I have to admit that seeing a Prius plastered with bumper stickers at Sonnewald Natural Foods makes me smile more than General Motors’ upbeat news of the first quarter.
The hot-selling redesigned Chevrolet Tahoe. 
Tahoe sales were up more than 50 percent in January. (Hot Tahoe fuels GM optimism/Detroit News). This is good news for GM saddled with high production costs and a decreasing market share. Large SUVs can fetch $15,000 in profit, where a base Honda Civic base price to the consumer starts at $14,050
There are some environmental improvements to the large SUV. The new Tahoe gets more than 20 mpg, an improvement over its predecessor. It’s good to know that some large SUV owners are now out of the teens and into the 20s.
I drive a lot of miles, but gas prices don’t affect me much because I get 50 mpg. Although gas prices are spiking recently, it appears that they aren’t high enough. Consumption is up, supply is tight.
I appreciate the large SUV consumer. By helping to push up the price of gas and feeding the trade deficit with oil-producing countries, they are eventually forcing conservation, the viability of alternative energy sources and feeding innovative car companies making more choices available to me for my next car.
I totally agree that gas prices aren't high enough. Sensitive readers may want to divert their eyes for a moment, but the best thing that could happen to this country in the long run is to increase the gas tax. Higher prices spur conservation and innovation and better reflect the true cost oil incurs to our fragile environment.
It is rather ironic that the people who whine the most about high gas prices, are often the very cause of higher prices. Yup the SUV fanactic is helping to drive up prices, which in turn results in more conservation awareness, but I don't thank them for their gluttonous ways. I thank the patriots who drive down the price by conserving. Less money per gallon and less gallons burned --a win-win situation for all.
Crude prices have again spiked to near $70 a barrel this week, a price not seen since Katrina. Since this continuous rise in profit for oil traders is a bit more than the increase of the average paycheck, it will be far more effective than a slow moving gas tax increase that diverts the responsibility to government.
I say let the market take the lead. It’s far swifter and will cut deeper than any tax. I only wish the profit made off the backs of the average American could be funneled into research that will point all of us toward energy independence – but that would decrease oil use and reduce short term profit.
In the end, greed will destroy itself by destroying its own market and, hopefully, may spark a new philosophy among corporate America as to the expectations of consumers.
In the meantime, Americans appear content with using more, paying more and making the oil barons very rich.