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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories SOU students create thought-provoking art App Finder: Best science apps Volunteers show gratitude by sewing quilts for National Guard SOU students targeted in Drive Less campaign GMO opponents ask for seat at defense table Education SOU students create thought-provoking art SOU students targeted in Drive Less campaign Speech and debate team claims Jean Ward title SOU board names officers, committees Parent files complaint against Ashland schools Environment Grant will help restore 'legacy' oak habitat in Southern Oregon and Northern California Mt. Ashland Ski Area crew dips to five Mt. Ashland Ski Area announces layoffs The top five conservation success of 2014 Protestors want Keystone pipeline plans stopped Business Where do Ashland’s top chefs go to dine? Ride & Drive: The 2015 BMW M4 Silvio Calabi: Jeep’s Patriot earns respect New Ashland eatery features Basque cuisine Learning on the job Politics and elections Kent Bush: Fraud kept alive by the left and right Amid rising scrutiny, governor says fiancee won't have role in administration Ashland Fiber Network wants to be able to keep trade secrets Volunteer award, State of City address presentations Tuesday City's policy, efforts aim for diversity, but numbers show shortfall State News Albany father allegedly killed by son had worked in Ashland for 25 years Amid rising scrutiny, governor says fiancee won't have role in administration Two new wolves confirmed in Southern Oregon, state reviewing status of northeastern packs State records show number of big marijuana farms has increased New wandering wolf arrives in Southern Oregon Nation - World Obituaries Maridale Moore Lyn Richard Mary Diane Hudran Death Notices Glenn C. McBride Shareable Sports Latest Stories Aldridge leads Blazers past Suns Freshman goes off as SOU sweeps Menlo Layton picks Western Oregon Raiders nab pair of star SWC quarterbacks on signing day Ashland girls go 6-1 in multi-team dual meet High school Layton picks Western Oregon Ashland girls go 6-1 in multi-team dual meet Raiders, at last Ashland swimmers sweep three-way Grizzly spirit Southern Oregon University Freshman goes off as SOU sweeps Menlo Layton picks Western Oregon Raiders nab pair of star SWC quarterbacks on signing day Raiders, at last Raiders pulverize Simpson, bag first shutout in six years Opinion Latest Stories Our View: The benefits are mutual Letters to the Editor, Feb. 6 Jeffrey Gillespie: Et tu, Barack? Editor's Notes: Agonizing uncertainty in runaway case Wolves in our woods Editorial Our View: The benefits are mutual Wolves in our woods Our View: Bricks remodel is a smash Our View: Bravo to MovieMaker nod Other Views: Allow wilderness burns Letters Letters to the Editor, Feb. 6 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 4 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 2 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 28 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 27 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: A message to my health care colleagues Guest Opinion: Experts couldn't answer pipeline questions Guest Column: A Koch and bull story Guest Opinion: A New Year’s resolution you can keep: starting “the conversation” Chris Honoré: Modern media: the unreliable narrator Revels Latest Stories Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Best Bets : Feb. 5-12 Steep Ravine, T Sisters play the Unitarian Fellowship 'A Most Violent Year' is a taut, cerebral film Theater Looking inside yourself and finding a character is magic Classics, premiers highlight 2015 season for OSF Roy Orbison tribute hits high note Music Frisell brings fine-tuned act to Armory The Farr Side: Trainor building a music niche A laid-back chat with Marilyn Manson Roy Orbison tribute hits high note Jeff Kloetzel at Belle Fiore Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Movies Movie review: New ‘SpongeBob’ movie mops up with surrealistic goofiness Movie review: The Wachowskis rebound with sci-fi epic ‘Jupiter Ascending’ Movie review: A slow but sturdy study of corrupt politics and fragile families in ‘Leviathan’ Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas 'A Most Violent Year' is a taut, cerebral film Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Looking Up: Venus, Mars passing each other Health Watch: Simple swaps for a healthy lifestyle In Good Faith: Don’t let Christianity be hijacked Marketta Gregory: Your dance matters Looking inside yourself and finding a character is magic Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business NEWS NOW SOU