What happens when the oil runs out? (Fairbanks: unemployed, income)

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Dakster

Ray - EXTREMELY comparable to what we pay in Miami... And obviously your coupon and on sales prices are lower. But we have sales and coupons here too.

Yes, but keep in mind that both Safeway and Fred Meyer keep the price for their respective brand names about the same throughout the US., and that they bring their foods and other products to Alaska themselves. My wife just looks for the products that are on sale to save some cash. Then on top of that you have to add fuel cost since you have to drive to the supermarkets, specially if you live outside of the town.

North Pole has a Safeway store, but North Pole has a 3% tax. While a lot of people have no choice but to buy stuff in North Pole, most just drive to Fairbanks where there are Fred Meyer, Safeway, Sam's Club, Walmart, and so on. All depends on the number of items you need to buy.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by bortstc37

I wouldn't be so sure about the world being awash in gas.
RIGZONE - US Shale Debt Increases as Drillers Push to Maintain Gains

Profit margin is actually negative on shale gas (which is where everyone seems to think the big remaining reserves are) for independent producers--they spend $1.50 for every dollar they make. Looks like only the big companies will be able to make money, and even their margin is small (but maybe not negative, like the independents).

Starlite9 is correct. We do have plenty of natural gas and oil in Alaska, onshore and offshore. The problem is that over 62% of Alaska does not belong to Alaska, but to the Federal Government. The State of Alaska cannot just go out there and start drilling in Federal lands, National parks, and the rest.

[Old Hippie Lady]

The sun will come out tomorrow......tomorrow...
Sorta recognize some of Alaska's issues, here in Oklahoma. I heard Oklahoma will surpass Alaska in drilling? Is that true? So may new complicated laws have been put into place here for royalty owners and others, seems a lot of people are trying hard to get what's due them or to find out what they are really due...

Seems we are drilling more than ever now in Oklahoma, but I just heard this AM something about our General Revenues for the State Budget have fallen pretty low....huuummm.

[Dakster]

Originally Posted by RayinAK

Yes, but keep in mind that both Safeway and Fred Meyer keep the price for their respective brand names about the same throughout the US., and that they bring their foods and other products to Alaska themselves. My wife just looks for the products that are on sale to save some cash. Then on top of that you have to add fuel cost since you have to drive to the supermarkets, specially if you live outside of the town.

North Pole has a Safeway store, but North Pole has a 3% tax. While a lot of people have no choice but to buy stuff in North Pole, most just drive to Fairbanks where there are Fred Meyer, Safeway, Sam's Club, Walmart, and so on. All depends on the number of items you need to buy.

Even raw foods get the 3% tax? We have 7% tax here - which I wasn't including as most, if not all, of the products you listed are not subject to it. Processed foods, candy, beer, tobacco are not exempt. I have to include gas to go get groceries too - it isn't free down here either.

My understanding is that the people that live "outside of town" tend to combine a lot of errands together and/or do them en route to/from work/school? I think 1stimestar schooled me on this a couple of years ago. We tend to go out get something and come back home. Groceries don't do well in the car down here, right now my truck will get 130F inside in a matter of minutes. If you get something of value, someone will see you and break into your vehicle to take it the place you park. I can't control the home invasion if I drive home - which happens on occasion down here, but I can control going across the street to get something to eat at a restaurant or going into another store.

The stores are not exactly around the corner from me either. I want to say I drive 6 miles each way - but it really isn't the miles that get me, it's the time and the fuel I burn sitting in traffic. Stop signs, traffic lights, and just plain traffic.

And we do the same thing as your wife. We try to stock up on things when they are on sale....

I am not disputing you live in an expensive area. I currently live in one as well and do the same things you do to try an stretch my dollars.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Dakster

Even raw foods get the 3% tax? We have 7% tax here - which I wasn't including as most, if not all, of the products you listed are not subject to it. Processed foods, candy, beer, tobacco are not exempt. I have to include gas to go get groceries too - it isn't free down here either.

My understanding is that the people that live "outside of town" tend to combine a lot of errands together and/or do them en route to/from work/school? I think 1stimestar schooled me on this a couple of years ago. We tend to go out get something and come back home. Groceries don't do well in the car down here, right now my truck will get 130F inside in a matter of minutes. If you get something of value, someone will see you and break into your vehicle to take it the place you park. I can't control the home invasion if I drive home - which happens on occasion down here, but I can control going across the street to get something to eat at a restaurant or going into another store.

