Gas reaches it's all time high...THIS SUCKS!

[JayBird]

Ok...gas finally reached it's all time high in Indiana County. Today at the Kwik Fill Station (near the mall) gas was $2.039 per gallon.

I see everyone pointing towards their political candidate saying they do this and the other does that. Well you know what I want...some damn polititan who can get this f'en gas war crap taken care of.

Why am I so angry you may ask. I used to spend about $20 a day on gas. This morning I spent $40...I spend this EVERY DAY! I can't operate a landscaping business without fuel. Basically, the damn government has me by the balls.

Let me give a breakdown on how much the government runs my business.

1. First off I'm in a 34% tax bracket because I'm self-
employeed...SUCKS!
2. 6% of every lawn I mow goes to the government...service
tax...SUCKS!
3. If you've done the math, that's 40% of my income going to the PA
Department of Revenue or the IRS.
4. I roughly have about 10-15 lawns per day. So lets say it costs me
$4.00 to manage 1 lawn.
5. Here is a more in-depth breakdown based on a $20 lawn:
* $20 x .06 = $1.20 government money
* $18.80 - $4.00(gas expense-average cost) = $14.80
*Hourly rate for my employee is $8.00 (this average lawn takes
1/2 hour) = $4.00. I'm now down to $6.80

So I make $6.80 for the half hour minus the wear and tear on my equipment minus the 34% income tax that I haven't even paid on until I get my taxes done in February!

So now I ask all of you...should we even have a government or is Anarchy the way to go!? Is it worth my time to follow my love of being self-employeed because MY government doesn't want to help the little guy?!

My opinion on this whole f'ed up election...vote for whoever...the best liar always wins and then once in office...GRAB YOUR ANKLES cause what they promised, oh well we can't make that happen now because of some other stupid ass problem

We really need to start looking at other countries. Eurpoean countries have a fraction of the crime. Some countries have an average income of less than $25,000 - they get about 8 WEEKS OF VACATION THOUGH and they only work a 35 hour work week. There is no problem with high assed expenses like milk or gas or vegetables or ANYTHING! There isn't any shortage of anything either.

So last question...what does our country actually do for us other than shit on us? How free are we? The government tells us what we can or can't watch if you think about it...when is the last time you heard FUCK or saw a boob(Janet Jackson) on you local "FREE" channel? You want that...you pay for it and the govenrment taxes it. Feel like making moon shine...sorry...you can't...gov't says it's illegal. Want to smoke pot...can't legally. Want to work in the USA...you gotta pay $10 to do that. Want to own you own business in the USA...you gotta pay the gov't for a fictious name first! Want to go hunting or fish...better buy a license! Want a pet dog...better buy a license. Want to drive a car...pay $5 for your picture. Want to travel out of state...pay a toll. Want to do anything in the USA...better ask the government first...they may tax you to do it or they may tell you that you CAN'T do it! What can we do in the USA without having a regulation on it?

I kind of went to extremes just because of the whole gas price bullshit, but honestly sit back and think about what we have and what it takes to have it. How free are we? What aren't they telling us? Seems to me like there might be better options elsewhere. I don't know though...I don't have enough damn money to vacation and find out. I working to pay my government so they can answer these questions and keep them from me!

[Ron]

Gotta agree, Jaybird. Here's my disheartening story:

The company I work for recently changed retirement plan brokers, and I was forced to either cash out my 401K or move it into a private IRA. Since I'm not too keen on investing in our nation's current financial situation, I decided to cash in. 10% penalty + 15% tax. OK, the taxes need to be paid regardless, and I figured that with the downturn in the economy, that I would lose 10% anyhow. My decision to cash in took place in May.
In the meantime, I'm waiting for the IRS to complete the process, and today I get a report from my old 401K broker. In the 4 months the IRS has been dragging it's feet, my 401K lost another 9%. Naturally, I am extremely pissed off.

Here's a snippet from the Washington Post:
"Working people must toil on average 189 days out of the year just to meet all the costs imposed by government..." "...in other words, the cost of government consumes 51.6 percent of national income."

We seriously need to reduce the size of our government, and neither Bush nor Kerry have any solutions for this problem. Both major party candidates suck. They don't care about anything but preserving their own political careers by creating more agencies, more laws, and more taxes.

[facingwest]

I had to pay $2.12 per gallon while in Key West. From Miami to the Keys, the price started going up from $1.99 to that. Thank God I only had to pay that once.

[DMFJ03]

It's 1.99 here in Ebensburg!

I mean, it could have gone up over night, but I haven't been out today yet.

