http://www.wftv.com/news/16575776/detail.html?rss=orlc&psp=news

My husband's friend and proud full-size truck owner used to constantly make fun of my Kia Rio as being a "toy car." He called recently to ask to borrow it for a trip to Jacksonville due to gas prices...I'm thinking no. LOL!

What are we going to do about this craziness and why is Gainesville even above the national average? My hubby says it's because the University doesn't pay for so many things that we have to make up for it...true?

It is my belief that more and more students that are attending UF are coming from families who are better off finacially. I cann't not begin to tell you how many times I have sat in a resturant and listen to some rich kid complain to her parents about not having a maid to clean their apartment, not being happy about the new car they got, and there spring break vacation not being in Mexico. It saddens me, to think we as a nation are raising our children on birthday parties that costs $400.00 per party. Or having our children in so many afternoon school programs so that they don't get bored. What happen to letting our children play in the backyard and let them use their imagations? What has happen to the backyard swing sets and playhouses?

I think this would be a great question to feature on the home page tomorrow. I want to know, as well, why is Gainesville so expensive?!

I feel the cost of gas and other items here in Gainesville is in part because of the Collage Students.
They are here and some are living on Mom and Dad's money and really have no choice than to buy what they need.
This has effected us all.
The cost of gas here has always been at least 10 cents higher than other city's nearby.
This will never change.
The collage effects wages and the prices of everything we buy.
The cost of housing and just everyday living.

I am in my late 40's and I went through a gas war in the 70's and I know this can't happen in today's society but if we would all stop buying gas for a week or 2 the cost would drop and stay down!
But like I said that won't happen today, we just pay the price...........in more ways than one.
We are going to have to move back into town because we are now spending 600 a month on gas that's up 400 from last year, we just can't do it anymore.
Things are going to have to change

the cost of gasoline in Gainesville and Alachua County is higher than the state and national average because we are one of the highest taxed counties for gasoline and the city of Gainesville also levies a tax on gasoline.

That is where you see the extra 10 cents. i've done the research before and posted links here. Give me some time and i'll find the links again.

talking to my sister who is in the Orlando area and she says gas there is only 3.75.

in my opinion that is still to high but comparing to us that is low!

i did see something about the taxes going up w/ the gasoline and why the cost seems so much higher.

quote:

Originally posted by Mary Reichardt:
My My hubby says it's because the University doesn't pay for so many things that we have to make up for it...true?

I hear this from my husband all the time and I believe much of it is true. UF gets a ton of tax breaks. Plus, the commissioners are anti-big business. Look how long it took us to get a Super Wal-Mart.

I feel for those who think they're solution is to move closer to town, especially with the current housing market.

And, as a pp stated, we have a high tax base. I think the City and County Appropriation Committees here in Gainesville need an overhaul. And if we don't have them, we should get them.

and the gas prices are driving up the prices of food. I was so disappointed yesterday when I took my 3 year old to TCBY for 99 cent cone tonight only to find out, it's not 99 cents anymore. It's now $1.50. It seems like everything I buy is going up, up, up.

I hear you on that one. I went to buy toilet paper and was shocked!! I buy it in the large packages (I really don't want to be caught without it LOL) so it last's about a month. Glory be, I found that it had gone from about $6 to about $8!!!!! I had to switch brands.

I agree, it is so much more expensive to live in Gainesville than anywhere else. I moved back here because at one time this was a nice community to live in with lots of opportunities for kids. However, the past few years this has turned into more of a college town and less of a family town. Other than SkateStation, there isn't a lot of places to take your kids, but there are certainly enough bars for college students to get drunk and stupid in! I'm starting to look at job opportunities elsewhere to get away from this madness...

Hmmm all very good comments and points. I would go for the gas protest but I know it isn't practical but I'm a little protester and have organized a couple myself that have been very successful and empowering. They want you to think it won't be effective and there's nothing you can do but lay down and accept certain things and I say "NO WAY!" LOL! I should have been born in the 70s...

ok, did some traveling this weekend...

daughter had a softball tournament in Jax Beach and had to pick up son in Wildwood Sunday afternoon. once we got out of alachua county towards I-10, gas dropped almost 15 cents. Consistently, gas was $4.10 if you paid attention in Gainesville over the weekend. Leaving out on Saturday morning, I filled up in Starke for $3.94. Made sure when i came back through Starke Sunday afternoon to fill back up to save the change...

Dropped daughter off at UF for softball camp and headed to Wildwood. Found gas there for $3.91.

It is bad everywhere but Alachua County/Gainesville is the worst! Thank you County and City Commissioners!

Have you seen the gas at the BP station at I75 &39th Ave?
4.35 and the Chevron in Newberry is 4.29..............I don't know what we are going t do now if the cheaper stations go to that we will have to stop driving.
I do not say that lightly.
This is very serious, the cost of gas has went up but our pay checks are still the same.
This is not going to get any better if we don't do something about it.

I see China has bout the right to drill for oil off the Florida cost.........they bout the right from Cuba!
We have got to start here and get something done about the cost of Oil.
If we keep paying the high prices it will only go up.
We might have to pull our child out of the summer VPK because we can't afford the gas to go back and forth 2 times a day.

quote:

Originally posted by BrandysMom:
We might have to pull our child out of the summer VPK because we can't afford the gas to go back and forth 2 times a day.

I feel your pain...My 16 year old daughter had originally signed up to be a camp counselor for our churches summer camp but that was about 4 months ago...now we calculated it and we would be spending about $140.00 a week just in the gas to get her there and back everyday. We pulled her out of the program about two weeks ago.

My hubby and I were sharing a vehicle until he took this new job @ UF. Do to the increase in his pay we bought him a used but newer car. Now due to gas prices and the increase in food, we are alternating between cars each week or week take the van when we all go somewhere together. Now we have a $350.00 car payment for what??? So the car can sit in the yard and look pretty? On top of that, if things do not give, my hubby and I will have to pull the kids from their sproting activities and both of us stop coaching youth sports. Driving to Alachua and back 4-5 days a week is REALLY killing our pockets. These gas prices are really taking their toll on the U.S as a whole!!!