Dienstag, 9. November 2010

Inside the U.S., Sticker Shock in Reverse

When I dropped off a rental car lately in Ny City following visiting my daughter at her college’s parents weekend, I suffered a severe case of sticker shock. I had been cursing myself for forgetting to refuel the midsize auto in New Jersey prior to re-entering Big apple. Now I would be stuck paying The big apple gas costs.

But when I filled up the tank on West 96th Street in Manhattan, I was startled by the bill. It seemed way too low: only $28 for nine gallons of fuel! Wow!

You see, I don’t dr generally in the usa. I generate cars largely on assignment in Europe, where it really is challenging to refill even a small Fiat Panda fuel tank (nine gallons) for less than 50 euros, or $70, about as considerably as it expenses to rent a automobile for that day. Though exact rates vary from country to country, fuel sells for that equivalent of about $6 to $8 per gallon inside European Union. About three-quarters of that may be government-imposed tax.

Fuel costs are high adequate in Europe that it becomes a considerable price and discourages driving, no less than to some extent.

Economists say that driving activity displays only modest elasticity since it relates to gas prices. If the cost of fuel goes up 10 %, the sum of driving decreases — but not that much in the brief term mainly because people today will nonetheless drive to work or to shop for groceries. Indeed, they don’t always have an option.

But what if gasoline rates here rose to European levels, which is, what if they tripled? How do you assume that may change our behavior? Could Americans tolerate that?

Commodity taxes are a matter of public policy and is in turn closely affected by public opinion. Norway, which is flush with oil and could have low cost fuel, nonetheless has made the decision to reside with gas price ranges which might be among the highest in Europe.

In the united states, we tax cigarettes heavily, yielding cost ranges which are the highest on earth. But so far, not gasoline.

In an post in Monday’s Times, my colleagues Matt Wald and Tom Zeller talk about how Americans aren’t green lighting renewable power ventures in some places because it may possibly push up power bills by a tiny volume –- less than 1 percent.

Americans say they’re concerned about the atmosphere. Really should they be prepared to pay just a little bit a lot more to lessen fossil fuel emissions?

Article Source:http://www.ghdsalon.net/inside-the-u-s-sticker-shock-in-reverse/

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