[Dave]

1. First off I'm in a 34% tax bracket because I'm self-
employeed...SUCKS!
2. 6% of every lawn I mow goes to the government...service
tax...SUCKS!
3. If you've done the math, that's 40% of my income going to the PA
Department of Revenue or the IRS.
4. I roughly have about 10-15 lawns per day. So lets say it costs me
$4.00 to manage 1 lawn.
5. Here is a more in-depth breakdown based on a $20 lawn:
* $20 x .06 = $1.20 government money
* $18.80 - $4.00(gas expense-average cost) = $14.80
*Hourly rate for my employee is $8.00 (this average lawn takes
1/2 hour) = $4.00. I'm now down to $6.80

Are you saying that you charge $20.00 to mow the lawn? If so, you should be invoicing the customer $21.20 , not $20.00.

Technically the service provider doesn't 'pay' they tax, you 'collect' the tax. You generally don't count sales tax in cost of goods and services since it is a pass through. The sales tax isn't an expense to the person providing the service, just a pain in the ass.

Also, if your employees hourly rate is $8.00/hr then your actual expense is closer to $10.00/hr due to you paying the employer share of the FICA & Medicare taxes.

With that said, you are still in about the same position and I certainly understand your frustration. I have been a small business owner for 15 years now. No matter what, I still believe that people in America have greater opportunity than any other place in the world.

As for the gas prices, I don't like it either, but we are a lot better off than some other places in the world. In London they are paying the equivalent of $5.46/gallon for gas. ( I am pretty sure I got the math right)

Freedom isn't free, and neither is anything else worth having.

Cheers!

[lonewolf]

Well you know what I want...some damn polititan who can get this f'en gas war crap taken care of.

If you are talking about Iraq, that is not the problem. Iraq is now producing more oil than most of the period between the Gulf War and the Iraq War. They should soon be pumping more than their (pre-Saddam) peak in 1979. World oil production is at an all time high.

About the only politician that can do anything about the price of oil would be the Secretary General of the People's Republic of China. China's oil consumption rose 35% year to year in August, but I just saw this morning where that declined to 22% in September. They are now the #2 oil consumer in the world, behind the U.S. As recently as 1993, they produced more oil than they used and was a net exporter of oil.

World oil production is peaking as demand is increasing. Right now, demand is 98% of supply---very thin ice. Any interruption in production can cause an imbalance. There are 2 alternatives:

1. Drill more wells
2. Use less oil (by whatever means, like alternatives)

I wonder, though, how much of this $2 a gallon is federal and state taxes?

$.75? $1? Anybody know?

[lonewolf]

1. First off I'm in a 34% tax bracket because I'm self-
employeed...SUCKS!

Your quarterly income tax payments do not have to exceed 1/4 of your total prior year taxes. You may be giving the government too much money up front. Never give them a dime more than you have to.

[Sinman]

that why my momma sent me to college.
why not bitch about something worthwhile.
do you bitch because the bank charges you an atm fee?
how about that price on milk, over 3.00 a gallon!!!!!!!!!!!
...and cough medicine..... add it up.......78.00 a gallon.
...and you waste time bitching because you dig dirt and spend 2.01 on gas.

[mad hatter]

We're not fueling our vehicles with cough medicine, douche bag I sure as hell would like to see the gas prices go down. I have enough other fucking bills to pay. Man I cant stand this typical right-winged mentality.

[Punkinhead]

Well you know what I want...some damn polititan who can get this f'en gas war crap taken care of.

If you are talking about Iraq, that is not the problem. Iraq is now producing more oil than most of the period between the Gulf War and the Iraq War. They should soon be pumping more than their (pre-Saddam) peak in 1979. World oil production is at an all time high.

About the only politician that can do anything about the price of oil would be the Secretary General of the People's Republic of China. China's oil consumption rose 35% year to year in August, but I just saw this morning where that declined to 22% in September. They are now the #2 oil consumer in the world, behind the U.S. As recently as 1993, they produced more oil than they used and was a net exporter of oil.

World oil production is peaking as demand is increasing. Right now, demand is 98% of supply---very thin ice. Any interruption in production can cause an imbalance. There are 2 alternatives:

1. Drill more wells
2. Use less oil (by whatever means, like alternatives)

I wonder, though, how much of this $2 a gallon is federal and state taxes?

$.75? $1? Anybody know?

Congressman Dave Reed told his cousin (my friend) that he pays roughly .60 per gallon to fuel his vehicles.....Well over $1 is in taxes.....

[DMFJ03]

This is funny, right now I am watching The Terminator on VH1 and it is at the end of movie when she pulls into the gas station. The signs says 40.3 Litro.

Good lord, would I love paying 40.3 cents for gas!

