Hi,
I'm only replying to your comments since you're one of my Finnish brothers...
I was just in Finland in April and I saw the gas prices. What I continue to say is that people in other
countries with higher gas prices DON'T understand is that the gas price is relavent to the cost of living
in a particular society. I'm not saying gas isn't expensive in Finland, but considering the majority of the population lives
in Metropolitan areas - you do at least have access to public transportation. Please read on...
People around the world think americans are so wealthy. Well the upper 5% of the population are, and they getting even richer!
Unfortunately the majority of everyday average Americans make even less than the average wages in Finland. With the exception
of about 7 of our wealthier states (California, Connecticut, New York, ect..) the rest of the other 40 states are lucky if a
person could even make $35,000/yr and many make way less! Say you make $30,000/yr Take $10,000 out for the gov't, left with
$20,000 - small rent/mortgage $1000/month, minus another $12,000. Your left with $8,000/yr - Guess what $800/month for Family health care. Hey wait - Does Family healthcare in Finland cost you $9600 per year? Woops! Now your at Negative $1600/yr without even talking about childcare, car payment, insurance, food, clothing.
Guess what? In states like Ohio the average working class American is now receiving LESS than they did in 1995!
Don't forget that we also have 10 million illegal aliens flooding our country every year SUPRESSING Americans wages.
Do you think Americans that work in Coffee houses, restaurants, supermarkets will every see a pay increase well the
cost of living around them triples! Illegals don't pay taxes, receive free health care and schooling, while my fellow
average American is getting SCREWED! We have no control over all this BS!
So back to the GAS prices. I don't know if you know but only Major metropolitan areas have decent public transportation. Some of our states are bigger than all of Scandinavia put together. Don't blame the regular American for having to live in a society where
the only available housing is 30, 40, 50, 60 miles away from the nearest job. The developers are the ones creating housing so far away that our entire life is consumed by commuting a long distance to work in CARS (Because 85% of the US doesn't have good public transportation).
So with that said, Yes, raising the gas prices $1+ per gallon is killing the average people, not the wealthy upper crust that
non-americans believe is the whole population. Did the millions of people in the Hurricane Katrina video look like they can afford
to pay $100/ week for gas just to have transportation.
Other people on this board also refer to gas relative to shampoo? Well I'm sorry but I wouldn't be buying 60 gallons of shampoo/week!
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Hi, I'm only replying to your comments since you're one of my Finnish brothers... I was just in Finland in April and I saw the gas prices. What I continue to say is that people in other countries with higher gas prices DON'T understand is that the gas price is relavent to the cost of living in a particular society. I'm not saying gas isn't expensive in Finland, but considering the majority of the population lives in Metropolitan areas - you do at least have access to public transportation. Please read on... People around the world think americans are so wealthy. Well the upper 5% of the population are, and they getting even richer! Unfortunately the majority of everyday average Americans make even less than the average wages in Finland. With the exception of about 7 of our wealthier states (California, Connecticut, New York, ect..) the rest of the other 40 states are lucky if a person could even make $35,000/yr and many make way less! Say you make $30,000/yr Take $10,000 out for the gov't, left with $20,000 - small rent/mortgage $1000/month, minus another $12,000. Your left with $8,000/yr - Guess what $800/month for Family health care. Hey wait - Does Family healthcare in Finland cost you $9600 per year? Woops! Now your at Negative $1600/yr without even talking about childcare, car payment, insurance, food, clothing. Guess what? In states like Ohio the average working class American is now receiving LESS than they did in 1995! Don't forget that we also have 10 million illegal aliens flooding our country every year SUPRESSING Americans wages. Do you think Americans that work in Coffee houses, restaurants, supermarkets will every see a pay increase well the cost of living around them triples! Illegals don't pay taxes, receive free health care and schooling, while my fellow average American is getting SCREWED! We have no control over all this BS! So back to the GAS prices. I don't know if you know but only Major metropolitan areas have decent public transportation. Some of our states are bigger than all of Scandinavia put together. Don't blame the regular American for having to live in a society where the only available housing is 30, 40, 50, 60 miles away from the nearest job. The developers are the ones creating housing so far away that our entire life is consumed by commuting a long distance to work in CARS (Because 85% of the US doesn't have good public transportation). So with that said, Yes, raising the gas prices $1+ per gallon is killing the average people, not the wealthy upper crust that non-americans believe is the whole population. Did the millions of people in the Hurricane Katrina video look like they can afford to pay $100/ week for gas just to have transportation. Other people on this board also refer to gas relative to shampoo? Well I'm sorry but I wouldn't be buying 60 gallons of shampoo/week!