Price to fill a Cadillac Escalade with Premium in Elgin, IL $83.17

[benburch]

That would be for an EMPTY 26 gallon tank, but I just got back from the 7-11/Citgo for some milk, and saw one that rang up $79.50!

They did not look happy.

They had a W-04 sticker, and a camouflage-colored "Support Our Troops" ribbon-magnet.

Suckers.

[wryter2000]

1. Couldn't happen to better people

Maybe they should ask their guy in the White House to do something for them.

[barb162]

50. hope they really enjoyed filling that guzzler

[CrazyOrangeCat]

2. Fools.

[mitchtv]

3. hahahahaha

all that and a tiny penis too!

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. *W* sticker and a made-in-China ribbon - the perfect RW fools

Bwahahahahahahaha.

[marmar]

9. "*W* sticker and a made-in-China ribbon - the perfect RW fools"

LOL. :rofl: So true!

[TheCowsCameHome]

12. Escalade, *W* sticker, made-in-China ribbon = Parking Lot Patriots

That's how the elite RW supports the troops.

"Hey, that vinyl ribbon cost me almost $3")

Duh.

[ThatsMyBarack]

52. I wonder how much that ribbon....

....cost to make over in China?

[benburch]

59. $0.01 nt

[IChing]

5. They are the ones that won't be hurt and can well afford

their opulent consuming lifestyle.

The percentage of their income that has to go for fuel took barely a beating as
compared to the one's that can't afford such an automobile,
$53-$56 k going price for a new one vs.a raise in gas prices is chump change.

[Warpy]

11. They'll be hurt, trust me

because that's the type of fool who has traded up their housing every 3 years and are mortgaged to the hilt and have high car payments and a huge outstanding credit card debt.

You can rely on the fact that the Caddy represents debt, not ownership.

I don't feel a bit sorry for them.

I filled my econobox for twenty bucks last week.

[celestia671]

15. Mine gets filled for $35

Though it's not as high as other cars, it's high enough for me!

I remember bitching about gas when it was $1.50/gal. I'd welcome that now!

[madrchsod]

22. i sold my 72 forumla 400 firebird in 77

because gas got up t0 70 cents a gallon and i was making 10 hour plus cost of living increases every three months...dam those were the days- union contracts.

[Beausoir]

13. That is exactly correct. The rich are NOT hurt by gas prices.

To think otherwise is foolish. The people who are getting hurt are the poor and the working class.

It may be fun to fantasize about sticking it to the rich man...but it solves NOTHING.

[benburch]

17. But are they rich? Or are the Poseurs?

Poseurs who live like they were rich on the backs of massive credit debt are not rich; They just look that way. And when they fall, they fall HARD.

[TheCowsCameHome]

30. I have a few neighbors just getting by - And their Yukon Denali-types

of vehicles are putting the squeeze on them. Between the big payments, and now the $75 fill-ups they are right on the edge..........

They are living beyond their means, pure and simple.

[MADem]

39. I live in a very 'established' old neighborhood

For the longest time, the same folks lived here. Then, as they aged, they sold and moved to smaller digs, and there are only a few oldtimers left--many of the new people are less friendly, very busy types. It's a neighborhood that historically doesn't see a lot of turnover; the people here tend to settle in for the long haul. But lately, I'm noticing, that the FOR SALE signs are popping up with greater frequency, and it seems like the trend is 'last in, first out.' These homes were bought in the last five or so years, by folks who have shiny new large vehicles, and new lawn furniture and grills and whatnot.

And the houses aren't selling like hotcakes anymore; prices are "JUST REDUCED" of late. During the overheated period, a house would sell before the sign even got pounded into the lawn. A few years back, I thought there was a domestic disturbance in my neighborhood...turned out it was a BIDDING WAR between several buyers for a house on a nice corner lot (the house has changed hands twice since then).

You never really know what is going on with people, but I get the sense that some of these people who are suddenly selling are a couple of paychecks away from disaster....

[TheCowsCameHome]

40. You're right. They are but a few steps from forclosure and reposession

The put up the flowery front, but in reality many are right on the edge..........

It's too easy to get in over your head today.

[barb162]

51. A lot of people around me are like that

They HAVE to have an SUV to show off

[celestia671]

64. That's what hurting all of us

We're advised to cut back on fuel to drive the price down, but with all of these gas hogs on the road, it's just impossible!

[Beausoir]

34. I dunno...I can't guess that by what kind of car someone drives.

My point is...cheering for higher gas prices because it will hurt the rich guy is pointless.

[benburch]

38. Who's cheering?

A bit of Schadefreude at the expense of deserving assholes is not cheering.

[Warpy]

29. The rich don't drive Caddies, either

In fact, they don't drive anything particularly conspicuous, although you might see their kids in flashy cars. They sure as hell don't allow bumper stickers on their cars.

Those folks sound like mid level professionals or small business owners.

[RebelOne]

37. Sorry, you are wrong there.

I dated a guy for many years who was a restaurant owner in Miami and he was quite comfortable. The only car he would buy would be a Cadillac, which was to my advantage because every time I had car problems I would borrow his El Dorado.

