Gas prices hurt rural poor the most
Bob Morris @ Jun 10th 2008 15:30 - Category: Unfiled Tags: gas prices
NY Times chart shows impact of gas prices hit rural poor in the South and Midwest the hardest. In some counties motorists are spending 16% of their income on gas.
This can’t continue. Those counties will empty out as businesses close and residents move to cities.
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DJ on 11 Jun 2008 at 9:03 am #
Welcome to the economic readjustment. Truckers (and trucking support staff) will need new jobs. Non-agricultural rural businesses will decrease. Probably the remaining residents will be buying a lot fewer Ford F-350 pickups (or at least having second vehicles that are much more fuel efficient). And the ‘burbs will eventually start to decline as well.
The good news for global corporations: this means a new pool of cheap labor ripe for exploitation right here at home. The good news for unions: someone’s going to need them again. The good news for the environment: we won’t be able to afford to waste half our energy anymore. The good news for the average consumer: I’ll get back to you.
BTW, unleaded gasoline in Cedar City, Utah last night was at $4.14. That’s now more than 30 minutes work at the average local wage.