TresSugar

How Low Can They Go? Pilots Fly Without Enough Fuel

LibertySugar — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:59 -0700

The gas crisis has dangerous consequences, according to pilots who claim that airlines restrict airplane fuel to uncomfortably low amounts. Aggressive policies enacted by the financially struggling airline companies, attempt to reduce consumption and cost.

Three years ago NASA set up a confidential Aviation Safety Reporting System, which allows workers to anonymously report concerns. Some have reported that the airlines rank captains according to who can land using the least amount of gas.

Despite warnings from aviation workers, the FAA does not want to order airlines to keep fuel loads above the minimum required: enough for the trip, plus 45 minutes extra. The agency's spokesman says that the FAA can't "dabble in the business policies or the personnel policies of an airline." Thankfully, there hasn't been a low-fuel-related accident since the early '90s; but, do you think airline companies should listen to the pilots' growing concerns that the bottom line might compromise safety?

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Charities on Wheels Want Congress to Help Ease Gas Pain

LibertySugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:30:54 -0700

Are gas prices driving volunteers away? Some charities say yes, and they want Congress to help. US corporate drivers get a tax deduction of 58.5 cents per gallon, while those driving their cars for charity only deduct 14 cents. When charities pay volunteers the corporate rate, the altruistic drivers must declare the reimbursement as taxable income. If all that doesn't sound right to you, 100 charities and four senators agree.

Charities that rely on volunteer drivers, for example to take the elderly to medical appointments or the grocery store, cannot sustain high gas prices. So a group of 100 charities, like the American Red Cross and Catholic Charities, got together and wrote a letter to Congress to ask lawmakers to address the problem. Today, four senators announced their plan to raise the deduction to 70 percent of the corporate rate, and eliminate the tax on reimbursements above that rate. Since a $1,000 charitable donation is tax deductible for $1,000, it seems only fair that those donating their time and gas get a break, too.

Have you changed your charitable participation because of gas prices? Should charities get special consideration?

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Russia Lectures US: You're in No Position to Give Advice

LibertySugar — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:00:30 -0700

Russian President Dmitri A. Medvedev is in no mood to listen to US criticism about the state of human rights or democracy in Russia. This week he said that the US was "essentially in a depression" and thus in no shape to tell other countries what to do.

During an interview with foreign journalists, one reporter asked the president about John McCain's proposal to expel Russia from the G8 for its record on democracy. Medvedev offered a lesson in international relations: "The Group of 8 exists not because someone likes or dislikes it, but because objectively, they are the biggest world economies and the most serious players from the foreign policy point of view." Little more than a decade after communism fell and left Russia in economic shambles, lucrative oil exports have made Russia economically, and geopolitically, confident.

Gas-station-side prayer vigils across America, organized by the Prayer at the Pump movement, might be giving Medvedev the evidence he needs to make such statements. For more on God and gas, read more.

The prayer group's founder, a member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, said the group is currently in the prayer phase of working for lower-pump prices, but will soon begin activist work. He said: "We are praying that God will touch the hearts of people in power to find a solution quickly."

If money talks, do tough times mean America will soon lose its international influence?

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Pumped Up? Ten Ways High Gas Prices Are Good for America!

LibertySugar — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:30:13 -0700

Like any addiction, America will have a hard time kicking its dependency on oil. But despite the withdrawal symptoms, it will be worth it. Time Magazine points out that prices have never risen to levels forcing the sprawling nation to seriously reconsider the car dependent way of life. But the time to change may have arrived.

Painful petrol prices, which probably won't go down anytime soon, could ultimately improve America's quality of life. Well, there are at least 10 things you can like about $4 gas, as featured in this week's Time.

Globalized Jobs Return Home - Too expensive to transport
Sprawl Stalls - Home buyers looking to move closer to cities
Four-Day Workweeks - Energy costs fall along with sick leave
Less Pollution - Bluer skies and longer lives

To see the rest, including how a smaller bank balance might lead to a smaller waistline, read more.

More Frugality - Vespa sales up, SUVs down
Fewer Traffic Deaths - $4 gas means 1,000 fewer deaths per month
Cheaper Insurance - For the "pleasure driver"
Less Traffic - Road travel down 2.1 percent this year
More Cops on the Beat - Out of the patrol car
Less Obesity - $1 hike could cut obesity by 10 percent

Sounds like the market may be doing Americans a favor! Fewer traffic deaths and a four day work week sound like the best "perks" to me. What about you? What do higher gas prices have you looking forward to, if anything?

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High Price For Cheap Gas - Would You Rather Pay More?

LibertySugar — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:01:42 -0800

Last Summer the religious prayed for relief at the pump, lawmakers called for a 55 mph national speed limit to conserve fuel, and cash-strapped drivers chanted, "Drill, baby. Drill!" But today, oil goes for $40 a barrel, one-third of what it cost in July. Recently, Salon took an in-depth look into the negative consequences of falling oil prices.

Low gas prices mean economic hardship and instability in oil-producing countries - like Nigeria, Russia, Iran, Kuwait, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, and Mexico - who use oil revenue to fund education, health care, or to create jobs. In addition, without the pain at the pump, we give less priority to conservation, public transportation, and developing alternative energy sources. Continued dependence on increasingly unstable oil countries could be the high price of low gas prices!

