How to Change the World, by Al

I know I am not alone when it comes to emptying a wallet at the gas station, and who is making all of this money and profit? It sure isn’t me! I have seen my personal monthly gas expense increase by over $3.00 a day in just three short months. Yes, I do drive a 4×4 F150 Ford pick up truck, which registers only 16-mpg and my commute to work is little over 40 miles. WHAT, do I do? … I could sell my mountain home and move down into gritty smog of the city closer to my work …. “I don’t think so!” Maybe I could work a few extra hours and ‘stick-it’ to The Man with overtime hours to make up for the increase in my gas expense. Well, I am already working 10 hours a day, and being that I am ‘The Man’ … so I would technically be sticking to myself. I don’t think that is a good idea.

So what should I do? Let’s see …. I am spending around $120 a week for gas in a vehicle that gets only 16 mpg; maybe I should buy one of those Smart Cars it reports 48 - 50 miles per gallon, and that would save me a ton of money. Let us see, at 48 mpg the Smart Car would cut my fuel costs by 2/3, which would save be over $300.00 a month. A Loan on a $15,000 Smart Car at 7% for 5 years would be $297.00. Wow, that may work … No …. No … No I am still not saving any real money I am just buying another car. OK, I do have an old 1987 Suzuki Samaria, it is very uncomfortable and being it is a soft top it is extremely loud, but it does get over 30 mpg. As uncomfortable as it is; my savings would be over $200. a month not to mention all the gas I would be saving. Now if all of us baby boomers would drive a little economy car old or new that would send those ‘oil guys’ a real message. Our youthful selves of forty years back would jump at the opportunity to make a change; we would probably have a sit-in in front of a gas station. Yes, we should all dust-off that old VW and park our new SUV, and make a statement to the World.

Driving small cars to work, is good for those willing to make the change, however if we want to make a national change maybe we need to make some policy changes: How do you feel about these things:

• Significantly, Increase the vehicle registration fees on vehicles that have 10 and 8 cylinders.

• Significantly, Decrease the vehicle registration fees on vehicles that have 6 or 4 cylinders

• Vehicles that operate at 40 mpg or better or on alternative fuels pay NO registration fee.

• Provide a special low interest loan programs to assist individuals in purchasing alternative fuel vehicles or on those cars that have MPG above 40.

We Still Can Believe in Magic

Someone said … “The difference between recession and depression is … a recession is when your neighbor is unemployed … a depression is when you are unemployed.”

The Wall Street Suits define a recession as a decline in business activity which usually results in lower individual spending, higher unemployment and a dip in wholesale and retail prices.

I know I am not the sharpest tool in the shed, but it seems my life has been in a recession since I moved out of my parents house. While I was living with my parents I could buy all sorts of things with my paycheck from my part-time job, however, once I moved out on my own things changed.

I have a great job … it’s interesting and the pay is good, however, when it comes to buying things, or going places with my hard earned cash the only place I can afford to go is … to the Gas Station; and the only things I can buy or pay for are … house, car, insurance, electricity, kid’s college tuition, and food.

At my Mom’s and Dad’s I was going to the movies, sock-hop dances, concerts, football, and basketball games. I had a cool home stereo for my records and a 4-track tape player for my van. I hot-dogged, tail-spined, and walked the nose on my skateboard, my hair was long and blond, and there were chicks … I mean cool chicks. The nights were long and warm with lots of stuff to do and me and the boys did it all.

Today, I have not been to the movies in months, no football games, no basketball games, and the last concert was 1n 82. Now, my kids have music ipods, and mp3 stuff in their cars. I am not hot-dogging with my board anymore; and my surf-knots are just sore knees now, and all those chicks … I got an old lady. Remembering those long warm summer nights painting the town red and doing crazy stuff all night long … Well, today I am doing great if I am awake for the 9 o’clock news. There is one thing I still have for those good old days, and that is my blond hair, and I still part-it in the middle, it just is a 4″ part now … Well, maybe I have just been leading the way for all those baby boomers who are saying maybe our economy is heading into a Recession.

Cheers everyone