Understand? We literally have LOST real and adjusted wages (and jobs)since 1981, while housing, taxes, and everything else has went through the roof, even when adjusted for inflation, etc. So, that is not valid.

[kentuck]

7. It's a false comparison....

Because most people's wages have not kept up with prices and inflation so they are paying more because they have less than they had in 1981...

[Penguin31]

10. "In today's money...."

I'm quite fed up with those words. Sure, they calculate the price of gas back in 1981 into 2005-money, but did any of the yammering heads ever stop to...I don't know...calculate the national minimum wage in 1981, in terms of 2005 money?

I did. $3.35 minimum wage in 1981-Money = $7.50 in 2005-Money.

[Up2Late]

12. Good Point!

But don't EVEN get me started on that subject.:evilfrown:

[SofaKingLiberal]

13. You are all thinking about this the wrong way

Oil has been referred to as black gold, but real gold cost about $443 per oz.
A barrel of oil is about 420 pounds, that's 6,720 ounces. If oil cost as much as gold it would cost
$2,976,960 for a barrel. Right now it's about $68!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So what's all the fuss about? :shrug:



Edit - :sarcasm:

[NoPasaran]

23. Damn!

Now I'll never find an investor for my gold-powered automobile technology!

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

25. Heh, nice username, LOL.

[rman]

18. they will stop saying that when oil passes $95/barrel next year

[radfringe]

20. when winter comes

and cost of heating the house has doubled from last year or when a gallon of gas costs more than a gallon of milk...

we've all heard that comparison before -- and as I told a co-worker who sputtered that a gallon of milk cost more than a gallon of gas -- "I use about a gallon of milk a week -- if I could run my car on a gallon of milk a week then there would be no complaints. But alas, my car is lactose intolerant..."

[charlie]

21. "Do you want to go back to the Carter Years?"

Conservatives and the media used that incessantly to excuse whatever Reagan was up to. They got years of mileage out of it.

So... do you want to go back to the Carter Years?

You have no choice. Chimpboy and the idiot Republican Congress are taking us there at top speed.

[B Calm]

22. My employer gave us decent wages when Carter was in!

[NoPasaran]

24. WIthout a second thought!

If we could go back to the way this country was before Reagan inaugurated the GOP's destruction of our civil society I'd even drink Billy :puke: Beer!

[Crankie Avalon]

26. "When will they stop saying it?" You really want to know? My guess...

...they'll stop as soon as a rightwing Republican puppet of corporate special interests is no longer president.

Till then, they'll ALWAYS put forward rationale after rationale for why ordinary people (i.e., "suckers") shouldn't be discontented.

I'm suprised you didn't already know that (or maybe you did and were just being rhetorical?).

[Up2Late]

31. Yes, that's pretty much the answer I came up with too, I just wanted to...

...hear a few more opinions on this. A some of it was Venting for me and for others here.

Some times it helps keep things from boiling over.

[Vinca]

29. It might be a fair comparison for gasoline, but

it fails to account for the rises in price of everything else. Back then you could go to the doctor for $10. Overall, having lived through the previous era, this is much harder on the budget.