In search of: Specific numbers on United States' Government Usage of Gasoline (state and federal)??

Okay... With the media shifting blame on the general population as a whole for the ever increasing price of gas, I asked myself the question how much gasoline (not including oil here, can't find that either) does our state and federal governments use in a day, month, year?

For some "odd" reason I am unable to find numbers relating to this, I must be looking in the wrong places... Are these numbers critical to national security?

For example, In searching I came accross the number: that in one day the United States consumes 400 million gallons of fuel a day.

auto.howstuffworks.com...

"That truly is an amazing amount of liquid, but when you consider that there are about 100 million households in the United States, it is only 4 gallons per household per day. Each family doesn't consume that much, but a huge number of families are doing it. "

If thats the case does our Government not include its usage in the total, or does it, but shifts the blame to the population? 4 gallons per household, would technically mean, with families being the only ones using it, government doesn't use it, state or federal. Neither do companies or corporations. How does that make sense? They have magic oil that doesn't factor into the supply and demand?

I am not looking for price, in terms of how much it costs our tax payers in paying (important, but not here). I am looking on numbers for state and federal use (ie in 2006 United States Federal government used ##### gallons of gasoline. Rhode Island used ##### gallons of gasoline. New York, so on and so forth...

I am sick of receiving the blame for the steady increase in demand, when our government (state and federal) and the corporations have no impact on said demand.. How does this impact a free market? The media keeps telling peopel to stop and the prices will come down, but really? If I do, and u do, will uncle sammy? nope, demand won't change....

The only thing I've found so far, actually relating a state's usage came in a pdf report regarding Orange county, Florida's mpg standards (under the title that included gasoline usage (without specific numbers) .. Suprisingly most of their county vehicles were SUVs... hmmmm, however they don't have any listing of actual gallons used... Just vague mpg standards, types of automobile, etc... Just vagueness.

www.occompt.com...

Thats only one small county in one state, but I can only imagine the usage of gasoline by our State and Federal Government, (I am not even including corporations here)...

Just imagine. How does that relate to the demand if the government's need for supply out weighs its population? IS this number anywhere? Does that honestly offset the notion of a free market place, null and void?

If anyone here has numbers, or sources... Please help me out! I will continue my research and post when I find something, but until then...

Thank You!

sb

I have a feeling that any real data might end up showing how true Uncle Sammy and Aunt opec are truly takin' us for a spin... I mean honestly I already know the answer for this one, I am just sick of us being scapegoated.

No Answer or even one response???

No problem, I will continue on with my own research, hopefully someone else will chip in maybe with a true answer (something I have been unable to find after 2 days of research, research that just gets me more vagueness..

Okay so since I am having a hard time finding out more information regarding the Federal Government's usage of Gasoline, I have decided in the mean time to focus my time on my home state of Rhode Island, its usage per capita, and try and figure out how it relates to true demand.

www.statemaster.com...

According to AAA, as sited in the link above, per capita daily usage of gasoline (I'll include oil) can be broken down to this.