[JayBird]

Yeah I waste time bitching about spending over $2.00 a gallon...never bitched about digging dirt. #1 rule in business is "maximize proifits". My clients land up eating my extra costs and there will come a point where they feel they pay too much. Then what happens....I lose that battle and they cancel my services. How can I maximize profits then? When I started my business I was spending about $.89 or .99 a gallon...that was seven years ago. The price has doubled in that amount of time. At that rate we'll all be broke from paying gas prices. Our gov't is basically forcing small businesses under. Take the independent truck drivers for example. I feel for those guys. How can anyone operate a profitable business at the going rate and the rate of incline. It's getting to be near impossible.

One thing to prove how the gov't controls things is by looking at the invention of the hydro car. Yes, it has been produced and the gov't is trying to keep is hush hush...why you ask...how can you tax something that is SOOOOO free...water. 70% of the earth is water. We have the tools to make a more efficient world but gov't puts their force to work if they can't have a slice of the pie.

About my quarterly taxes...I pay $900 so I don't get penalized for making too much money. I also pay a monthly 6% for the service tax on my maint. work. There is another $400 - $500...I'm the one sweeting my balls off, not these corporate bullies. I think I have every right to be upset with the way the ball is rolling. It wasn't until 1993 that the gov't started making landscapers pay the 6% service tax. The took a look at all the landscapers who were making good money just from cutting a lawn. What did the gov't...wrote new laws stating that they were entitled to MY money. How can we get the landscaper's money they asked...WE TAX THE WORK THAT THEY DO. How fair is this...honestly? Because I cut a lawn the gov't thinks they should get a cut of my labor charge. This makes no sense to me. Also in landscaping there are sooo many gray areas. If I trim branches on a tree I have to pay 6% of my labor charge, but if I cut the whole tree down I don't have to pay the 6%. If I plant a shrub...no tax, if I trim the shrub...tax. If I do a landscape design(planting, mulch, etc.)...no tax, but if I come back the next year to put new mulch down...tax. The list goes on and I've even called and ask the Department of Revenue what some of these rules and laws mean...there answer...WE DON'T KNOW. IT"S ALL SO NEW...if you get penalized tell them so and so told you to not tax it.

Oh well...i feel better for bitching. At least my freedom of speech entitles me to be able to do that...or does it. Freedom of speech...how free is it? Ever call a cop a PIG to their face...try it. See how your FREEdom of speech is tweek to suit certain groups.

Just some more things to think about!

[Sinman]

whoa!!!!
you have the same rates as you did 7 years ago.
man, my 12 year old neighbor kid has higher rates than you.
maybe, just maybe after 7 years, you should think about raising your profit margin.
there is your economics class for the day.

as for the independant truck drivers, as i know many of them. they raise rates, period.
as diesel goes up, so do thier rates per mile. hence, your groceries go up, your clothing, and any other goods that are shipped via tracker trailer.
that is an interesting concept.
as for your customers, they will pay for your service or do it themselves. thats business.
but to bitch about gas prices when you havent raised your prices up in 7 years is crazy.

mad hatter, the only thing i like going down, is your momma.

[str8h8]

...do you bitch because the bank charges you an atm fee?
how about that price on milk, over 3.00 a gallon!!!!!!!!!!!
...and cough medicine..... add it up.......78.00 a gallon.

I don't bitch about ATM fees because I don't use ATM's that cost me fees to use. I don't drink Milk, nor do I use cough medicine. Damn! Where is my money going then!?!

[DMFJ03]

Kids...Kids!

Fight nice!

[bassist_25]

We're not fueling our vehicles with cough medicine

It would be the shiznitz if you could.

Then again, people might look at me weird if I buy 200 bottles of Night-Quil. They'll start to think that I'm running a meth lab or something.

[Sinman]

sex drugs and rock and roll

[bassist_25]

Kids...Kids!

Fight nice!

That's the beauty of cyber-space; people can act like immature jackasses all they want. Message boards are the ultimate stimulation of the Amylgada. Destroy your super ego and embrace your id - that's what I say!

[bassist_25]

Abstinence, natural herbs, and Polka!!!!

(sorry, I'm just here to boost my post count)

[DMFJ03]

Actually, what happens when the ID came from the Ego?

I'm so confused!!

[mad hatter]

mad hatter, the only thing i like going down, is your momma.

That's funny, because she tells me that you're real good at getting the the food out from between her teeth.
Go wreck your harley or something you fucking loser

[Sinman]

is that your bands name, vertigo?
we'll have to see ya sometime.
you can count on it.

[DMFJ03]

It's pretty sad when a Gas Topic turns to fisticuffs.

[mad hatter]

OOOOH, I can count on it. Don't miss the next show, I'd love to meet you.

[Ron]

there is your economics class for the day.

What economics class is that? How to Increase Inflation 101?
Are you really in support of higher taxes and more gov't spending?