Well, if factories started paying their workers off in goods rather than dollars that would provide at least one captive customer for Government Motors….

At least SOMEBODY would then be receiving government approved and oh so green vehicles…..

Yes gas prices were recently falling, which was due to lowered demand for oil which in turn was due to a slowing down economy.

The economy is still slow – and getting slower from the looks of it – but the gas prices rise.

The rise in gas prices is due to the rise in oil prices which in turn is due to the dollar not being worth as much.

It takes more dollars now to buy the same amount of oil on the international market.

Remember the old stories about Post WWI German money being so worthless it took a basket to buy one loaf of bread?

Same principle at work.

For why the dollar is not worth as much, consider the government budget we are going into this year. They are printing trillions of dollars in deficit spending.

We are also getting into the vacation season of course, but from all reports it seems a lot of folks are cutting wayyyyyy back on expensive and far flung vacations this year, and I was noticing the rising gas prices at least a month ago – well before the start of the traditional vacation season.

As for non-drivers not noticing an increase directly, I would suggest keeping an eye on the cost of basic goods and services (they’ll increase) as well as the packaging of goods purchased (cereal boxes, for instance get smaller and use thinner cardboard) as companies attempt to maintain existing prices.

Much as I hate to contemplate it (after all, I DO have a wife and 2 young kids to provide for!), this thing IS going to hit the wall sooner and with more force than I imagined.

Already gas prices are not creeping up – they’re flying up – and we haven’t even really hit stride regarding what’s coming down the road in the way of inflation as the effects of higher energy costs ripple out through an already weak economy.

It’s happening sooner than I expected, and therefore I’m concerned the effects will be worse than I expected.

In listening to NPR yesterday, they admitted that the gas prices were rising due to the devalued dollar.

The commentator had to toss in something to the effect “gas prices go up no matter what you do”.

Neither of the air heads had the nerve apparently to explain exactly WHY the dollar is dropping in value…..

Oddly enough watching a bit of Greta last night I saw Rick Santorum and I thought he made a couple of good observations on this incident. He said he thought that Obama being a role model for blacks it was a good thing he did these “date nights” with Michelle and projected good family values – especially when 72 percent of babies born to blacks are born out of wedlock. But then he also noted it would have been a much better example if they had done something a majority of those people could emulate – such as getting some food and a bottle of wine and having night picnic down by the Potomac. I think that scenario would have actually played better around the world as well.