The price of security
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
Publisher’s Note: The following is a commentary on the cost of fuel by Record News Chief Reporter Jeff Snyder
By Jeff Snyder
MOUNT AYR, Iowa — Currently it cost roughly $99 to fill up the tank of a typical half-ton pickup truck. This is the most ever in Iowa history. For those inclined to drive a diesel truck with the same size fuel tank, the privilege sets driver’s back $143 or put another way about $20 per day if a consumer goes through roughly a tank per week.
World news is not typically the focus of a small regional newspaper unless of course this world news has a direct local impact and nowhere do geopolitical issues impact all American than at the gas station. At the cost of approximately $100 to fill up a standard truck most definitely impacts the locals.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture’s Weekly Fuel Report released on September 16 stated “The price of regular unleaded gasoline rose five cents from last week’s price and is currently averaging $4.11 across Iowa according to AAA.”
The same report also showed that retail diesel prices in Iowa rose 41 cents the week of the release with a statewide average of $6.12.
Those prices were before the large increase overnight last Wednesday.
The question becomes political in nature regardless of the typical Ringgold County stance on global news. The whole world is aware of the events taking place in the Middle East right now that has the U.S. military engaged. This oil rich part of the world has a direct impact on what everyone pays at the pump not just in the United States, but around the world as well.
The agriculture rich Midwest, including Ringgold County and surrounding neighboring counties, are all caught in the same net. Fuel is a critical cost element to farmers and ranchers that directly impact the solvency of their farming operations. No one is happy with the events that are fueling these price points, but when asked what our government should do there are mixed responses. Some say pull out now thus enabling prices to stabilize and give the people’s wallets a break. Others say we should stay and finish the job so that the future is no longer held hostage by a government that feels that a sensitive strip of water belongs to them exclusively.
There are no free options. Freedom is expensive whether talking about speech, religion or even national sovereignty on the other side of the globe. The question remains, what price are people willing to pay before tossing in the towel. Obviously Ringgold County, or any other county in Iowa for that matter, won’t have a direct impact on the war in the Middle East, but everyone needs to take stock of what collective responsibility looks like.
If the decision is to withdraw now in hopes that prices at the pump will fall later, that is an understandable stance. The real decision is more closely associated with the fate of future generations. Oil and all its impacts on global economies is here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future. Managing the coordination of this worldwide commodity is the responsibility of world leaders and the citizens they represent.
Dealing with a few bad actors for the sake of the future is a moral conundrum that each and every citizen needs to factor into their pain tolerance when standing in front of the pump that extracts $100 a shot from your wallet. The question is — how much would the same task cost if the bad actors were in complete control of that number. The Fram Oil Filter company had a great ad that stated simply “You can pay me now or pay me later. You decide.” The inference was eluding to the cost of procrastination. Prolonging a decision on critical issues may feel expedient if you are a politician running for re-election, but sticking your head in the sand only gives you a better look at the sand. The problem will still be there when you eventually come up for air.
The price of regular unleaded gasoline rose 5 cents from the previous week’s price and was averaging $4.11 across Iowa according to AAA.
◦ Prices rose 5 cents from the previous week’s price and are up $1.20 from a year ago.
• Retail diesel prices in Iowa rose 41 cents last week with an average of $6.12. One year ago, diesel prices averaged $3.51 in Iowa.
