Obama’s Tire Guage solution is not a joke

Making a joke of reality seems to be what the Republican party is getting good at these days. Bush saying for 2 years now that the economy is great for example, what a tool.

Obama's suggestion was not only correct, but it was a good one. If you just kept your tires properly inflated, you will on average, improve your gas mileage by 3%. So... if you spend 100 bucks a week on gas (ouch), and you don't keep your tires inflated properly, you are paying an extra 3% tax in essence. That's 3 bucks, times 52 weeks, or $156 a year. Not too much, but then again, not something to laugh at either. Add to that a 4% increase in fuel economy from proper maintenance and your talking another $208 per year. Of course you have to pay for the maintenance, which most likely would be more that $208 per year, so lets just ignore that. Tire inflation is free.

The estimates are that by drilling offshore, the new sources would increase our production by 1%, by the year 2030... Yes, let that sink in. over 20 years from now, we can start seeing the full benefit of new offshore drilling. Um, that's not really gonna help today. However, let's just ignore that little fact, which comes straight from the Bush administration by the way, and just assume that through some magic of space/time continuum voodoo, we can start the oil flowing today. That is still only 1%, which would most likely translate to a 1% decrease in cost, assuming oil companies are not evil and wouldn't keep the money in their own coffers, which still is trumped by the tire gauge.

So why is it that the Republicans have gone so hard core on the offensive over this idea? It's because they think YOU ARE STUPID, and THE IDEA IS CORRECT. Please, don't prove them right. You are not stupid, just misinformed or ignorant. Ignorant is not a bad thing by the way, usually it's merely a matter of circumstance or lack of exposure, and as long as you are willing to become un-ignorant it's not a mark against you. It's become like grade school, you're stupid, no, you're stupid, yea, well your mom is fat. There is no basis in reality anymore and it seems that politicians in general have made it a habit of just completely making shit up as they go along. Both parties are at fault for it, but the Republicans lately have seemingly taken it to a whole other level. Frankly I won't be too shocked if one day they say that the moon is made of oil and we should start drilling there, it'll be easy, trust us.

So, to make it easy, here are the facts.

• Bush administration estimates expanding offshore drilling could increase oil production by 200,000 barrels per day by 2030.
• We use about 20 million barrels per day, so that would meet about 1% of our demand two decades from now.
• Efficiency experts say that keeping tires inflated can improve gas mileage by 3%.
• Regular maintenance can increase mileage 4%.
• Elimination of idling can improve mileage 5%.
• Proper acceleration and driving slower can add up to 20%, depending on how horrible you are.

Drilling for more oil is not going to fix anything, but the Republicans will of course preach the salvation of oil till the cows come home. Obama at least is being somewhat realistic about it. He of course does not think most people will maintain their cars and tires correctly, however, that is not the point. The point is that there is something YOU can do, right now, with little effort, to save yourself some money at the pump.

But of course, politics is not about reality anymore.