However, given the stagnation of the lowest quartiles' wages for several years now, many people in the US are living on a very tight budget and even a small increase in an important feature of their budget (like heating oil for people living in the northern parts of the country) is certainly very painful.
That's the reason why I agree with the idea of increasing taxes on oil products and, at the same time, subsidise people earning less than the median wage, to help them to change their lifestyle (investments in conservation measures, change in the transportation means...) and to support them through the period while the necessary public investments should be made (development of public transportation networks...). "Dieu se rit des hommes qui se plaignent des conséquences alors qu'ils en chérissent les causes" Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet
Shall we make a basket of goods and see if we can get something of a consensus? Too bad there isn't a LATomatoes.com like there is http://www.losangelesgasprices.com/ -
Things I always buy (in euros) Bread - 1.20 Tomatoes, vine ripened - 1.50 /kilo Leeks - 2.10 /kilo Eggplant - 1.65 /kilo Various sheep and goat cheeses - 10 /kilo Various Fruits ~ 2.50-3.00 /kilo
Things bought regularly, but not weekly Gazole - 1.35 /liter Coffee at cafe - 1.10 /injection Coffee American at cafe - 1.50 per cup (includes free internet) Olive Oil (going down in price) - 4.50 per liter 5 cheap cigars - 3.20
2 liters of 40 weight - 20.00 Never underestimate their intelligence, always underestimate their knowledge.
Frank Delaney ~ Ireland
By the way, I will be in Sophia Antipolis on Wednesday for a conference. I am arriving on Tuesday around 20h00. Any chance we could have a drink together? "Dieu se rit des hommes qui se plaignent des conséquences alors qu'ils en chérissent les causes" Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet
