Gas prices still heading down

Two gas price stories.

In St. Louis prices are now showing $1.29 in many places.  The only word for that is, Wow  How long has it been since gas has been that low? 

Then, the New York Times decides to put the kabosh on this gift to consumers by editorializing on how to force Americans to buy and American auto makers to sell, cars Americans really don't want.

"Who will buy all the fuel-efficient cars that Detroit carmakers are supposed to make?The danger is that too few will, especially if gasoline prices remain low. Therefore, it might be time for the president-elect and Congress to think seriously about imposing a gas tax or similar levy to keep gas prices up after the economy recovers from recession."

Stuff and nonsense.  Let the market work it out.  Americans will buy what they need as well as what they want and if car makers are forced to turn out cars no one wants, a higher tax on fuel will not make them do it. 

There are two good reasons Americans have not been driven to buy these fuel efficient cars.  1.  They are often unattractive and 2 small.  Car buyers look for looks as well as function.  And, Americans with small children are required by law to have so much over-large, heavy, child safety equipment in their cars that a small car leaves little room for anything else.  Older drivers and passengers also need wider doors and seats which do not force them to climb up and drop down while getting into their seats.

Jacking up the price of fuel by penalizing Americans with more tax per gallon.  What a terrible idea.

Remember the old East Germany?  They had one type of car everyone had to drive because there was no other choice and that was the Trabant, "the car that gave communism a bad name" with the ironic name which means "fellow traveler".

Dale was on a plane to East Germany almost the day the Berlin wall came down and one of the first things he bought was a model Trabant, or as it was affectionately called, Der Trabi. It's been on his desk ever since, until I borrowed it this morning.  Notice all those people celebrating the end of German communism in the background and the little sign which in German says, The end of the Berlin Wall, November 9, 1989.  

The Trabi and the Berlin Wall, a nice juxtaposition of too much government interference in the lives of people.

Comments

[Ron]

Expect more of this silliness and control of the free markets by the democrats and the Obama. The liberals would have us all driving tiny cars, while they drive SUV's and fly in their private jets.
Why I'll bet even Rand doesn't drive a tiny car!

[Glad]

Those folks at the Times are collectively nuts. (On another note, every time I pass a gas station with a yet lower price I still have an almost uncontrollable urge to turn in and buy some--even if my tank is almost full. It's like somehow I think that the next time I look, it'll be $3 plus again!)