OT - gas prices ahead of the 23 cent tax

[RUfinal4]

I wonder if some gas stations will start to raise prices ahead of the tax to make more money.

With the 23 cent tax set to go into affect on Monday I wonder if we will see stations raise prices 4-6 cents a day for the next few days.

I can see a station that charges $2.00 for regular today decide to:
Thursday - $2.05
Friday - $2.10
Saturday - $2.15
Sunday - $2.20
Monday - $2.23

if only 1 station does this it may be no big deal since people won't buy their gas but if you see multiple stations along the same part of the road do it as a matching technique then drivers will be hurt.

 

[Zak57]

We're going to be hurt regardless but yes I'm sure we will see an increase of probably $0.40 and $0.50 over the next two weeks including the tax. Excellent work done here especially after reading about how they raided the 911 tax for other stuff and have not put that money towards it's initial intent. Keep stealing from one hand and pouring it into another and round and round we go.

 

[RUfinal4]

My plan is to fill up tonight after work and then maybe top it off on Saturday / Sunday.

 

[Scarlet_Monster]

I have no issue with gas prices, if inflation really included everything we'd be paying what Europe is paying for petrol.

Almost every single car that isn't the size of a tank is getting near 30mpg. If people insist on driving a car that gets 12mpg then they have no one to blame but themselves.

 

[Scarlet_Scourge]

Tuesday not Monday.

November 1st

 

[Zak57]

I have no issue with gas prices, if inflation really included everything we'd be paying what Europe is paying for petrol.

Almost every single car that isn't the size of a tank is getting near 30mpg. If people insist on driving a car that gets 12mpg then they have no one to blame but themselves.

I drive a car that gets 35MPG but I drive a lot so it still hurts the bottom line.

 

[LevaosLectures]

I drive a car that gets 35MPG but I drive a lot so it still hurts the bottom line.

$2.50 gas is cheap in the context of the last ten years.

 

[ArminRU]

I doubt it. Basic economics will keep the prices unchanged until the hike goes into effect.

 

[Zak57]

$2.50 gas is cheap in the context of the last ten years.

Not compared to everything else we have to pay high prices for in the state. You don't get a break anywhere.

 

[kupuna133]

Prior to the tax announcement I was seeing prices of $1.79-1.83. It has already crept in many portions of the state to $1.95-$2. I will not be surprised to see on Nov 1 prices in the $2.25-2.35 range. Basically pricing in the tax 2 fold.

 

[MJL_52]

I saw $1.87 in South Jersey so it's hard to see them jacking it up to $2 in front of the tax but who knows. Sadly the whole thing is what it is.

 

[RBS05]

My plan is to fill up tonight after work and then maybe top it off on Saturday / Sunday.

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and say that "top it off" is 6 gallons even though maybe it's just 1 or 2. You're willing to make a separate run to save $1.38?

 

[Best7Years]

I doubt stations will raise their prices much ahead of the tax. Unless there's collusion between stations in the area, they'd just b costing themselves business.

 

[motorb54]

Just remember when you vote that this tax can increase without the legislators
having to vote on it. They built in automatic increases if the revenue falls due to less gas being used.

 

[Ole Cabbagehead]

People are making way to big a deal of this gas tax. We are talking less than $100 a year for most people. (10,000 miles at 25 mpg would be $92).

And if you spend $30,000 a year on sales tax purchases, you will recoup a good chunk of it through the sales tax cut ($37).

These tax changes are incredibly regressive. So much so that most of the middle class will come out ahead. Most of us should be in favor of the new tax bill.

 

[Scarlet_Monster]

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and say that "top it off" is 6 gallons even though maybe it's just 1 or 2. You're willing to make a separate run to save $1.38?

I got stuck behind some lady in a S Class Mercedes at Costco who got 2.5 gallons. The car has a 21+ gallon tank, and they decide they HAVE TO STOP for less than 3 gallons.

The people who stop to "top off" for such little few amounts annoy the hell out of me.

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

This is a huge scam by Christie and Sweeney.
It's a disgrace.

The tax will not necessarily go to existing road and bridge project.

Vote NO to both ballot questions too on Nov 8.

 

[PSU_Nut]

Prior to the tax announcement I was seeing prices of $1.79-1.83. It has already crept in many portions of the state to $1.95-$2. I will not be surprised to see on Nov 1 prices in the $2.25-2.35 range. Basically pricing in the tax 2 fold.

Gas prices have been creeping up everywhere since then. So it has nothing to do with the announcement.

 

[LadyRU09]

I noticed gas prices in parts of PA and Long Island over the past week and a half that are still more expensive than what most of NJ will charge AFTER this tax increase.





