Associated Press
President Obama was in South Florida this afternoon, discussing energy policy and increased oil production at the University of Miami. With rising gas prices, the president is, not surprisingly, eager to discuss his ideas about reducing energy costs.
And then there's Rep. Allen West (R) of Florida, who shared his own concerns about the same issue on his Facebook page today.
"This 'tax policy' is an example as well as today's speech on his 'energy policy' shall be. Here is the bottom line, last night it took 70 dollars to fill the tank of my 2008 H3 Hummer, what is it costing you? What does it cost the president to fill his gas tank?"
It's hard not to enjoy the realization that West doesn't see the humor in this.
The far-right lawmaker drives a monstrous, almost cartoonish, vehicle, which was discontinued several years ago, and which gets about 15 miles per gallon. What's more, I know West's congressional district well -- I was born and raised in there -- and I can say with certainty that there's no practical reason the unhinged congressman needs to drive an Urban Assault Vehicle there.
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.
If West wants to whine about gas prices, fine; he can join the club. But he doesn't get to complain about sticker shock when he's driving a five-year-old H3.
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"The far-right lawmaker drives a monstrous, almost cartoonish, vehicle, which was discontinued several years ago..."
The reich's use of irony is hysterical.....Oh, you mean he's serious.....GOP= feigned & delusional
Alan West reminds me of this fellow.
Uh, the President doesn't fill his own gas tank. He rides around in a bulletproof tank-like Cadillac-body-on-truck-chassis, which is surrounded by a Secret Service motorcade. He would have done better to leave it at "...what is it costing you?"
Because it is practical to drive an SUV in Florida...all that snow!! What's a boy to do?? Dumbass.
Uh, like Geo W. didn't ride around in the same tank on truck chassis...?
Did HE ever fill his own presidential gas tank..?
George just let his ride graze by the side of the road when it ran out of gas.
Keyword......PRESIDENT.
Just when I thought Mr. West couldn't look any more foolish than he already had.
A Hummer, really???
Hummers actually have a similar ecological footprint to that of a Prius.
Do you have a link to back up that claim, ludwigtr?
Short answer - probably not.
http://www.thecarconnection.com/tips-article/1010861_prius-versus-hummer-exploding-the-myth
I have no problem w/ people owning Hummers. I don't think the point of Benen's post was to dog people who own Hummers. I think his point was that if you purchase a Hummer you already know that you're going to be spending an exuberant amount of money to fill it up. It's not something that I would personally buy unless I was an avid outdoors person. Like if I regularly went hunting, fishing, camping, rafting, etc. then I could totally see the appeal of a Hummer or a Jeep or some other like vehicle. For the average American a Hummer is just not practical whereas a Prius is. If you are an average American who purchases one and then you complain 'omg it costs so much!' you're just basically telling the world 'hey everyone! I was too damn lazy and/or stupid to do research on this vehicle before I bought it, please feel sorry for me!'
Also, ftr, it's somewhat premature to do cost/benefit analysis of hybrids versus regular cars when considering, again, how disproportionate the industry is for one over the other. On the one hand these cars are out on the road so there's that, but on the other hand gas cars make up how much of the market versus hybrid versus electrical? Obviously gas has the domination. Gas has a larger industry, more subsidies, more factories, etc. Because of this costs are going to be unusually lower than what they would otherwise be. Just a little thing to keep in mind.
LMAO - that has been thoroughly discredited for what it is, garbage, many times. No, I don't drive a Prius. But that argument is total nonsense and has been proven to be so.
But you know what the resale value of a prius is these days or whenever gas gets about this high? At or above original purchase price. Hummers?? I don't think you can give them away. So who's the smarter consumer?
you know what the cost of the mining process is to get that battery? and what happens to it when it dies, and the cost of buying another one for that car?
If driven properly, owning a hummer is actually just fine. It drops cylinders on the highway to provide better fuel economy. They're pointless for city driving, but if you haul things and buy it to serve a purpose there is really no problem with them.
