Hilo gas prices continue to fall

[Jon]

esnap...

The problem here seems to be protectionism, why is Helco the only provider here? Because they have setup a system that will not allow others to do so. I believe Helco uses diesel generators, why can you not buy one and hook up and see to your neighbors.

But that is not Gasoline. Gasoline and Diesel should be simple and with a $1.00 a gallon of profit to play with you would think some one would be trying to setup shop here.



Transplanted Texan
"I am here to chew bubble gum and kick some *** ... and I'm all out of bubble gum"

[gtill]

Please note, it's not just the Electrics who are profitable monopolies, Matson is in the same boat because of the jones act. Lingle has tried to get some competition going for Young Bros (interisland barge) with the superferry, but that's getting static from some.

[Guest]

Jon,
I think you are right, Protectionism creates poor service and high prices everywhere it touches, from The auto industry, to schools to socialized medicine.

But take an industry like electronic gadgetry and computers, not a day goes by without another company figuring out how to make something better or cheaper.

But when faced with a thing like Helco, we still have to take responsibility ourselves and turn off lights and do every thing we can to deny them the ability to screw us.

Helco ain't the one leaving our lights, TV, and computer on. They are not the ones that stole the part of our brain needed to build our own solar water heater.

As far as gasoline, you decide which car you buy and how far to drive it. You decide how to keep it tuned to optimize gas mileage.

No, the responsibility is ours and ours alone.

Walk in to any Star Buck's coffee house and strike up a conversation with the Barrista with gaged ears and purple hair. Tell him how the oil companies are a bunch of profiteers screwing the little man. He will invariably agree never once giving a thought to the fact that he just sold you .20 cent cup of coffee for 6 Bux.

It is the world in which we live my friend.

[macuu222]

Actually Helco charges you even if you turn off power completely to your home from the breaker box. A $30.00 a month charge for just having electricity "available" to be used in your home.

[Guest]

As they should if they are going to be standing by and maintaining the line.

I'm talking about getting rid of your Helco service completely.

[rbakker]

Imagine if overnight there was only one company selling cars in Hawaii, and they were charging $50,000 for the cheapest model. That would be a problem. The solution to that problem is to find out how this came to be, change whatever laws need changing, break any cartel that needs breaking, if need be set up your own car dealership.

The solution wouldn't be to just stop driving.

Is there a law that stops gasoline just being transported over by ship? The price differential is eye-popping.
Or do the gas stations here have a nice little agreement going?

[Jon]

esnap...
you are talking about responsibility, I am talking about competition.

I would bet that my fuel consumption is less then most people here, but that does not help the fact that for some reason fuel prices are so much higher then they should be.





Transplanted Texan
"I am here to chew bubble gum and kick some *** ... and I'm all out of bubble gum"

[Guest]

I agree that there always needs to be more competition.
I also agree that Helco has everyone hostage.

But I think while everyone gets together and rails against the machine that at the same time individuals can cut the umbilical by more conservation, innovation, and thrift.

Electricity is a wierd comodity, the more people that get off the grid the higher the rates would be for people that stayed on.
It would require they share the immense cost of infrastructure.

Prices for everything in Hawaii are higher for more than one reason.
Having mandated employee health care is one tax that is passed on and spread out to all consumers.

taxes on fuel that private companies pay raises their cost and is passed on to the consumer again.

Businesses rarely pass cost through, that pad all there costs to cover their spread and keep their margins up.

At every level of business in Hawaii there are higher costs. this cost snow balls, and the owner of the company makes a profit from the margin that he tries to maintain which again is taxed by the State and Federal government. This leaves him poorer.

But at least Hawaii has he best public school system in the US.
/s

[Jon]

LOL....

Luckily I don't have kids or employees.......

also, the fuel tax in Hawaii is less then California...



Transplanted Texan
"I am here to chew bubble gum and kick some *** ... and I'm all out of bubble gum"

[rbakker]

Then again maybe there's just a bigger lag in fuel prices here.
I seem to remember them rising more slowly than on the mainland.
There usually isn't a conspiracy.