(And I will vote yes on the casino expansion bill. It will help the horse industry and the tens of thousands of people and families who earn livings from it!)

 

[phs73rc77gsm83]

I'm getting to be older than dirt and don't drive anywhere near the amount I used to when I commuted to NYC so personally I'll take the higher gas price in exchange for the repeal of the NJ estate tax.

 

[kupuna133]

Gas prices have been creeping up everywhere since then. So it has nothing to do with the announcement.

Not true. The national average over the last month have stayed relatively steady at $2.22 per gallon Whereas NJ has increased from $1.96-2.04 for average gallon of gasoline.

 

[OntheBanks]

Using Costco as an example.
In Edison the current price is $1.85/gal.
On Staten Island the current price is $2.25/gal.
That 40 cent savings will be reduced to 17 cents on Tuesday.
I don't know if that is enough incentive for someone to pay the bridge toll
to fill up if there's no other reason to make the trip.
For me, I help out my son at his business once a week and I have the
football & basketball games to attend. But, there's no need for me to shop or
go to a restaurant in NJ.

 

[RUSK97]

Almost every single car that isn't the size of a tank is getting near 30mpg. If people insist on driving a car that gets 12mpg then they have no one to blame but themselves.

What the heck kind of car besides a small hybrid gets 30mpg city? I don't know where you live, but here in NJ, if you commute to work, it's bumper-to-bumper gridlock and you're getting city miles, not hwy miles.

 

[Sideline20]

Do we know what percentage of the 23 cents is for corruption and what percentage is for the road projects? I haven't seen that breakout yet?

 

[Scarlet_Monster]

What the heck kind of car besides a small hybrid gets 30mpg city? I don't know where you live, but here in NJ, if you commute to work, it's bumper-to-bumper gridlock and you're getting city miles, not hwy miles.

A small Hybrid gets 50+MPG in the city....

An Accord gets 29-30MPG combined

A Hyundai Sonata gets 31MPG combined, as does a Mazda 6, and a Nissan Altima.

 

[FastMJ]

A small Hybrid gets 50+MPG in the city....

An Accord gets 29-30MPG combined

A Hyundai Sonata gets 31MPG combined, as does a Mazda 6, and a Nissan Altima.

I drive a Ford Fusion plugin hybrid and get 97 MPG. They can make the gas tax 2 bucks a gallon for all I care.

 

[greenknight]

This state is crooked...the politicians are crooked yet we keep voting in these horses asses in year after year. The only dumb people in NJ are the people of NJ

 

[j_rc_93]

I live just over the border of Jersey in New York and routinely drive down to Jersey to buy gas. Frequently, I stop in the attached convenience store, or do my grocery shopping for the week or get a take out dinner at the NJ establishments since I am there. Given a choice, I'd come up NJ 17 instead of the PIP to hit the Jersey gas stations. I have a friend who tries to time it so he can have a dinner out in Jersey when he is filling his tank (he actually pays a toll to get to Jersey too).

Those days are over. Not worth it for this New Yorker to detour into Jersey any more. Good news for my county, I guess, more dollars will stay in the Empire state.

I wonder how significant out of state customers are to the bottom line and how border businesses will be effected by this.

 

[RUBlueLot]

Once I get my model 3 it won't matter!

 

[robcac26]

$2.50 gas is cheap in the context of the last ten years.

Yeah until oil prices get back to where they were in 2010 when gas was 3.80 a gallon, now we will be paying over $4 when that happens.

 

[AshSaturday]

I have no issue with gas prices, if inflation really included everything we'd be paying what Europe is paying for petrol.

Almost every single car that isn't the size of a tank is getting near 30mpg. If people insist on driving a car that gets 12mpg then they have no one to blame but themselves.

Here's an inherent problem for the very poor (me and my two masters degrees, real estate license and now SORA) just lost all in the aftermath of a house sale and foreclosure (avoided). After I went for my SORA license I lost 98% of my possessions
(a few files and some pics were given back to me. A friend on this board saved some of my clothes and collectibles but some disappeared seemingly at his place).

Like a lot of people in my situation right now the only income I receive is $96 per month and assistance plus $196 for food (impossible). For the past 5-6 months I've been housed in a hotel at a cost of $1,500/month. Medical is free to me but paid by taxpayers.
Ditto I assume (required) mental health.

Lost all my savings but have had only a few dollar income inc hiting the lottery and selling assets. So basically now it $98 per month income for me (being housed) $140 for others.

For the very poor this is a disaster. Most in my situations have no car so they have very limited job choice-walk or on a transit line (suburbs are a disaster-note my old house was an hour walk from many transportation lines).