How much does a Prius cost? Honestly, if you were to buy any normal car today, how long would it take driving that Prius to get your money's worth out of fuel economy? Every time you turn the heat on in a Prius, the gas engine has to kick in, same with the A/C. How much of this country can you drive a car and not have to touch either of those things?
I'm really just sick of this whole "I have a hybrid, I'm holier than thou" BS that people spew around here. You drive a hybrid, you're still a lazy ass that's destroying the environment just as much as any other idiot that buys a car that isn't practical for the type of driving they do...
You're right, I did read that article, and it said the footprint was better for that of a hummer, but I didn't say it was better, I said it was similar.
No it did not. In fact the article disproved this claim that you made:
And in fact I added on top of the article's debunking your claim to include the fact that you're judging something new that is not as heavily subsidized or invested in and pretending like that difference in cost is as valid. It's as silly as when people try to argue that the 'free market' doesn't like green energy.
No one was making the Prius 'holier than thou' statements. You are the one who brought it up. The only point Benen was getting at is that it's hypocritical for someone to purchase a vehicle that they know will cost more in gas and then have that person turn around and say 'omg I can't believe how much I'm paying for gas!' If you buy a larger vehicle it's going to cost more than a smaller vehicle. Gas based vehicles will cost more to fill up than hybrids and both of those will cost more than fuel cell based or electric based cars. You are supposed to exercise intelligence as a consumer and make the decision that is best for you. As I said already: if you're in a situation where a truck or SUV is practical then have at it. But don't turn around and act shocked, SHOCKED! that the thing that you knew was going to cost more to fill up, but purchased for it's other qualities then "suddenly" and "magically" started to cost more to fill up. West's statement either reflects, as I said already, that he is too stupid to make an adequate cost/benefit analysis for his needs OR he's too lazy to make a cost/benefit analysis for his needs.
And you're still wrong, ludwigtr. Also, what's your point about the Prius needing to use its gas engine to run the A/C and heat? It's still far more fuel efficient than a regular car.
http://www.hybridcars.com/forums/regarding-prius-outdoes-t1360.html
This article makes the comparison, but it is not a comparison that should be taken at face value, but it does have a few interesting bits in it. And again, I said the footprints were Similar, not better.
It's not more fuel efficient than a regular car. It's just as fuel efficient as cars that I've owned in the past, and built in the 80's. Someone that drives a Hummer properly will do more for the environment than someone that drives a Prius like a typical American. This Demonizing of the Hummer isn't really fair, Demonize driving habits of people in the US, when that changes, then you can judge a car's fuel efficiency.
Kansas, your point about resale value just shows that people are morons and sheep when it comes to owning and driving vehicles.
New or not, there is a difference in cost, is there not?
Is strip mining good or bad for the environment?
The problem with the Prius is the battery, well, the battery and the weight of the car in general. It's inefficient.
Ethanol is heavily subsidized and "cost effective", that doesn't make it a worthwhile investment. Nor does it mean I'll put it in my car to "save money".
the holier than thou was more meant for the people i see and hear touting that statement everyday, in real life... sorry.
No offense to SUV and truck drivers (unless your an avid outdoorsman or construction worker), but I don't pity your plight when it comes to paying for gas.
I definitely think we should have revisited that Gas Guzzler Tax about 10 years ago when all the car companiess went on major campaigns to create new fleets of luxury and mini-SUVs, when they should have been developing fleets with better fuel economy. Just why, exactly, does a 70-year old church lady need a tricked-out "sports utility vehicle"???
"Just why, exactly, does a 70-year old church lady need a tricked-out "sports utility vehicle"???
So she can impress the Lord as she drives to church..../snark
Right, ya got to pay to play...if he can't afford the gas ...get a smaller car...was he really expecting us to cry cause he can't afford to fill up his Hummer. My 14 year old Honda Civic is running just fine. This guy makes over $185k and is whining...out of touch, much?