[Warpy]

46. Comfortable aint rich, not by a long shot

and restaurant owners, even chichi restaurants where lobbyists drop $2800 on a bimbo running for office don't allow the owners to become rich.

Most of the Caddy owners I knew in Boston were slumlords or pimps, neither of whom could be termed rich.

You have misidentified middle class as "rich," a common problem on DU and in real life. Consider that it now takes a minimum of $10,000,000 in assets to consider onself to be part of the rich man's class; anything below that is just upper middle class these days.

I have met a few of the ultra rich and they are people who don't like to be seen and hate to be conspicuous. The last thing they're going to drive is a flashmobile like a Caddy. They quite rightly leave that to the upper middle class types who want to "act" rich.

[begley]

20. yeah, they probably have 5000 shares of Exxon.

When the price of gas goes up, so do their dividends.

[AlCzervik]

6. how can people afford that car to begin with and afford the fuel and

still manage to pay their mortgage and buy food? Maybe i'm just a total cheapskate on somethings but even if i could live that type of lifestyle i wouldn't spend that kind of money on a car.

[DanCa]

7. Hmm is that way so many blue songs have a cadillac in them?

*Sighs* I would like to have a caddy one day. Hmm maybe I can afford it one piece at a time?

[Rosemary2205]

8. No problem

Someone that can afford an Escalade isn't going to stop driving until gas gets to $10. $4 a gallon is a joke to them.

[Sinti]

16. I'm not so sure about that.

There are plenty of folks out there who are in way over their heads. My house-mate saw a lady in an Escalade with three kids picking ciggie butts out of a public ashtray the other day -- the weirdness is never ending.

[TheCowsCameHome]

32. Lots of them are financed to the hilt, just to keep up a phony image.

But the roof is about to cave in on them.

[MADem]

41. Isn't the ESCALADE one of those vehicles that qualifies for the tax break?

You know, you buy it for your "business" but your wife drives it, kind of tax break???

Internal Revenue Service Code Section l79 lets a business write off the purchase price of equipment the first year (up to a total of $105,000). This code section eliminates the delay of depreciating assets over a number of years. Passenger cars aren't eligible for the equipment tax deduction. But trucks and SUVs are. However, there was a $25,000 ceiling for trucks or SUVs, limiting how much could be written off the first year.

A loophole in the $350-billion stimulus plan passed in 2003 removed the $25,000 ceiling for SUVs. The large SUVS (over 6,000 pounds GVWR) were considered trucks, not passenger vehicles. The amount expensed the first year grew from a maximum of $25,000 to the full $105,000 in 2005. Suddenly, being able to write the full purchase price off immediately made the larger SUV a more attractive purchase. They gained an edge over regular automobiles and smaller SUVs subject to customary depreciation or the $25,000 ceiling.

Clever businesses owners (and auto dealers) rushed to take advantage of the loophole. It fueled SUV sales and distorted the automobile market. Then Congress started to feel pressured for
passing a poorly-thought-out law that rewards people for buying more car than they need and encourages gas guzzlers. Congress passed another law that went into effect October 23, 2004, that rolled back the SUV deduction from the $105,000 in 2005 to $25,000. Unless a vehicle was placed in service before that date, the higher figure didn't apply. Congress may feel that they fixed this deduction, but there's been a lot of lingering confusion and mixed messages.
...
http://www.selfemployedweb.com/suv-tax-deduction-2005.htm

[Nicole]

58. That's not necessarily a sign of being broke

Lots of gardeners use ciggie butts to make a homemade insecticide called nicotine tea. It is made by soaking ciggie butts with soap & water. It is weird to be picking them out of a public ashtray though, I would have friends save me their butts if I wanted them.

[TheCowsCameHome]

60. A lot of folks in my area are losing their butts with the high fuel prices

[Nicole]

61. Same here

I'm so glad I don't work outside the home. I feel for those who do.

[TheCowsCameHome]

63. A lot of folks are hurting, and with more to come.

This is killing a lot of families.

[elehhhhna]

57. Not here near Houston. Some Esc. driver's vehicles cost more than their

housing. Truly.

[Sinti]

10. $25 still fills the Honda, that's 500+ miles, for once I feel lucky :) n/t

[benburch]

14. My 2002 Prius is a better investment every day. nt

[JVS]

65. What model do you have?

I have a civic and I can't get 62.5 mpg!

I have to go 500 miles to Pittburgh this summer and if gas prices stay the same, it ought to cost $37.50 each way, which is a pain in the ass, but still cheaper than bus, train or plane.

[misternormal]

18. I have NO sympathy for them...

I don't know why they didn't look happy... they are supporting their man in WH, and his oil company buddies.

[leftchick]

19. suckers indeed

though I am sure they blame bill clinton for the high gas prices and not their little king.

[benburch]

21. Yes, Bill Clinton's HUGE COCK is the the reason!

Wow! Why didn't I see that right off?

[ReverendDeuce]

23. I blame Clinton for the Titanic!

And the civil war!

Damn libralls!

