A couple days ago, I posted on my Facebook page some comments about gas prices
and how government officials initially say one thing (want higher gas prices)
and then, ultimately, say something else during an election year (want lower
gas prices.)
The gist of the piece dealt with prices – some say prices
are getting too high.
I was shocked to read that others believe we “NEED” to raise
prices, “to force us to drive less & carpool & ride public transit
& bicycle more...” or “the only way we will look for alternatives is if gas
gets too expensive.”
Huh?
Sorry, we are not lab rats in need of social
engineering. We are humans with free
will and a brain to decide between right and wrong.
While I agree price can cause pause in purchasing, are we so
weak individually and collectively that we cannot restrain our use of the car
and gasoline?
In addition, the suggestion that simply raising the price of
gas is the answer to our use of the automobile ignores secondary ramifications
of this price fixing.
Stuff we buy gets delivered to the stores selling it.
When we increase the cost of doing business for those
delivery folks, prices on the items they deliver will also automatically rise.
Or, are we expecting the delivery folks to suck it up and
cover the cost, putting their businesses in jeopardy?
If we simply raise gas prices (without affecting the cost to
produce it,) who gets the financial windfall?
People complain the oil companies are already gouging us and
making too much. Are we suggesting they
get these added profits?
I suspect not. In
fact, I suspect people believe it should go to the government. But why them?
What logical reason is there for the government to benefit
from this social engineering?
We already have enough examples of government waste to
convince us they are the wrong group to receive this premium.
Sorry, I don’t buy the idea that we need government to
artificially raise prices to a point that will cause us to end up doing what we
already know is the right thing to do.
Likewise, I do not agree that government deserves a financial
windfall (at the expense of all of us.)
If you feel strongly enough that you are driving too much
and wasting gas, then take some personal responsibility and buy a hybrid, drive
less, ride a bike, take the bus, car pool or any of the multitude of options
available to you.
If you know of others wasting gas, talk to them and inform
and encourage them to be more responsible.
Please don’t ask to raise my prices because you and others
can’t control yourselves and you want government to take control of your actions.
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