Dammit... it you can afford a giant SUV or Truck ... you can afford 5, 6, 7 dollars a gallon

[Sympthsical]

55. A lot of people need those trucks for their livelihoods

I just had a contractor over this morning. Nice guy. We have him do most of our stuff. He drives a truck to carry all his tools. Whenever I fill up at Costco, I see various pick ups and SUVs. Not too far from here are vineyards, fields, and farmland. Go into Home Depot, and you'll see a parking lot full of trucks with people getting various materials they need for projects.

Ironically and deeply amusing enough, do you know where I see tons of unwarranted SUVs by entitled people?

Berkeley.

Yep. Of all the places. Go there early in the morning when parents are lining up to drop their kids at school (because walking is too dangerous for the dear ones and bussing is for little people). Just a long train of expensive SUVs as the darlings get bounced out. Every morning and afternoon like clockwork, the side streets get jammed up with exhaust.

But, thank god. They have that "no nuclear" sign at city limits. Whew. Could've done some environmental damage there.

The big, superfluous SUV is mostly a people with money thing, particularly in the suburbs (which is a part of our coalition, cough). And as people with money, they can generally afford an increase in gas prices. People who use trucks for their livelihoods - i.e. lots of rural and semi-rural folk - do not.

The hate hose should be a bit more narrowly directed than this, because to a lot of people this just sounds like city folk yelling. It's a look that screws with us electorally.