I really don't get it--this "luxury SUV" business. What the hell are you going to do in a luxury SUV that you can't do in a luxury sedan??? We know you're not going take that bad boy muddin'!!!!
LTC West also get to buy cut rate gas on any base he happens to be near.
well...there is so much heavy snow in Florida, he has to have a 4x4 Hummer. Rich Bastard does not even live in the district he represents...what a fraud.
Wasn't the luxury SUV market artificial, rising from a tax loophole that let them get away with lousy mpg?
IIRC, they were classified as trucks.
Well, If he is gonna drive us to freedom from the plantation, he's gonna need a bigger vehicle than that!...This clown wouldn't even help his own brother get a job...Token Puppet List just keeps on growing. All you have to say is.."you're not like those other 'Black Folks', huh?"...and he will risk sounding like an idiot for the GOP....but he has no love for his own brother...(so sad)
You are so right Mr. West think that he is a tea party member, but he will be treated just like mr. Steele come election time,they should remember their history.2more sell out.
I've always believed that those who drive Hummers are 1) Seeking the attention they never got as a child, and 2) Compensating for their shortcomings in other places.
I actually think his whole FB post was as much complaining about the gas price as boasting about the fact that he has a Hummer (complete definition of the model and year as if he was making an ad to sell the car)
Compensation, yeah. Has to be compensation. Where I live, bloated pickups with sparkly-clean beds are the thing for all the boy-men. I see those useless monstrosities and conclude that their wives and girlfriends must have their own scanning electron microscopes.
I had to fill up my Toyota tank this morning, and then realized that the last time I did so was twenty days ago. Honestly, if you don't like paying that much for gasoline, then use your good capitalist genes and start hunting for something that allows you to protect your pocketbook.
One could do like I did a few years back and buy a bicycle and ride it to and from work. You help the local economy (bike shop), the environment (zero emissions), your own health and well-being, and get the satisfaction of contributing less to oil company profits!
As the Sloane Rangers say, BCSD- Big Car, Small Dick.
And, isn't a "hummer" a euphemism for an oral sex act?
We got an SUV so we don't have to strap the dogs to the roof of the car!
perfect....lol
If Allen west doesn't like pay hig gas prices, he can get the hell out of my country
He is one of two black GOP members of Congress. Does anyone else think that is kind of an indictment of the kind of party that is.
Here's the odd thing....some Black people think associating themselves with the GOP, somehow makes them appear less Black and One of the Good ol Boys. The same goes for some of my White friends, living below the poverty line, who vote Republican as a status symbol. The very programs that keep them from starving are targeted to be stopped by the GOP. Doesn't make sense....but what does these days?
I hate this, but it is true. It seems that people are always voting against their own self-interest.
"Here is the bottom line, last night it took 70 dollars to fill the tank of my 2008 H3 Hummer, what is it costing you? What does it cost the president to fill his gas tank?"
Sir, it costs me about 20.00-25.00. I own a 2006 Prius! Get over yourself!
like it was said before BUSH rode it that gass guzzler also , MR NORVELL
This guy drives a Hummer? The fact that it is a gas hog that has no place outside of a war zone, it is one of the noisiest, least comfortable 'rides' around. But it is a status symbol. lol. Have ever ridden in one? Yikes! Living is South Florida he probaly has the AC running, more gas waste.
Actually, the H3 Hummer is the "small-car" version of the larger H1 and H2. The engine utilized in the H3 is the same 5-cylinder (yes, it is a FIVE-cylinder), and is the same engine used in the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon small pickup trucks. Due to the large size, lack of aerodynamic styling, and fairly large weight, the rating on the engine is only 15 to 19 mpg, although most folks who have them claim more than 20 mpg on the highway. Still not great, but in the ball park for SUV/Truck types. By the way I don't support Rep. West, or his agenda, but don't believe the issue of gas mileage should be a factor in evaluating him (besides, he probably personally expells plenty of gas of his own).
