gas prices

This is a picture from my 1981 yearbook of a gas station in Camden, NY.

This entry would be enough to generate some angry responses if anyone read my blog but no one hardly does, so here goes. :-)

Cost of gas in 1981? 1.259 (notice it is a full-service - remember those?)

Cost of gas April 27, 2006? 3.029

Adjusted for inflation what should gas be based on the 1981 price in 2006 according to this website?
http://www.westegg.com/inflation/

$2.82

We really aren't paying much more than we were in 1981 adjusted for inflation.

Of course the fact that oil companies are raking in record profits while raising gas prices is ridiculous. It is such a burden upon the poor and middle class. But the fact is our gas is cheap. It is cheap. The price we pay at the pump does not reflect the true cost in environmental and social terms. Our gas is cheap. We do not conserve. We have developed no viable alternative fuel. We have not developed and we have not used public transportation. Sorry folks. There is no free lunch and there is no free/cheap fuel. We have been junkies on a bender with our drug dished up cheap and easy to us. Looks like our free ride might have come to an end.