It won't last, but for now I'm really enjoying the gas prices. If you click on that link, it shows that gas is $1.97/gallon at 3 gas stations in the Roseville/New Brighton area. As it happens, those are the three gas stations in the Twin Cities that are closest to my house. The sign I've posted here is from the SuperAmerica by my house. It's a lovely, lovely image.
But it won't last. And if you want to know one reason why, consider this. Barack Obama believes that the government needs to be sending price signals. From an interview with Iowa public television:
Q: How do you convince people to change their lifestyles, to live differently, or to turn the question on its ear, are voters ahead of the politicians on this stuff? Do they get it, and maybe the politicians don’t?
A: Well, I think, uh, I think voters do understand it. I think it is important for us to send some price signals to change behavior.
And why shouldn't the government do it? They do such a good job of it, right?
How does a government send "price signals?" Typically, what they can do is impose taxes or tariffs. In other words, they put their thumb on the scale. And the costs to businesses are inevitably passed on to consumers. Whether you know it our not, you have certainly paid a "fuel surcharge" on something you've purchased this year. Chances are, you can't pass your added costs on to someone else. Go ahead, demand a fuel surcharge from your employer and see how far it gets you.
Obama and his pals in Congress have a lot of big ideas in store for the electorate. While there's little doubt that a lot of people have convinced themselves that they need to punish the Republicans for sins real and imagined, it's not clear that people really want a return to the Great Society. That's what is coming if Obama wins and has coattails. It's not too late to send a ballot signal, folks.
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