I just looked up what it cost to fill up my 5 year old Prius. Had to look it up because it has been so long since our last fill-up (Feb. 14th). Total cost of a fill up when the low fuel light comes on? $25.66. We are averaging just about 350 miles per fill-up (around 51 mpg, for the math challenged). I'll take the footprint of my Prius, any day.
This Congress Critter is deserving of a lambasting; the car he is driving is not. It was made in America by American union workers. It is an SUV on the frame that you might see under a pick-up (I don't hear too many bashing them). And, unlike the H1 or H2 it gets better than 10 mpg (I get between 16-18 mpg in mine). I live both snow country and spend time in the muddy swamps of south Louisiana. I drive in less than ideal conditions on a regular basis. The H3 keeps me out of ditch and on the road, in some degree of comfort. I couldn't say the same for most other vehicles. So, it's OK to hate on the most deserving Congressman; it's not OK to hate on the car.
I don't think anybody is bashing the Hummer..if I could afford one I'd get one. But I wouldn't complain about the money I have to spend on gas....Have a great day Sir.
Again, what others have said before, it is not the vehicle. People who buy Hummers should KNOW that they will be paying a lot to fill their tank, just like other vans and large trucks. If you can't afford the cost of gas, if it is a burden to your budget - do not buy a large truck or SUV. That is common sense.
No one will listen to your Common Sense...Mr. West will respond that you "Hate Freedom" or "Oh, so a black man can't own a Hummer?".....just to change the subject....he's not that good at spin yet...but, give him time....He has Luntz on speeddial.....
I was born and raised in south Florida. (I actually went to high school with Steve Benen.) It's absolutely absurd for West to complain about the high cost of gas that goes hand in hand with driving a gas guzzler like any in the Hummer line, when driving the flat landscape of the sunshine state. During the summer of 2008, when the price of gas hit $4 a gallon, I traded in my Honda Element SUV for a gas sipping Honda Fit. Just to clarify on the "need" for an SUV, when I moved to New England in September of 2010 I kept my tiny car...and purchased a set of snow tires. When the roads are snowy and icy I get around town just as easily as anyone driving a big SUV or even a Subaru. Hummer's aren't necessary in any climate, unless your objective is showing off.
West lives in a district with unemployment and foreclosure rates far higher than the national average and he's drawing a salary that is far above the national average. He's not garnering any sympathy complaining about the cost of gas for a vehicle that has come to symbolize excess.
What does it cost me to fill up my tank? The last time I filled up it was close to $34.
I traded in my Honda Element SUV for a gas sipping Honda Fit
Thankfully we bailed out Honda. Oh.....wait...:)
Exactly!
hey us driving a government motors car.
funny thing about those Prius cars is the tax payers subsides the wealthy electric car owners
Mike, I do feel your obvious pain if you think you have to be "wealthy" to drive an electric car.
....Prius' aren't exactly 'electric' cars....
Hummer = small penis (and brain).
well I just want to say one thing ,THE BUSHES AND THE KOCH'S CONTROLL THE GAS PRICES,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,If you dont believe it Google it
Man those guys are powerful. And everyone thinks Bush was an idiot :). He still controls a lot even though he is out of office - both Dad and Son.
And of course "googling" a topic automatically makes everything on the net to be 100% fact. It reminds me of a quote from the movie "This is Spinal Tap";
" I tend to believe everything I read which makes me a more selective person".
God, I love that term "Google it"! I fondly remember back in my youth when people would say "Britannica it" :).
The H3 is the smallest of the Hummer line. Still a gas gullzer though.
Steve,
And it doesn't help the 2008 H3 has a 23 gallon tank - more than double the capacity of my wife's Honda Insight hybrid (10.3 gallons).
http://www.cars.com/hummer/h3/2008/specifications/
I'm sure that Insight gets double or more, than the mileage out of less than half a tank on the H3 too.
You realize he needs the Hummer, or possibly something a bit larger, to handle the load of his ego. And his environmental knowledge could fit in the glove compartment.
Best one I seen was a guy with a Hummer that was doing his plowing with it. Must be nice to piss gas away like that.