[nonconformist]

31. The power of the Clenis knows no bounds. nt

[rocktivity]

24. I'd love to use Citgo--there's one two blocks from me

But my car hates their gas--it runs very sluggish. When I use Gulf gas, however, it runs like a rocket and the needle barely moves. Maybe if I tried their higher octane...

:headbang:
rocknation

[RebelOne]

26. That's a thought. I have been filling up with Citgo

for the past 2 weeks and my car has been like burping when it is idling. I have been using Citgo because I have a Citgo credit card and now with the price of gas. I can make monthly payments.

[RebelOne]

25. If a person can afford a Cadillic Escalade, they

can certainly afford the $83.17 to fill the tank.

[peanutbrittle]

27. My truck takes 192.50 to fill up at $2.75 per gal

35 gal aux tank with a 35 gal main. Gets 10-12 mi per gal in town, about 17 with cruise control set on the highway. I carry $5,000 worth of tools in the back at all times. The Republican contractors in this town think that paying a 30yr carpenter/architectural woodworker with his own tools, signing away his workers comp., 1099 him, $15 - $25 per hour is a LOT of money. $25 isn't bad but most balk at that rate.

Cheap Labor Republicans suck

[benburch]

44. Yikes.

And in your trade you really have no choice but to have a large utility vehicle.

I hope you have a small runabout for grocery trips, though!!!

[peanutbrittle]

49. Actually not an SUV it is a GMC Seirra truck...but yes....

the wifey's Honda does great for gas milage. Sometimes when already set up on the jobsite and she's not using her car I will drive it to work.

As a side note..Here in OKC there are ALOT of SUV's and republican blonde bimbo's who just love to drive fast and tailgate in them...almost everyday it drives me nuts.

[lovuian]

28. Remember this also it gets terrible gas mileage too like

8 mpg ...they will be filling up soon too...

[benburch]

47. That's like 200 miles!

Jesus!

[kestrel91316]

33. Well, you know what they say: A fool and his money are soon parted.

[liberal N proud]

35. I was driving back from Florida this week, $32 - $36 to fill Sebring Conv.

I screamed every time I had to fill the car.
Trip cost me more than $150 in gas one way.
Every time a big SUV or Hummer went past, I would comment that I was glad I didn't own one. When it was a Caddy, Lexus or Hummer, my wife would comment that they can afford it.

[Zhade]

36. Good - and I don't care WHAT kind of stickers they have.

Even if they have a "Kerry '04" sticker, they DESERVE to be financially raped for making such an unwise purchase.

(And please, no one 'has' to have an SUV, so don't bother crying to me about THAT nonsense.)

[benburch]

43. Well, if you carry a lot of tools and worksite stuff...

...that needs to be protected from weather. And need a 4x4 to navigate construction roads, then you need some large covered utility vehicle.

Now, NOBODY is gonna do that with an Escalade, that is true, but a Hummer-1 might be actually a good choice for some folks in rough terrain construction.

Sadly, that probably represents 1% of H1 owners.

EDIT: See post #27. He needs a large vehicle.

[B3Nut]

53. Hummer H-1 (original) is avail. w/Diesel engine

and could concievably run on biodiesel. That's the only Hummer that's worth a damn, the rest of the line are just gas-guzzling ugly barges. The original is a true off-roader and the Diesel has torque up the yingyang. The H2 is a piece of garbage, and overrated Tahoe with poorer mileage and performance. The new '07 Tahoe can at least run E85, so it has some redeeming value.

Me? '06 Kia Rio5 hatchback. Filled it for $23.70 in Des Plaines, on the way back from picking up 500# of dog food for our rescue. Give me an econo-hatch any day.

Todd in Beerbratistan

[benburch]

56. No doubt it could burn bio.

I am unaware of any Diesel which cannot.

[yorkiemommie1]

42. used to know a guy whose daddy was Union Oil

and gave him $10 million. he drove an older GM sedan.

we have poseurs on our street who move in, remodel, drive the new cars.

then we have the older retirees who drive old or middle aged cars.

and a couple of retirees whose homes are paid for or, who like dh, got an inheritance, and decided to treat themselves to a new car in their later years.

[benburch]

45. While I have your attention...

Please K&R this; http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1003724

Thanks!

[dchill]

48. Those stickers and magnets...

just keep getting more expensive all the time. It's just too bad we all have to pay for their born-again bloody patriotism. Oh, and I'm pretty sure our troops don't get any of the benefits of those exploded prices - just exploded IED's.

[guinivere]

54. If they can afford an Escalade, they can afford the gas.

They can thank their chimpy for the gas prices and the need for a Troops magnet.

[TheCowsCameHome]

62. I read somewhere that Escalades were the favorite vehicle of drug dealers

[catmandu57]

55. They probably have to do that a couple of times a week

They feel it of that there isn't a doubt or they wouldn't be grimacing as the numbers flew around. It's a status symbol, these people are credit rich cash poor, with just enough toys to think they have something.
we see the middle and upper middle class in this country we never see the truly rich, someone filling a gas tank at a convenience store is far from rich, but I echo the sentiment fuck them they made their bed.