Looks about right to me

[wombat_socho]

This chart indicates that when you adjust for inflation, high-test (93 octane) costs about the same now as it did in late 1979, which is to say about a buck in 1979 dollars. As Nick Schulz says in Forbes, maybe that's why most people don't seem to be changing their plans despite the high prices, which are about $2.85/gallon for regular in my end of the metro.

Back in the day, I was paying about $0.97/gallon for 95-octane premium, at a time when I was making $3.50/hour scooping ice cream and stocking shelves. So paying $2.85/gallon for unleaded when I'm making $17/hour isn't as much fun as paying $2.25/gallon, but it's a long way from the $4.71/gallon if prices had risen with my pay.

On a completely unrelated topic, since tokenfanboy has closed his comments I guess I'll have to explain things to him here. Nobody on the new board is trying to tell the new chairman what he ought to do regarding the membership fees. He's not inclined to make changes, but he expressed an interest in hearing reasons why we should. As head of Registration, I think I'm entitled to an opinion; as ATC Secretary, maybe not so much, and the same is true for the other people currently on the core list. We're all affected by the membership numbers, and changes in the fee structure have an effect on those numbers. If the chairman wants to change the fees, of course I'd like that; if he doesn't, it's his decision and I'd support it.

Comments

[wombat-socho.livejournal.com]

Probably so, but I'm betting his income in Houston is probably at least comparable to what I'm making in Minneapolis, if not better. So we're at worst comparing oranges to tangelos as opposed to the usual apples/oranges comparison.