The stores are not exactly around the corner from me either. I want to say I drive 6 miles each way - but it really isn't the miles that get me, it's the time and the fuel I burn sitting in traffic. Stop signs, traffic lights, and just plain traffic.

And we do the same thing as your wife. We try to stock up on things when they are on sale....

I am not disputing you live in an expensive area. I currently live in one as well and do the same things you do to try an stretch my dollars.

The tax in North Pole is 4% (my wife just told me). Anyway, the tax is on everything, including foods. Gasoline usually is around fifteen to twenty cents higher than in Fairbanks, too. When on the Richardson on my way to delta Junction, I never top the tank in North Pole. I just stop by Salcha at a gas station off the road, just before Salcha Marine. The fuel there is the same price as in Fairbanks. The next stop to top the tank is over at delta Junction by the end of town on the way to Fort Greely.

By the way, every now and then my wife goes to Sam's Club to buy certain foods and things in bulk, including Zip-Lock bags, trash bags, or just grapes, milk, and such. She has a little Irish and Scottish in her, and quite thrifty

[Dakster]

North Pole sucks for taxes then... But a city has to make money somehow.

[mizzile]

Originally Posted by starlite9

When Democrats mostly, (but Republicans do it too), make cuts, it's never about them. Schools, police and fire always are at the forefront of their ax. They always go for the cuts that hurt the average person so they can claim it wasn't their fault, which is a load of crap! Never about pork project that will get them votes. And yet the average American isn't smart enough to know they have been hoodwinked.

The Sequester was suppose to kill jobs for millions, but yet we now find only one federal employee was laid off. All the employees that were laid off got no pay cuts except when they first went home, they received full back pay so it amounted to a paid vacation. Basically this one was Obama fault, not Bush.

It killed me when Kaladi's went all sympathetic, giving federal employees free coffee, never bothering to either realize or acknowledge that all those people were still drawing a full salary, to be paid slightly later on down the road, for not working at all.

[bortstc37]

Originally Posted by RayinAK

Starlite9 is correct. We do have plenty of natural gas and oil in Alaska, onshore and offshore. The problem is that over 62% of Alaska does not belong to Alaska, but to the Federal Government. The State of Alaska cannot just go out there and start drilling in Federal lands, National parks, and the rest.

His post asserted that a gas pipeline would be pointless since the "world is awash" in natural gas. I was pointing out that the gas being extracted in the -48 was not profitable for most of the companies involved, which would mean that the world is not necessarily awash in gas (at least not our gas). I didn't say anything about Alaska, though you could logically conclude that if -48 gas is not very profitable, it only makes Alaskan gas seem more attractive.

Wouldn't that be a good thing for your Fairbanks cost of living?

[Dakster]

Originally Posted by mizzile

It killed me when Kaladi's went all sympathetic, giving federal employees free coffee, never bothering to either realize or acknowledge that all those people were still drawing a full salary, to be paid slightly later on down the road, for not working at all.

I am surprised that the Internal Affairs departments of the various Federal agencies didn't jump on that. Of course they were probably furloughed too... As a local government employee I cannot accept anything for free just because i am government employee. If it is something the department worked out and sanctioned or it is something "for everyone", than it is OK. There used to be a dollar amount attached to "gifts", but now it is basically anything of value. Of course, if Kaladi's is like Star Bucks that amount could have been more than the allowable gift amount anyways. (I have no idea what a Kaladi's is)

It wouldn't be the first time a government official lost their job because of a cup of coffee. Although in this case, the argument could be made that they were not a government official at the time, because they were furloughed.

In other words, I wouldn't have accepted the free coffee...

Having said that, for Kaladi's is was great PR... So don't think they didn't get anything out of it either. Proof is that now I know that Kaladi's exists, where I didn't before.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by bortstc37

His post asserted that a gas pipeline would be pointless since the "world is awash" in natural gas. I was pointing out that the gas being extracted in the -48 was not profitable for most of the companies involved, which would mean that the world is not necessarily awash in gas (at least not our gas). I didn't say anything about Alaska, though you could logically conclude that if -48 gas is not very profitable, it only makes Alaskan gas seem more attractive.

Wouldn't that be a good thing for your Fairbanks cost of living?

Yes. Heating fuel is quite expensive, so natural gas would be of help. The only problem is that converting one's home to use natural gas would be quite expensive.

A natural gas pipeline to Fairbanks has been the talk of every politician just before the elections take place, probably for the past 30 years. But once the elections are over we don't hear about it again