Comments on: Fuel Surcharges be Damned; Gas Prices Hurt CA Small Biz Bad

By: gas surcharges

gas surcharges — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 19:43:50 +0000

[...] Small Biz Bad … With gas at an average of 3.73/gal., &quotsome small delivery businesses are …http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/fuel-surcharges-be-damned-gas-prices-hurt-ca-small-biz-bad/Green thumbs meet red ink as fuel costs soar – CBC.caAt St. Mary&39s Nursery in Winnipeg, owner Ken [...]

By: FunkyD

FunkyD — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:58:16 +0000

High fuel taxes have nothing to do with supply and demand. Taxes are there to siphon money off the economy and into government coffers (for either well or ill).

European fuel prices have been (and still are) artifically inflated because of confiscatory tax rates. And no, we do not need to mimic the European model here.

The increase in energy prices seems to be a permanent situation. We will have to adjust to this reality, just as we have had to adjust to others.

By: AKM

AKM — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:45:19 +0000

I love how the “greens” are deemed responsible of high fuel taxes, or how taxes are blamed. It’s called supply and demand, as well as speculation, 2 pillars of capitalism.
As eggsalad and dean pointed out, those business better adapt to the new reality of high fuel prices, or they’ll die. Yes, it’s economic darwinism, and that’s capitalism too. If those businesses have improper business models, don’t expect me to cry over their demise.

By: radimus

radimus — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:31:15 +0000

It sounds like we need someone to build something like this in the US:

http://finnesey.org/cars/korea/motorcycles/trikes/TrikeTruck3.jpg

By: lewissalem

lewissalem — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:05:53 +0000

Alcibiades,

You are correct. Not to mention it is our wealth that allows us to be “green” to begin with. When our basic needs are met with time and money, we can achieve self-actualization.

Dean,

See Masolow’s hierarchy of needs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow’s_hierarchy_of_needs

By: dean

dean — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 01:13:14 +0000

Alcibiades: you’d better get used to expensive energy, with or without taxes.

Bleating about how wealth is better for the environment isn’t going to help when oil hits $200/bbl and higher.

By: eggsalad

eggsalad — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 22:51:53 +0000

The answer to all the questions is provided by the photo accompanying the text. America needs micro-cars and -trucks. The rest of the world seems to do just swell driving tiny things around town. Somehow the US can’t or won’t.

By: bws

bws — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:57:23 +0000

N85523 & Alcibiades,

And a good 80%, maybe more, of the average environmentalists who Alcibiades describes will read his insightful statement and fail to comprehend any damn thing he said.

By: N85523

N85523 — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:30:20 +0000

Alcibiades,

A very insightful statement. It rings true, although I’ve never thought of it that way.

By: Facebook User

Facebook User — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:59:12 +0000

How did this country get rich? Cheap energy. How are we going to get poor? Expensive energy.
What’s better for the environment, wealth or poverty? I say wealth. The average environmentalist hates cheap energy, but does not understand that wealth, not poverty, is green.

By: quasimondo

quasimondo — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:25:54 +0000

Damn the small businesses! Full taxes ahead!

By: carguy

carguy — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:05:01 +0000

Given the fact that most businesses current process and infrastructure are based on assumptions of cheap gas, it’s not a surprise that the sudden hike is biting into profits. However, this is part of the process of change and as these firms reassess how they do business they will make the necessary changes to transform their business process into something less energy intensive.

In the short term that will cause pain but it’s not all doom and gloom. This is what most countries outside of the US have already done and businesses there are still doing just fine.