vision2020
Re: Petroprices, journalism and life
Valid point. But you still havent givin a reason as to why Lewis and Clark
gas prices are still lower??? Yes I do relize that Spokane is going to be
lower, thats a given. But I highly doubt that is the case in Lew. As for
your point on property taxes in the midwest I think you are wrong. 1) land
is a hell of a lot cheaper. 2) most states have an income tax also,
michigan 6%-7%. and yes the palouse is a nice place to live but you do pay
for it. I personaly dont mind but before you start cutting down on the
midwest you probly should compare the cost of living there to here because
it is a little cheaper, and by the way there are more farm towns in MI, IN,
ILL, OH, by themselfs than there is in this state. I'm sorry if I seam a
little upset but I grew up in the midwest and it kind of hits home when
people think that all the midwest has is drugs, guns, and detroit and
chicago. There is more farming than you think.
Have a good one
Robert Moore
At 04:07 AM 2/17/99 -0500, jredpath@iname.com wrote:
>Longtime residents have read--no doubt with some bemusement--the recent
threads drum-beating against the Great Palouse Petroprice Conspiracy and
taking journalists to task for failing to expose it. But it's time to set
the record straight and bring a few historic and current truths to bear.
>
>Fundamental applied economics clearly reveals normal market forces at work
with regard to gasoline prices in Moscow-Pullman and environs. There is
nothing more insidious at work here than the simple laws of supply and
demand. And yes, it does cost more to transport products to this area,
removed as it is from major superhighway and rail arteries. The relatively
few gas stations and the small, disperse population they service yield no
economies of scale common in urban areas.
>
>Accusations against the local press for neglecting to cover the issue are
at best borne of ignorance. Fact is, the Daily News investigated it in the
early nineties; the late Idahonian shortly prior to then. No evidence of
conspiracy to fix prices was ever found. Fact is, petroleum prices are
higher in the Northwest than most regions of the US. The suggestion, in
this forum, that a few rounds of emailing caused the recent 10-odd-cents
drop in pump prices is ludicrous. Fact is, petroprices worldwide dropped
concurrently. Gasoline in the midwest has dipped as low as 69.9 cents per
gallon.
>
>Is all this too much ado about very little? In adjusted dollars, the
national mean price of gallon of gas today is at a historical low. As a
percentage of household income it is even lower. The price differential
between major brand gasoline in Moscow and Coeur d'Alene is about four
cents. Insurance tables show the typical Moscow resident drives 10,600
miles a year. With even V-8 engines yielding up to 27 mpg, average fleet
fuel economy of mixed city/highway has settled in at about 24 mpg or 441
gallons annually. Thus Moscownians who buy all their gas locally during a
year pay $17.64 more annually than their neighbors to the north--less than
a buck and a half a month.
>
>Perhaps we do pay a premium for living out here on the Palouse, off the
beaten path. But isn't that one of the primary "quality of life" reasons we
are here in the first place? Those who value cheap gas and megamalls and
suburban sprawl above life alongside Paradise Creek should move to CdA or
Spokane or Seattle. Or Detroit. And pay higher property taxes to fund,
among other things, larger police forces, more jails and myriad anticrime
initiatives.
>
>I prefer to be thankful for all that the Palouse is, the life we enjoy
here--including the $1.50/month "extra" gas tab.
>------------------------------------------------------
>John Redpath MD
>Health Potentials Development Center
>Post Office Box 301
>Troy, ID 83871
>http://www.healthpotentials.com/index.htm
>© 1999, HEALTH POTENTIALS, INC. All Rights Reserved
>------------------------------------------------------
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