For those living on assistant that extra gas money limits job interviews as one can maybe afford a tank of gas a month if that. That's going to keep many of those who can't find good jobs in poverty (also hinders the ability to find good full time jobs with benefits-remember as you start to work in any job people start to lose even basic assistance real soon thereafter oft making it a bad decision to start working (until they get that better job).

Even before I sold my house (BTW sister stole/cost me $200,000+ in damage-could have and expected to pay my housed in cash). I ran out of cash. Twice I lost my car coincidentally for 96 days each (lost master key and repair). The first time I had to walk a round trip over a hill and valley 6-7 miles round trip 18 times (once as hot as 96 degrees) for food and drink.

 

[Plum Street]

I live just over the border of Jersey in New York and routinely drive down to Jersey to buy gas. Frequently, I stop in the attached convenience store, or do my grocery shopping for the week or get a take out dinner at the NJ establishments since I am there. Given a choice, I'd come up NJ 17 instead of the PIP to hit the Jersey gas stations. I have a friend who tries to time it so he can have a dinner out in Jersey when he is filling his tank (he actually pays a toll to get to Jersey too).

Those days are over. Not worth it for this New Yorker to detour into Jersey any more. Good news for my county, I guess, more dollars will stay in the Empire state.

I wonder how significant out of state customers are to the bottom line and how border businesses will be effected by this.

I wonder this myself , especially for business's near the outerbridge and Goethals. I don't think these politicians even considered the effect of out of state customers.

 

[Pritz99]

23 cent tax will go to the same place the nearly $2 trillion (yes, trillion) stimulus packages went: rebuild infrastructure and shovel ready projects. Sound familiar? At least the corruption money will go to Jersey politicians and businesses instead of Chicago, et al.

As Jay Leno once said (and I'm sure others have): (By way of your voting) You get the government you deserve.

 

[Ole Cabbagehead]

23 cent tax will go to the same place the nearly $2 trillion (yes, trillion) stimulus packages went: rebuild infrastructure and shovel ready projects. Sound familiar? At least the corruption money will go to Jersey politicians and businesses instead of Chicago, et al.

As Jay Leno once said (and I'm sure others have): (By way of your voting) You get the government you deserve.

I always say that. People in this state who elect the same corrupt people to office every term because they identify as "democrat" or "republican" get exactly what they deserve. NJ is so divided regionally that many of these people are in office forever, and comfort breeds corruption. People are too stupid to think; too stupid to realize that although they align with one party it may be time to vote the bastards out.

 

[jim1666]

Using Costco as an example.
In Edison the current price is $1.85/gal.
On Staten Island the current price is $2.25/gal.
That 40 cent savings will be reduced to 17 cents on Tuesday.
I don't know if that is enough incentive for someone to pay the bridge toll
to fill up if there's no other reason to make the trip.
For me, I help out my son at his business once a week and I have the
football & basketball games to attend. But, there's no need for me to shop or
go to a restaurant in NJ.

who the hell would drive from Staten Island to Edison to buy gas?

 

[MYHATINTHERING]

new reports say the fund will now help the rail lines.....

 

[ElmiraExpress]

Can we FINALLY get self-serve gas ??? No one can now use lower gas prices as an excuse to prohibit self-serve gas

 

[cubuffsdoug]

Can we FINALLY get self-serve gas ??? No one can now use lower gas prices as an excuse to prohibit self-serve gas

Why? On a cold day you rather stand outside and pump the gas or have somebody do it for you while you sit in a warm car? In other states consumer groups have complain that full service gas stations still charge the same or more then full service gas stations.

 

[RU1977]

Is the estate tax repeal also going into effect Nov 1? Still going through probate on an estate now.....

 

[RUfinal4]

new reports say the fund will now help the rail lines.....

I hope those reports are true. NJ Transit was once the best of the 3 major commuter lines in the area (NJ Transit, LIRR, and Metro North). Now it is the worst. Many commuters ride in 30+ year old trains and the ride has gotten longer time wise than it was 10-15 years ago. In addition, the per mile cost for NJ Transit to NYC vs LIRR and Metro North is higher.

As a comparison:
Metro Park is about 29 miles from Penn Station and a monthly fare is $310 (45-50 min ride)
Farmingdale is about 35 miles from Penn Station and a monthly fare is $287 (47-55 mins)
Greenwich Ct to Grand Central is 30 miles and the monthly fare is $281 (48-54 mins)

Not to mention parking at NJ Transit stations can be very limited or costly. Some towns restrict parking to residents while those with open parking may have waiting lists or charge north of $50 a month.

Also, last night regular gas was between $1.89-1.95 at many stations I passed. A few no names were less and a few were higher. Let's see if it approaches $2.13 before Tuesday.