Gasoline Prices

[shitdisturber]

It certainly hasn't put a stop to Single-guy-in-SUV syndrome around here.

That single guy in SUV came in handy pulling you out of the snow bank last week.

[New Flyer]

So this brings up an interesting point:
We complain about how high taxes are here, and point to the States as to how it should be.
Everything is cheaper. But is everything better?
Is the average American in a better place financially than the average Canadian.
I have travelled to the States extensively, and I haven't seen it.
Would the average American receive a better education than us? Would the average American have better health care?
I don't see better lifestyles there, but maybe I am missing it.
I certainly don't see a better way of life in border towns like Detroit and Buffalo.
California is teetering on the brink of financial collapse, as are many States.
Pension committments alone could bankrupt 50 % or more of the States (well, I am not sure of the exact numbers, but there was a story in Time or other such magazine not too long ago).
And those UN rankings that come out once a year and rank the best place to live usually have Canada in the top ten, and usually ahead of the States, IIRC.
Anyways, even though I may go across once in a while to take advantage of those lower prices, I think I'll stay here!

[Hedley]

Are you saying that ridiculously high gasoline and cellphone prices make Canada great?

I'm not even sure how much of it is taxes, and how much is simply lack-of-competition-lets-screw-the-consumer, which is a grand Canadian tradition. The local cell phone franchise guy here drives a NEW Porsche Carrera 4S. I know, a bit of a chick car, but still, times are good if you screw the Canadian consumer.

[Cat Driver]

Would the average American have better health care?

You prefer Canada's 12 minute assembly line health care five days a week?

[flyinggreasemonkey]

Are you saying that ridiculously high gasoline and cellphone prices make Canada great?

I'm not even sure how much of it is taxes, and how much is simply lack-of-competition-lets-screw-the-consumer, which is a grand Canadian tradition. The local cell phone franchise guy here drives a NEW Porsche Carrera 4S. I know, a bit of a chick car, but still, times are good if you screw the Canadian consumer.

LOL you've obviously never driven one...

[New Flyer]

Hedley...I am not saying ridiculous gas prices make us great.
I am the first to complain about it after going to the states. I often fly out of border cities if the fare is cheaper.
My question is simply if the added taxes that we pay do in fact lead to a better standard of life.

We have all heard of horror stories in health care. But recently, a very good friend of mine suffered multiple heart attacks, and within 24 hrs he had been flown to ysb for care, and was operated on very quickly. he is now doing fine.
I have a young nephew with autism. Due to the much better care here, as well as support programs, his parents re-located back from Mexico.
And there have been more than one occasion during my many travels, especially throught Central America, that I have thought that the care we get is far superior to most Nations. There are many people in this world who are far worse off than us.

My belief now is simply that our expectations far outweigh our ability to pay, in many areas.

[Hedley]

LOL you've obviously never driven one - Porsche Carrera 4S

uh, yeah, I drove his. Porsches have great steering, don't get me wrong - ok, the best I've ever experienced - but 99% of Porsches are underpowered chick cars. The Carrera 4S didn't impress me. I've driven much faster cars. No way it could ever keep up to a $7,000 liter bike, either. It's fast for a chick car, though, I will give you that

I drove a 996 for a while. Nice steering, as I said before. And, it looked ferocious with the Techart mods. My main worry while driving it is that I would encounter a truly fast car, and I would get horribly spanked. It was that under-powered. Anyways, I fried the tread off the oversized rear tires - all sorts of white (cord?) appeared, the tires went flat, and no spare, so I had to flat-bed it home. Impossible to get on the truck because it was so low.

Another thing about the Porsches: trailing throttle oversteer. All that weight in the back. Especially in the wet, it really needs to be respected.

[Expat]

Not only Canada, but most countries with high taxes are generally considered the best places to live. Scandinavia, New-Zealand, etc...
Countries with low taxes are generally sh*t holes...

[Rowdy]

Another thing about the Porsches: trailing throttle oversteer. All that weight in the back. Especially in the wet, it really needs to be respected.

The only way a porsche goes OFF the track is backwards!

[Expat]

Another thing about the Porsches: trailing throttle oversteer. All that weight in the back. Especially in the wet, it really needs to be respected.

The only way a porsche goes OFF the track is backwards!

Just like an SUV on ice...

[iflyforpie]

Another thing about the Porsches: trailing throttle oversteer. All that weight in the back. Especially in the wet, it really needs to be respected.

The only way a porsche goes OFF the track is backwards!

Just like an SUV on ice...

No, they tend to go upside down.

[v6g]

If fuel price is really a problem for you then now is the time to make your investment for the spring rise. You're pretty much guaranteed to make 20-30% over the Feb-May time frame each year.

[Dushan]

You can benefit from high gas prices by buying this:
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=UGA