Gas

The price-per-gallon that Americans pay for gas is at an all-time high, despite there having been no mind-numbing hurricane like Katrina along the Gulf of Mexico's "Chemical Coast" where the bulk of America's refinery capacity exists.

There have been no refinery fires. No massive refinery outages or rebuilding programs. And yet despite this:

A friend of mine visited Yosemite Park in Fornicalia this past weekend and paid $4.17 a gallon.

An independent dealer, Bob Oyster in San Francisco, has "had it" with Shell Oil and, because of astronomical and geometric monthly rent, is pricing his premium at $4.53 the gallon in order to drive people away from his station -- in order to make a "statement" against corporate interests and "for" the independent dealers. From SFGate.com:

Maybe so, but anyone entering the business had better be prepared. Oyster says his rent has gone up exponentially. Fifteen years ago it was $1,000 a month. Then it went to $6,000, then $8,000, and five years ago the company wanted $13,000. Oyster says he was able to appeal that amount, based on real estate values, and "we got it down to $6,000,'' but this year Shell came back with a demand of $13,000 again.

Andres Oppenheimer of the Miami Herald believes that nasty gas prices may serve to motivate our movement towards other energy sources. This is the Standard Democrat Line: higher gas prices make them happy. Higher gas prices + no more petroleum infrastructure building + overbearing environmental regulations against construction of more refineries + no drilling in ANWR + no nuclear production + no offshore drilling = Happy Democrats.

But remember: "All animals are equal; some are more equal than others."

If you are forced to drive a Smart ForTwo (see photo), do you think your fellow Democrats In Politics will be riding in similar cars with a chauffeur? Or will it be "limos as usual" for our powdered and pampered Elites? And what might happen, posit I, when your miniscule Smart happens to collide at 60 mph, let's say, with your average Toyota Corolla or better. You figure it out.

Despite all that, with gas at record highs, I'm going to buy a $30,000 Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD SUV with the kick-ass 3.5L, 280 hp Lexus engine, 5-speed auto, moonroof, navigation, leather, tow package with larger radiator and alternator. I looked at, drove and was about to purchase the 2007 Lexus RX350 -- until I saw and drove the '07 RAV4 Limited. I was unimpressed with the RX350 dash and cargo layout. And with the same engine, the Lexus demands premium unleaded whilst the RAV4 sups regular. And more room in the RAV4. Talk about engineering!

I'm currently driving a 2003 Subaru Outback Sport wagon; a very small car with a 2.5L engine, strange transmission and inefficient brakes. It has 89,000 miles.

I'm tired of being wedged into a tuna can. I'm tired of cloth upholstery. I'm tired of my line-of-sight being lower than the bulk of the motoring public. I'm tired of being passed up 3-Mile Grade past Colfax by the local Hamms beer truck. And I'm tired of driving a small car that, with AWD, gets an average of 25 mpg.

For roughly the same mpg (as far as I can determine with official literature and consumer comments on various sites and blogs) I'll be getting LEBENSRAUM (Teutonic version of Manifest Destiny). I want MY chunk of the pie. I want to drive my kick-ass SUV carrying ONE human: ME. I want to have a line-of-sight higher than what I've had.

Figuring on $5.00 a gallon for gas, my 15.9 gallon gas tank will require $80.00 per fill. Know what? I can readily afford that at my $90K per year salary and it WON'T affect my driving habits. I figure I deserve a newer, larger vehicle and I'm tired of being shoehorned into a small car at my advanced age. I am SO "done" with Chevy Metros, Sprints, Subarus, Rabbits and the like. I've historically done my bit for God and Country, my "guilt" resulting in the purchase of smaller vehicles throughout my life.

Sure, if I didn't have to have a 4WD vehicle I'd purchase a new Honda Accord with the V6 today. But I have no choice; 4WD isn't an "option" for me, its a necessity for getting home in winter, having the ability to access my house, and getting to work through the snow. I live at the 4,000 foot level in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and 4WD is mandatory.

Yes, I'm pissed because gas is ridiculously expensive with little explanation to the motoring public save that of "because we can."

And yes, I've evidently picked a poor political time to upscale to a vehicle that can pretty much keep up with the Dodge Charger Police Package Hemi. The 2007 Hemi Charger, 4,200 lbs., 340 hp, runs 0-60 in 6.0 seconds flat. The RAV4 V6, 3,500 lbs, 280 hp, hails just a tick behind at 6.3 seconds. Pretty much the Ultimate Q-Ship.

But at this point I couldn't care less; I can afford what I want. And trust me: 90% of the time I'll be driving my new car with just one person within: me.

The Democrats, Progressives and Liberals can all kiss my ass if they think I'm shoehorning myself into another tuna can at my age and stage of my life.

This is America, that's what I want, and I can afford it.

BZ