Post this as OT like it is...


"Jay Honeck" wrote in message news:%kvPe.279433$x96.36565@attbi_s72...
Everywhere, every day on the radio, television, and in the newspapers, all I hear is how the "Record Price of Oil" is
killing America.

Yet, strangely, Americans keep driving *more*. And I don't see anyone flying less.

How can this be?

Here are some encouraging stats from the current issue of Newsweek:

- Oil, at $66 per barrel, has set a "nominal" record for high price. However, in real, adjusted-for-inflation dollars,
oil would have to top $86.72 per barrel to beat the price record set in 1981.

- For a gallon of gas to set a record, it would have to cost $3.12 per gallon, which was set back in 1981.

- Or, for that matter, it would have to cost $2.67 per gallon, which is what it cost way back in 1935.

- Since the first "Energy Crisis" in the 1970s, our economy has become MUCH more energy efficient. Total energy
consumption per dollar of GDP has been cut almost in half since 1973.

- Since 1980, the percentage of consumer spending that goes for energy has *declined* from 9 to 6 percent, despite
"record" prices.

- At the current rate of growth, our economy will DOUBLE in size in 18 years. (This is why, BTW, that even after
President Bush's tax cuts, federal revenues are still 17.5& of GDP -- just one percentage point below the post-World
War II norm.)

- Over the last 40 years, increases in productivity have averaged 2.1% per year. Since 2001, it's averaged 3.9%.

- Even though rising productivity means that the economy can grow without adding jobs, we have added over 4 million
new jobs since July 2003.

So why is everything doom and gloom in the media? Why are none of these facts brought to the fore? Is it a
not-so-hidden agenda? An ax to grind? Or is it that Americans are just not happy unless they've got something to
bitch about?

Personally, having been in the business, I think it's just this simple: Bad news sells newspapers; good news sucks.

Get out and fly, people! Life is good!

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"