Gas Prices

[SFUVancouver]

Originally Posted by paulsparrow

At Blaine and the truck crossing a good percentage of cars are doing just that including myself. Take a Jerrycan and fill it while your at it. Many also have mail boxes to they time a fill up with getting their mail (again saving on massive duty and mail costs crossing the boarder).

Thousands do it a day every day.

This is tax evasion avoidance, pure and simple. People are using the roads and bridges paid for, to a considerable degree, by gas taxes and PST, not to mention benefiting from congestion relief associated with public transit use. I get it that it's cheaper to buy in the US, overwhelmingly so, but it's still tax evasion avoidance. Should we also assume thta everyone is declaring their purchases at the border, since smuggling is against the law and all?

[bluefox]

Originally Posted by SFUVancouver

This is tax evasion, pure and simple. People are using the roads and bridges paid for, to a considerable degree, by gas taxes and PST, not to mention benefiting from congestion relief associated with public transit use. I get it that it's cheaper to buy in the US, overwhelmingly so, but it's still tax evasion. Should we also assume thta everyone is declaring their purchases at the border, since smuggling is against the law and all?

Many of the folks doing this live close enough to the border that they also probably don't live near reliable/frequent transit service but I would agree there's a hypocrisy in using transit and complaining about the gas taxes that provide significant revenue to fund said transit.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by SFUVancouver

This is tax evasion, pure and simple. People are using the roads and bridges paid for, to a considerable degree, by gas taxes and PST, not to mention benefiting from congestion relief associated with public transit use. I get it that it's cheaper to buy in the US, overwhelmingly so, but it's still tax evasion. Should we also assume thta everyone is declaring their purchases at the border, since smuggling is against the law and all?

It's tax avoidance. Tax evasion is illegal, this is not.

I used to travel to Blaine for packages and gas regularly (when I needed enough of both to make it worthwhile). NAFTA baby!

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

It's tax avoidance. Tax evasion is illegal, this is not.

True. It's no different than someone living in Maple Ridge who drives out to Silverdale to buy their gas without the added TransLink tax.

[SFUVancouver]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

It's tax avoidance. Tax evasion is illegal, this is not.

That's a very good point. Thank you. I used the wrong term.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by SFUVancouver

That's a very good point. Thank you. I used the wrong term.

and you didn't cross out the 2nd time you used it further along in your post.

but this is the way people work. if you tax them reasonably, they will accept it. but when prices are as different as they are with so many things; no wonder people want to avoid the crazy taxes. staying competitive is important.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

and you didn't cross out the 2nd time you used it further along in your post.

but this is the way people work. if you tax them reasonably, they will accept it. but when prices are as different as they are with so many things; no wonder people want to avoid the crazy taxes. staying competitive is important.

Actually, I'd argue people are extremely irrational when it comes to taxation and small amounts of saving. I talked to a co-worker who routinely drove from Port Moody in his Benz to save maybe $25 a tank in Bellingham, using about 90 mins of his time. He thought it was a good use of his time, money, car, etc.

[SFUVancouver]

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

and you didn't cross out the 2nd time you used it further along in your post.

[...]

Missed that one. Thanks.

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Actually, I'd argue people are extremely irrational when it comes to taxation and small amounts of saving. I talked to a co-worker who routinely drove from Port Moody in his Benz to save maybe $25 a tank in Bellingham, using about 90 mins of his time. He thought it was a good use of his time, money, car, etc.

When your job doesn't place much of a value on your time, neither do you - because you're not paid enough to have the luxury of convenience.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

When your job doesn't place much of a value on your time, neither do you - because you're not paid enough to have the luxury of convenience.

That's all fine, but this guy was driving a new MB SUV, and being paid fairly well.

[Trainguy]

Gas is getting close to $1.60/L

Makes going south even more worth it

[logicbomb]

Here is what bothers me. The obvious gouging that goes from day to day here with regards to gas. Surge pricing has gotten evident now. Some 15 cent jumps from nights to mornings. Prices skyrocket as soon as the weather forecast shows signs of improvements (factoring anticipated demand). We bitch about ICBC having a monopoly and fucking us over (there is validity to this argument) but British Columbians should be up in arms about this bs. My biggest gripe are individual gas stations gouging. This weekend, Esso at Scott Rd and Bridgeview had 1.59/L prices vs 1.45/L in New Westminster @ roughly 2pm.

[Klazu]

A new carbon tax took effect today. Also, it is always more expensive to fill up on weekends and ahead of public holidays. Tuesdays are the cheapest days to buy anything, eat in a restaurant, ...

