Originally Posted by jcruse
Say that to the Europeans...
I think the Netherlands (Amsterdam) is > $6.00, with other countries not too far behind. Personally, I think it SHOULD stay that high (or higher). Maybe then people will start demanding alternative fuels, like Hydrogen or bio-diesel and stop driving monster SUV's that you can't see beyond while driving in the crossfire.
European gas prices also have huge taxes... Here is a piece I copied out of a San Diego Tribune article...
"For decades, European countries have imposed high taxes on fuel to encourage conservation and fuel-efficient technologies while funding public transportation. In England, the Netherlands and Scandinavia, the taxes on gas are more than twice as much as the underlying cost of the fuel."
So if you remove their taxes it drops the price of gas to under $3.
In the US most states have between 10-30 cents state tax (WI is highest with 31) and 18.2 cent fed. tax.
Take out taxes here and you range from just below $3 to $3.20 for premium here (just saw station with 92 octane for $3.69).
SOOO... if you really want to pay like europe, then everytime you fill up, set aside $3/gallon and send it in as a donation to a company or university for alternative fuel research.