students create thought-provoking art ... Our View: The benefits are mutual ... Calendar: Friday, Feb. 6 ... SOU students create thought-provoking art ... Our View: The benefits are mutual ... Calendar: Friday, Feb. 6 ... LOCAL TAKE What do you do with money saved from cheap gas? By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Feb. 4, 2015 @ 5:54 pm By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Feb. 4, 2015 @ 5:54 pm » RELATED CONTENT • What are you doing on Super Bowl Sunday? • What do you think of the state of the city? • Has Dr. King’s dream been realized? • Have we recovered from the Great Recession? • What do you think of the proposed natural gas pipeline? • Are you glad the Ashland Rotary Centennial Ice Rink is here? • College debt load balloons: What could, should be done? » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2324,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Ask anyone why gasoline is suddenly under $2 a gallon and you’ll hear a lot of conspiracy theories, some backslapping for whoever is president and some muttering about Arab states, most of it not very factually grounded. Ditto if you search the Internet. In old movies, before the big gas shortage of 1973 (caused by OPEC) (right?), you can see gas signs at 28 and 32 cents a gallon, causing everyone to swoon at the cheapness of travel. That’s never going to happen again, so get over your swoon.  A graph of the last half century shows gas at its lowest during the swell years around the turn of our century — think $1.40 or so. Remember that? It had been 2.5 times higher in the recession of the early '80s. But gas began to skyrocket about 2002, peaking at $4.38 in summer of 2008, as the economy teetered into the Great Recession. Then gas rapidly dropped to about $1.80, then back up to about $4.40 in 2011. Since then, it’s descended nicely, just in recent months. Locally, it’s as low as $1.89. Now, you hear people say the economy is even getting “strong,” there are some jobs, more expensive wines are leaving shelves and you hear change jingling in people’s pockets. AAA predicts low gas prices will remain for a while, possibly staying below $3 for the remainder of 2015, and said the low prices are an example of capitalism at work. Saudis have continued to maintain high production in the hopes that it will run some of the U.S. companies out of business. The price of crude oil continues to trade below $50 a barrel, down from more than $100 last year. Plus the U.S., thanks to the fracking boom, is producing oil and natural gas at levels not seen for at least 30 years. Meanwhile, the gas mileage of American cars has gone up in recent years, resulting in less demand. The question we asked Ashlanders is, “Well, what’s going on here? Are lower gas prices changing the way you budget and spend? What are you doing with this extra money? Do you have faith these low prices will stick around?” Nicholas Trygg — I don’t drive. I gave up having a car and I’ve saved a lot of money. I have mixed feelings about gas prices, because it makes it easier for consumers to drive more. This has an impact on global warming. We release more emissions. The warmth we feel right now, it’s bizarre. I heard low prices come from a glut of oil and that prices are artificially low. I won’t be surprised if it goes back up.  Susan Cain — It hasn’t really affected me. I don’t drive too much. I drive to the college for work and it’s only a few minutes. My husband drives an electric Leaf and loves it. I drive a Rav and get 25 mpg. I don’t understand why prices are low. It’s the math of the oil companies. Maybe it’s an oversupply or everyone’s being more careful now.  Sylver Chankalian — I get to go places more. I’m retired, but now I’m a serpent dancer and can travel to perform. I don’t have to carpool now. The economy is so bad, they had to do something, so they dropped gas prices. Nothing has changed with oil reserves. Sometime around Christmas, they’ll do it to us again and raise prices. Magee Downey — (declined photo) Gas prices should change. If there’s leftover (supply) they should stick with the price we are used to and used the money on repair of roads, bridges, making bike lanes and pedestrian crosswalks, to keep highways safe. Of course prices will go up and when they do, they aren’t coming down. That’s because the supply of oil is limited. I have not increased my driving. The extra money not going into driving flows right back into household expenses. By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Feb. 4, 2015 @ 5:54 pm » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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