First, sorry to anyone reading this thread looking for hints on what to pull their cat with <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> But the different view points are quite interesting to me and I’d be happy to move this to a new thread.
Sure, if it's done excessively. If it's done more gradually, you find that suppliers such as yourself become more sensitive to how much fuel they use, because that becomes a more significant cost in the service you provide. In order to be competitive, you need to be more efficient.
Paul
Point well taken and understood. To make a point, I was being extreme by mentioning the “R” word. Economies don’t just gravitate towards a recession and once in one, barring extreme circumstances (war, etc), the general economy will naturally come out of it and stabilize (even it the “new” economy is based on trade).
The cultural divide here, is not over gasoline. Its over the role of government and its authority to alter an economy. Personally, I'm not willing to give that power to any pencil-necked dweeb in Washington, regardless of his/her party affiliation.
Europeans are generally being taxed at what we consider obscene and downright criminal rates. Unlike the generally socialist nature of Europe, we like having direct control over where our money is spent. Over there, apparently you think that government knows best how to spend your earned income. Over here, government is the LAST place I'd want to put the trust of my money. Adding a tax to something as critical as fuel prices to further an agenda that I think is bogus to begin with isn't something I can exactly stand behind.
Agreed. I don’t want the government to force me to run my company efficiently, I want the apartment owner across the street to force me to be efficient… or in my case, because I am a numbers guy and keep a close handle on my buildings, I am generally able to undercut the apartments around me while offering better services. I stay 90-100% full, when others are complaining about 50-60% occupancy rate. Why should the government dictate how I get materials from one building to another. Should they also force me to use a specific plumber or appliance repairman too?
