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I live in Oregon, but grew up outside the state so fortunately I do know how to pump my own gas. One thing that has fascinated me is that our gas is no more exp

I live in Oregon, but grew up outside the state so fortunately I do know how to pump my own gas. One thing that has fascinated me is that our gas is no more expensive, and often cheaper, than surrounding states despite providing many jobs. One benefit of this system was shown recently when no truck beds or plastic bags were filled with gasoline.

cloverich 5y ago
But they are paid from some other budget, or perhaps from state income taxes. That has a real effect on something, it’s just not apparent what. Any job that only exists via mandate is taking the place of some other economic activity.
- brewdad 5y ago
  They are paid by the station owners, so the money reduces their profits and perhaps long-term investments in new pumps or other equipment. In reality, the soda and candy inside probably all costs 10 cents more than it otherwise would. One consequence is that our state gas tax hasn't been raised in decades. That's why our gas is cheaper than across the border in WA. They pay a much higher per gallon tax than we do. My town has gotten around this by adding a $10 a month fee for road improvements to our water bills. Other cities and towns let their roads crumble.
  - ineedasername 5y ago
    "candy and soda inside" I'd estimate that only a small proportion of stations in NJ are attached to any convenience stores that sell things. On highways, yes. Off of highways around towns, they're often attached to a mechanic's garage, and the only things sold beside gas is windshield fluid and a spare quart of oil. It's notable that NJ and Oregon both have cheap gas relative to many other parts of the country due to close proximity with oil refining &/or transportation infrastructure, which means lower costs to get it to the gas stations. Although in NJ that discount is slowly going away as the state gradually ratchets up tax on gas purchases. Without that tax they would have by far the cheapest in the country by roughly 16% or $.50/gallon. Now NJ is only cheaper than most when there's a spike in oil prices stemming more from transportation costs, or at least that's what I've observed.
systemvoltage 5y ago
If you want a jobs program, do something for the crumbling infrastructure in Oregon. Actually provide value to the society. Pumping gas is a giant waste of tax dollars and it is not preparing the populace for better jobs - it is the equivalent of flipping burgers. It is the worst possible way to create a 'jobs program'.
- mind-blight 5y ago
  I've lived in Oregon most of my life, and while I think the law is basically pointless and would love to have it revoked, it doesn't waste any tax dollars. It just makes running a gas station more expensive
  - stickfigure 5y ago
    > It just makes running a gas station more expensive Not quite right: It makes buying gas more expensive. The state of Oregon could, instead, increase gas taxes by a few cents and devote that wealth to some other economic activity. The net result of the law is waste.
briffle 5y ago
I have had other customers in Oregon very, very loud and angry about me getting out and running the pump myself. They immediately dismiss my statement that it’s perfectly legal for us to dispense diesel, just not gasoline, until an employee usually tells them it’s legal and they appreciate it.
- hellbannedguy 5y ago
  I went down the Rogue River a few summers. While driving home, I remember thinking that Gas Station Attendant was looking at me funny. It wasen't until a few years later I heard about the law. (There's a stretch of highway 101 around Shasta that is a Speed Trap. The cops pull over four vechicles at a time and give everyone tickets. They supposedly use a plane, but I never saw one. They got busted a few years ago, but I heard they are doing it again.)
  - labster 5y ago
    You know, in all my years of driving in California speeding past “enforced by aircraft” signs, I have never once been pulled over by an airplane.
    - irrational 5y ago
      I have, though it was in Western Washington out in the middle of a long straight boring stretch of highway.
      - teachrdan 5y ago
        I think the comment you're replying to went over your head.
- ineedasername 5y ago
  Well, it's diesel. Any idiot can operate a diesel pump. So you're talking apples to, well I guess just a very slightly different type of apple.
ineedasername 5y ago
It may be cheaper than elsewhere because of the close proximity to Washington's large refining capacity, from which Oregon gets most of it's supply. It's the same with certain areas on the east coast.
- irrational 5y ago
  That doesn’t explain why Oregon is cheaper than Washington.

cloverich 5y ago

But they are paid from some other budget, or perhaps from state income taxes. That has a real effect on something, it’s just not apparent what. Any job that only exists via mandate is taking the place of some other economic activity.

brewdad 5y ago
They are paid by the station owners, so the money reduces their profits and perhaps long-term investments in new pumps or other equipment. In reality, the soda and candy inside probably all costs 10 cents more than it otherwise would. One consequence is that our state gas tax hasn't been raised in decades. That's why our gas is cheaper than across the border in WA. They pay a much higher per gallon tax than we do. My town has gotten around this by adding a $10 a month fee for road improvements to our water bills. Other cities and towns let their roads crumble.
- ineedasername 5y ago
  "candy and soda inside" I'd estimate that only a small proportion of stations in NJ are attached to any convenience stores that sell things. On highways, yes. Off of highways around towns, they're often attached to a mechanic's garage, and the only things sold beside gas is windshield fluid and a spare quart of oil. It's notable that NJ and Oregon both have cheap gas relative to many other parts of the country due to close proximity with oil refining &/or transportation infrastructure, which means lower costs to get it to the gas stations. Although in NJ that discount is slowly going away as the state gradually ratchets up tax on gas purchases. Without that tax they would have by far the cheapest in the country by roughly 16% or $.50/gallon. Now NJ is only cheaper than most when there's a spike in oil prices stemming more from transportation costs, or at least that's what I've observed.

systemvoltage 5y ago

If you want a jobs program, do something for the crumbling infrastructure in Oregon. Actually provide value to the society. Pumping gas is a giant waste of tax dollars and it is not preparing the populace for better jobs - it is the equivalent of flipping burgers. It is the worst possible way to create a 'jobs program'.

mind-blight 5y ago
I've lived in Oregon most of my life, and while I think the law is basically pointless and would love to have it revoked, it doesn't waste any tax dollars. It just makes running a gas station more expensive
- stickfigure 5y ago
  > It just makes running a gas station more expensive Not quite right: It makes buying gas more expensive. The state of Oregon could, instead, increase gas taxes by a few cents and devote that wealth to some other economic activity. The net result of the law is waste.

briffle 5y ago

I have had other customers in Oregon very, very loud and angry about me getting out and running the pump myself. They immediately dismiss my statement that it’s perfectly legal for us to dispense diesel, just not gasoline, until an employee usually tells them it’s legal and they appreciate it.

hellbannedguy 5y ago
I went down the Rogue River a few summers. While driving home, I remember thinking that Gas Station Attendant was looking at me funny. It wasen't until a few years later I heard about the law. (There's a stretch of highway 101 around Shasta that is a Speed Trap. The cops pull over four vechicles at a time and give everyone tickets. They supposedly use a plane, but I never saw one. They got busted a few years ago, but I heard they are doing it again.)
- labster 5y ago
  You know, in all my years of driving in California speeding past “enforced by aircraft” signs, I have never once been pulled over by an airplane.
  - irrational 5y ago
    I have, though it was in Western Washington out in the middle of a long straight boring stretch of highway.
    - teachrdan 5y ago
      I think the comment you're replying to went over your head.
ineedasername 5y ago
Well, it's diesel. Any idiot can operate a diesel pump. So you're talking apples to, well I guess just a very slightly different type of apple.

ineedasername 5y ago

It may be cheaper than elsewhere because of the close proximity to Washington's large refining capacity, from which Oregon gets most of it's supply. It's the same with certain areas on the east coast.

irrational 5y ago
That doesn’t explain why Oregon is cheaper than Washington.