concern at the gas station

I get frustrated every time I pull up to a gas station to fill up my vehicle.

But the source of this frustration is not because of the price of the petroleum. Don't get me wrong, I'm not excited about paying more for gasoline. But the reality of the situation is that the prices aren't high enough to change the behavior of most Americans. As I fuel up my tank, I scan the other cars at the station. Huge lifted trucks, full size SUVs and luxury sports sit alongside my honda civic at this suburban station in Peoria, AZ. A cherry red hummer sits next to me. At a fuel efficiency of 13 miles per gallon, this person is clearly not too concerned about the price of petroleum.

The frustration arises when I begin to think about where this money is going. Of the $3.20 USD, perhaps a penny or two is going to pay for the man/woman behind the counter and the over achieving assistant manager that bosses around his under-trained staff. Depending on the state you live in, 30 to 60 cents of the price is going to state and federal taxes for roads and environmental projects. I'm okay with this, although it would be great to see more resources being invested in mass transit projects in the cities.

And then the oil companies make their money, and wow, they make a lot of it. Don't let Shell, Exxon, Mobil, BP and others fool you . . . . they are making serious dough. However, at least a lot of this dough is staying in countries that don't support terrorism and are fighting for freedom worldwide (US, Europe, etc).

However, the bulk of the oil revenue goes into the pockets of governments which whom I have serious grievances with. The crew of beneficiaries includes Sudan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela and Nigeria. Between gross waste of funds, human rights violations, harboring and supporting terrorism, genocide and who knows what else, most of the countries that receive petrol dollars are working hard to make the world a worse place, not investing in meaningful goals.

So, I am frustrated as I pull up to the pump, not really knowing where my money is going.

Josh
Peoria, AZ