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The Story Fueling Our Gas Woes. Is Gas Your #1 Concern?

CitizenSugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 08:00:16 -0700

If a trip to the gas station has left your wallet lighter than air, it's comforting to know someone's getting fat off of fuel costs: Big Oil. BP and Royal Dutch Shell just reported massive increases in profits for the first three months of 2008. BP's gross (that's an understatement) profits rose 48 percent in the first quarter to $6.6 billion while Shell increased its profits 12 percent to a record $7.8 billion.

Surely their good fortune driven by the rising oil prices has made them generous? Nope. The companies have passed growing costs right on to consumers to shell out big bucks at the pump. We've reached the top (or bottom) though, right? Well, the head of OPEC has just warned that the price of oil could hit $200 a barrel. And pity your friends in the UK - speculation is likely to push petrol to £5 (that's about $10) a gallon today. I say, "ouch!" ol' chap.

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One positive gas-goody (?): It's bringing Clinton and McCain together. Clinton has just joined McCain calling for gas tax relief saying,

“This is one of the big differences in this race. My opponent Senator Obama opposes giving consumers a break on the gas tax at the federal level. I support it. I understand the American people need some relief.”

A recent survey shows gas is the #1 concern, over jobs and health care with 44 percent of participants saying paying for gasoline was a "serious problem" for them. Is it for you? Is fueling your life a serious problem? Are you surprised by the record profits? Should Big Oil be involved in a solution?

Pricey Country Roads: Gas Prices Hit Rural Americans Harder

LibertySugar — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:45:59 -0700

Americans everywhere are shocked and stressed as gas reaches the all-time high with the national average at $4 per gallon. But, common outrage does not mean common hardship. High gas prices impact rural USA the worst.

Those living outside cities are facing tough decisions, especially in the Southeast where public transportation is lacking and commute distances are sprawling. For farm workers, sports-utility vehicles actually have some utility; but, it's much more costly to fill up pick-up trucks and vans. To adjust, some are cutting back on meat, others are borrowing money for gas, and some are searching for scarce jobs closer to home.

Faraway from rural America, Saudi Arabia is calling for a summit on astronomical oil prices. The Saudi Information and Culture Minister said that the kingdom wants to ensure that there are no unwarranted or unnatural oil price hikes that could impact international economies, especially those of developing countries.

Perhaps oil producers like Saudi Arabia are worried that high prices will force people to reduce their demand. Hearing about the struggles in rural America, it's difficult to imagine how consumers won't try to kick their oil addiction as soon as possible.

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Are High Gas Prices Getting You on the Public Bandwagon?

LibertySugar — Mon, 12 May 2008 15:45:22 -0700

While gas prices break records, so do ridership rates on public transportation systems across America. The New York Times reports that the biggest increases are seen in areas with a significant driving culture, such as the South and West.

Mass transit systems are having trouble coping with the masses. Rising fuel costs hit the systems hard, and the economic slow down means less funding from sales tax receipts. Thus, there is not enough money to put more buses on the street. Even so, people are opting for the standing room only services.

American bicycle shops are also reporting stronger business so far this year. A record number of commuters are expected to participate in Bike-To-Work Week and Bike-to-Work-Day (May 16th).

So, what about you? Have gas prices caused you to change your transportation habits? Do you think high gas prices could eventually motivate Americans (and their cities) to ditch their cars and develop efficient mass transit?

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Briefing Book! Gas Prices Rise Thanks to Hurricane Gustav

LibertySugar — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:30:15 -0700

Gas: Did you fill up before? Gas prices rise as Gustav threatens Gulf refineries. - Huffington Post
War Crimes: Beard or no beard? Not guilty plea entered for Bosnia Serb leader charged with genocide. - Radar
Beijing vs. Denver: How do they tally up. Denver and Beijing hosted massive events, check out statistics. - newsblog
Sarah Palin: Does it count as foreign policy experience? Fox News points out that Alaska is next to Russia! - Talking Points Memo
DNC: Can MSNBC catch a break? CNN on the floor, while MSNBC was in the parking lot. - 23/6

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Are Gas Prices the Real Reason For the Housing Crisis?

CitizenSugar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:45:17 -0700

I'm already a fan of Scotty Iseri's politically-charged pop music - but when he puts together a Morgan Spurlock-esque explanation about how the housing crisis isn't really due so much to "predatory lending" and "reckless borrowing" but the cost of getting out to those McMansions my interest was piqued.

Scotty's piece studies Buffalo Grove, outside of Chicago, IL, where residents spend almost a quarter of their income on transportation cost, and nothing is accessible without getting behind a wheel. Showing how Buffalo Grove's houses have declined 8 percent in value, while Chicago - where it's possible to live close to everything you need without getting in a car has seen housing prices go up almost 10 percent, makes a lot of sense. Similar trends are happening in Portland, Pittsburgh, and Los Angeles, where the draw of houses far away pales in comparison to that ubiquitous "pain at the pump."

What do you think? Is gas the real grinch?