Harper predicts pain at gas pumps if Layton is in power

lone wolf

Grossly Underrated
Nov 25, 2006
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In the bush near Sudbury
Gawd.... I can't be the only one here who remembers hardening balloon bike tires with one of these babies....



Always loved that P-ting P-ting P-ting.... Jangle always seemed to get someone angry.
 

taxslave

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 25, 2008
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Well one way to control your cost is to reduce the size of vehicle that you drive. So you do have some control over your costs.

Not always practical. Some of us require big vehicles and there is still the matter of all our food is produced and distributed by diesel burning equipment as is virtually everything else you purchase so every time fuel goes up so does everything else which causes more inflation.
Keeping energy costs down is good for the economy because we have high labour costs the best way to compete internationally is to have cheap energy of all kinds. And we are a country that is blessed with an abundance of energy options.

The hydro used to power the compressor used to be called overhead. Now it gets collated and passed on to the consumer, for greater profits.

Any idea if there is HST on that air?
 

PoliticalNick

The Troll Bashing Troll
Mar 8, 2011
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Edson, AB
Do you think that that air is free to the gas/service station?
The compressor costs a bit and so does the hydro to run it but the air itself is drawn from the atmosphere and costs nothing. It's not like they have nitrogen canisters delivered so you can fill your tires with it.

Now I would call providing an air compressor at a service station to be good customer service and added value for the consumer. I remember the day when getting gas meant someone filled your tank, checked the oil, washed your windows and made sure your tires were correctly inflated. It used to be normal. Now our corporate profit-driven mentality has made it ok for them to charge a loonie or more for adding a couple of PSI to a tire. It is really just gouging when you think the compressor costs about $300 and the hydro to run it 24/7/365 would be about $20/mo. Sometimes you have to accept certain things as the cost of doing business and not try to profit from everything.
 

CDNBear

Custom Troll
Sep 24, 2006
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Ontario
The little old Chinese guy that owns the local spray wash, doesn't charge for the air line, he leaves out 24/7.
 

JLM

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Nov 27, 2008
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Vernon, B.C.
Do you think that that air is free to the gas/service station?

No but when you divide the cost of the compressor and the hydro it probably works out to less than 5 cents a customer. I'll tell you just how simple it is Gerry. There's places in Vernon that charge for air and places that don't. I buy my gas from the places that don't. Now they can make up their mind whether they want to sell air or sell gas. :lol:

taxslave Any idea if there is HST on that air?[/QUOTE said:
I'm not sure if there is H.S.T. on the air but there is a lot of hot air in the H.S.T. and those who imposed it. :lol:
 

PoliticalNick

The Troll Bashing Troll
Mar 8, 2011
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Edson, AB
No but when you divide the cost of the compressor and the hydro it probably works out to less than 5 cents a customer. I'll tell you just how simple it is Gerry. There's places in Vernon that charge for air and places that don't. I buy my gas from the places that don't. Now they can make up their mind whether they want to sell air or sell gas. :lol:

I would bet it cost less than 5 cents/customer, more like a penny or two.

We too have some that have free air and some that charge and I avoid the ones that charge. We also still have 1 full-sevice station on the outskirts of town where they pump the gas, check the oil, and wash the windows. The owner doesn't charge any more than all the other self-serve stations but what he may lose in wages he sure makes up in volume. I know some who will drive across town past 8 other gas-bars just to get the service.
 

JLM

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Nov 27, 2008
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I would bet it cost less than 5 cents/customer, more like a penny or two.

We too have some that have free air and some that charge and I avoid the ones that charge. We also still have 1 full-sevice station on the outskirts of town where they pump the gas, check the oil, and wash the windows. The owner doesn't charge any more than all the other self-serve stations but what he may lose in wages he sure makes up in volume. I know some who will drive across town past 8 other gas-bars just to get the service.

That sounds like my wife, she always patronizes the full serve stations (actually I think she is afraid of pumping it herself)
 

Durry

House Member
May 18, 2010
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Canada
Not always practical. Some of us require big vehicles and there is still the matter of all our food is produced and distributed by diesel burning equipment as is virtually everything else you purchase so every time fuel goes up so does everything else which causes more inflation.
Keeping energy costs down is good for the economy because we have high labour costs the best way to compete internationally is to have cheap energy of all kinds. And we are a country that is blessed with an abundance of energy options.
?
Canada's energy is not cheap to produce.
In fact it is probably has the most expensive energy to produce of any of the larger energy producing nations.
And yes, our labour and social costs are also expensive which adds to the cost of producing the oil.

The argument you make about keeping our oil cheap could be the same argument to give these oil producers tax breaks. But most fail to understand the importance our oil industry plays in our well being.
 

captain morgan

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Mar 28, 2009
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Durry, it's difficult to convey that reality to anyone that believes they have entitlements to cheap fuel, but virtually impossible in the face that some consumers can see "value" and justify a $4 Starbucks coffee.
 

PoliticalNick

The Troll Bashing Troll
Mar 8, 2011
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Edson, AB
Canada's energy is not cheap to produce.
In fact it is probably has the most expensive energy to produce of any of the larger energy producing nations.
And yes, our labour and social costs are also expensive which adds to the cost of producing the oil.

The argument you make about keeping our oil cheap could be the same argument to give these oil producers tax breaks. But most fail to understand the importance our oil industry plays in our well being.

Not quite true.

If you want to look at raw production costs, free from any refining or shipping etc. then the cost to produce 1 barrel from the oil sands is about $50-55 and this is dropping as the techniques become better. The fact that we ship most of the crude out of the country for refining and then ship it back adds huge costs.

Now think about our production vs consumption. We produce between 4.5 - 6 billion bbls/yr depending on whose report you read, we consume about 3 billion bbls/year.

So if you want to talk about the oil industry contributing to our well-being the best way would be to increase the refining capability in Canada to match consumption, make it law that all the oil producers and refineries have to be Canadian owned, supply ourselves entirely at a much reduced cost and sell the leftovers to the highest bidder.

And just a little FYI - I see no value ina $4 cup of java from starbucks and have no I dea how they justify it.