Are "blue states" being punished with high gas prices?

[Clothahump]

@DaveRaver

Gas prices are generally higher in “blue states” (states that vote Democratic) than in “red states” (states that vote Republican). In fact, the lowest gas prices are in Wyoming, the home state of Dick Cheney!

Map of gas prices

2004 electoral map

WHOOOOSSHH!!!

Oil prices are set by the oil companies. They then have local taxes added to them. If the costs are higher in the blue states, it’s more than likely because the blue states tax their citizens higher than the red ones do.

No conspiracy here folks, move along…

[Count_Blucher]

@Wile E

Well, there has to be some advantage to living in New Jersey.

Q: How many different E-Z pass type plastic boxes would you have to stick on your windshield to drive all the toll-roads of Florida and leave your cash home? Three? Four?

Where you wish upon a star, Jeb bends you over (and your car)…

[Really_Not_All_That_Bright]

@Count Blucher

Q: How many different E-Z pass type plastic boxes would you have to stick on your windshield to drive all the toll-roads of Florida and leave your cash home? Three? Four?

Where you wish upon a star, Jeb bends you over (and your car)…

One.

At least, mine does that.

[Ludovic]

@Really Not All That Bright

One.

At least, mine does that.

Mine, too. Although I hear that the SunPass doesn’t necessarily work with the E-Pass but not having one I can’t confirm or deny that personally.

[Count_Blucher]

I’ve seen 3 on the windshields of cars of people whom I personally know that work in the Orlando area but live much closer to the Kennedy Space Center. According to them, no, they do not all work together and no one box works on all of Florida’s toll roads. They told me that they had three because they needed all three just to get to work and back. According to them, SunPass was just one of the [del]corrupt patronage job companies[/del] I mean competitors, and it didn’t allow payment on its roads by EZ Pass.

But enough of the hijack: Fess up your gas prices.

[pepperlandgirl]

@Santo Rugger

That is patently false. Quality and grade are independent of each other. The grade of a gasoline measures octane, while the quality measures… well, I’m not sure how to measure the quality of gasoline. Regardless, octane is lower in Utah because it is a higher altitude than California. With less air, there’s less oxygen, and the mixture will be lest apt to predetonation. Grade, or octane number, is defined as the resistance to predetonation. Although California probably has more stringent environmental standards and less refinery capacity per capita, the octane of gasoline you can buy in each is irrelevant. In fact, the octanes you can buy in Santa Fe and Albuquerque are generally different, and they’re only 45 minutes apart and about 1500 feet elevation difference.

Sorry. FWIW, I didn’t make it up out of whole-cloth. There’s been a lot of discussion amongst friends/family/coworkers about gas, and I reported what I had heard. Should have double-checked before apparently talking out of my ass.

[Santo_Rugger]

@pepperlandgirl

Sorry. FWIW, I didn’t make it up out of whole-cloth. There’s been a lot of discussion amongst friends/family/coworkers about gas, and I reported what I had heard. Should have double-checked before apparently talking out of my ass.

Don’t be sorry, I didn’t mean to sound condescending (although the “patently false” part probably didn’t help matters… but I’ve always wanted to say that). At least next time they bring it up you can explain to them the difference between quality and grade, though.

@Really Not All That Bright

This is MPSIMS. How dare you bring facts into the thread!

Whoops, my bad, wrong forum. I guess in a thread tangentially related to cars, I ought to be posting pics of me puting mid grade in my Charger, huh?

[Really_Not_All_That_Bright]

@Count Blucher

I’ve seen 3 on the windshields of cars of people whom I personally know that work in the Orlando area but live much closer to the Kennedy Space Center. According to them, no, they do not all work together and no one box works on all of Florida’s toll roads. They told me that they had three because they needed all three just to get to work and back. According to them, SunPass was just one of the [del]corrupt patronage job companies[/del] I mean competitors, and it didn’t allow payment on its roads by EZ Pass.

But enough of the hijack: Fess up your gas prices.

They’re full of it, or their transponders are placed incorrectly. Since both went to the windshield transponder instead of the bumper transponder (which was something like six years ago) E-Pass and SunPass work everywhere.

The only exceptions are two bridges up in the Panhandle which use their own transponder system, and nobody wants go there anyway.

[Plynck]

We in the blue states demand designer brand gasoline (please do not call it “gas” :rolleyes: ) and are willing to pay the increased price. It is galling to us to think that we could be using the same gasoline that NASCAR fans put in their vehicles. Right now I have my eye on a hybrid that runs on Pinot Noir.