[retro_orange]

The new tax only applies to 4 holdout provinces, not including British Columbia. I have a sneaky suspicion that gas companies inflated the price of gas in conjunction with the tax implementation to make it seem like the tax is higher than it actually is. It is only an extra 4.4c per L of gas in only 4 provinces, not including BC. I have been seeing a ton of misinformation on this and alot of it is spouted out by conservative ideologues with the election coming up.

so if it's $1.52/L on one day, it would only be 1.56 on the next day... lets keep this in perspective.

New carbon tax kicks in for four holdout provinces

A fuel tax is now being charged in four Canadian provinces, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau advances a carbon levy over the objections of conservative premiers.

The federal “backstop” program applies to Ontario, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan, which make up nearly half of Canada’s population. It will add 4.4 Canadian cents per liter of gas, or 12 U.S. cents per gallon, effective Monday, an amount that will rise in coming years. The government is pairing the new tax with “Climate Action Incentive” payments sent overwhelmingly to households, meaning the burden will fall disproportionately on small businesses.

For Trudeau, it’s a key way to help reduce greenhouse gas pollution and lower Canadian emissions by -- in his words -- putting a price on pollution. However, the measure has been a rallying cry for conservatives who govern each of those four provinces and who dismiss the move as a tax grab, warn it could spur a recession and are challenging it in court.

The federal backstop plan only applies, in whole or in part, to provinces that haven’t introduced their own carbon price. Aside from Ontario, Canada’s three other major provinces -- Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta -- all have their own, though Alberta is poised to elect a new premier who’d scrap the province’s system. If that happened, the federal plan could kick in there, too.

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/new-carbon-tax-kicks-in-for-four-holdout-provinces-1.1237583

[SpongeG]

this afternoon in the Coquitlam Centre - Port Moody area gas went up to 155.9

As I got to Lougheed Town Centre area it was 149.9. This evening it was still 149.9 except for the shell at Lougheed and North Road that was 145.9

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by logicbomb

Here is what bothers me. The obvious gouging that goes from day to day here with regards to gas. Surge pricing has gotten evident now. Some 15 cent jumps from nights to mornings. Prices skyrocket as soon as the weather forecast shows signs of improvements (factoring anticipated demand). We bitch about ICBC having a monopoly and fucking us over (there is validity to this argument) but British Columbians should be up in arms about this bs. My biggest gripe are individual gas stations gouging. This weekend, Esso at Scott Rd and Bridgeview had 1.59/L prices vs 1.45/L in New Westminster @ roughly 2pm.

Usually it doesn't work that way re: individual stations. The manager will either call in a price change, or just tell his staff to watch another station down the road and follow exactly what they do.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by retro_orange

The new tax only applies to 4 holdout provinces, not including British Columbia. I have a sneaky suspicion that gas companies inflated the price of gas in conjunction with the tax implementation to make it seem like the tax is higher than it actually is. It is only an extra 4.4c per L of gas in only 4 provinces, not including BC. I have been seeing a ton of misinformation on this and alot of it is spouted out by conservative ideologues with the election coming up.

so if it's $1.52/L on one day, it would only be 1.56 on the next day... lets keep this in perspective.

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/new-carbon-tax-kicks-in-for-four-holdout-provinces-1.1237583

BC's Carbon tax increased on April 1 as well, from $35 to $40 per ton. I think the $5 impact is about 1.2c/L on gasoline. There are 2 more scheduled increases in 2020 and 2021 until it hits $50/ton on April 1, 2021.

There's another Translink gas tax increase of 1.5c/L on July 1, 2019. Their tax will go from 17c/L to 18.5c/L.

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

BC's Carbon tax increased on April 1 as well, from $35 to $40 per ton. I think the $5 impact is about 1.2c/L on gasoline. There are 2 more scheduled increases in 2020 and 2021 until it hits $50/ton on April 1, 2021.

There's another Translink gas tax increase of 1.5c/L on July 1, 2019. Their tax will go from 17c/L to 18.5c/L.

But hey, it's only few cents per litre increase each time just like retro said. It's not like it's going to start adding up?

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by logicbomb

Here is what bothers me. The obvious gouging that goes from day to day here with regards to gas. Surge pricing has gotten evident now. Some 15 cent jumps from nights to mornings.

If people want the cheaper gas, there's nothing to stop them from buying it in the evening. Charging what the market will bear is a hallmark of commerce.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by Klazu

But hey, it's only few cents per litre increase each time just like retro said. It's not like it's going to start adding up?

1.2 cents every year is a bit different from 10-15cents on a sunny Friday. But hey, you can complain about it online, or do something that actually impacts your finances.