Gasoline Consumption: 9,616,000
Gasoline Consumption (per capita): 8.935 per capita
Oil Consumption: 18,275,000
Oil Consumption (per capita): 16.981 per capita
(AAA,2006)
Okay, so just in Rhode Island, per capita (per person) daily usage of gasoline is 8.9 gallons. On the same site, it is listed that there is an average of 2.5 people per household. 2.5 x 8.9= 22.25 gallons of gasoline per day. (crazy yet?) That's over $66.75 in gas per day per household (at the listed 3.00 dollar average for regular). $66.75 x 7 days = 467.25 Dollars a week on gasoline per household... Per year that would equal $24,297 in gas per household of 2.5 people. (not including variation, that is if gas is a average of 3.00 a gallon)
Here's where the fun comes in...
www.statemaster.com...&all=1
Licensed Drivers > Per 1,000 driving age population: 850
Licensed Drivers > Per registered vehicle: 0.92
Licensed Drivers > Total number: 731,323 (per capita): 0.68 per capita
(Numerous Sources, look at link)
Okay so oddly enough everyone in Rhode Island isn't able to drive (ie babies, children, poor, old). I guess that makes sense in the grand scheme of things.
According to these numbers there are 731,323 licenses drivers in Rhode Island ( i am sure not all have cars, but for stats okay). Sadly, this is a vague listing, and does not break down to types of license. Fair enough, if Gasoline can be broken down to per capita, I will break it down to licensed driver capita.
Since the oil industry blames the consumer on the price of gasoline, with the only answer being to stop using, and since prices change around the time of peak driving by the "normal" population, I will thus put that theory to the test. If the consumer is the sole responsible person in terms of gasoline usage and thus demand then technically under that theory only licensed drivers use the total amount of gasoline. (I know thats not true, but supply and demand say it is).
Math time, so 731,323 people use 9,616,000 gallons of gas a day. 9,616,000/ 731,323= 13.15 gallons of gas per licensed driver a day in Rhode Island. 3 x 13.15= $ 39.45 per day. $39.45 x 7 = $276.15 a week. $276.15 x 52 = $14,359 a year in gasoline per licensed capita driver.
Problem: a person would not be able to afford that, when you factor in all the other parts of cost per living, how is one going to live in one when paying around half of their income on just gasoline..
www.statemaster.com...
Employment: 545,260
Unemployment rate: 5.1%
Percent below poverty level: 12.8%
Personal income (per capita): $36,289.17 per capita
Median Household Income: $48,722.00
(numerous sources, on site)
Okay so after looking at the numbers per capita, and the gasoline per capita, one must take one thing into mind about Rhode Island, the size of the state is so small ( I know I live here). So in reality, the numbers would make it seem like every driver in Rhode Island owns a hummer h2 and drives to around to different parts of New England for their jobs (please take into consideration that you can drive from the top of the state to the bottom in less then an hour.)



[edit on 24-5-2007 by squidboy]

continued from above....

So honestly, where is all that gasoline going? Estimation of 8.9 Gallons per capita is insane! And so is blaming just consumers. But on that determination, yes I would agree with oil companies, the demand of 8.9 gallons of gas per capita, when matched with the supply justifies the cost to the consumer.

But every man, woman, and child in Rhode Island does not drive. Every Licensed person does not drive, nor own a car. Okay so, taking into consideration the fact that everyone does not drive, the 8.9 gallon a day per capita is bull#. In a market that is driven by supply and demand, the 8.9 gallon a day per capita drives the $3.22 (present nation average) per gallon of gas. But consumers due not only use this gas. What about the police (State, town, city), Fire Departments, EMT, utilities, public transportation, garbage disposal, so on so forth (how does that factor into demand?) Companies and Corporations rely just as much on gasoline, just think for a second, how many Big Rigs you see on a highway, how many delivery trucks, so on so forth.

All of these effect supply. Then think, if State (including Towns and Cities) use this much, what about the Federal Government (just think how much in energy in terms of gasoline is used in defense alone). How does this effect Supply and Demand? How can a Federal Government tax citizens for gasoline, when it uses gasoline itself? Does it Tax itself?

We pay for it all, and we still get the burden of both paying taxes for our state and federal government, being blamed for the high demand of gasoline, and then get caught with the final price at the pump. Why? At the same time, we get the hidden price of gas (in food and other goods) also pushed onto us in the free market place. Anyone seeing something odd here?

At the end of this I hope to find a number for usage of Gasoline just by out States and Federal governments and find out how that effects the total demand issue, and why we get the blame... Thats all I want, a clear cut number of usage by our government, why is that too hard to ask, when its so easy to shift blame of that use to consumer?

Anyone else have an answer? How can gasoline usage be put the shoulders of citizens on premise of personal usage, when in fact its a hidden demand? That we can not even know the true numbers of?

After all of this I bet you if every person stopped driving for a day, it would probably bring down the usage in Rhode Island to maybe 6.0 gallons per capita (from 8.9). I probably will never know.

Sorry for the spelling issues and typing errors, will fix later (do not have spell check on computer, and kind of rushed today)..

Might like to add, We have the one of the highest taxes on gas in the Country... $10,500,672,000.00= How much it costs for Gasoline in Rhode Island per year ($3.00 average x daily usage x 7 days a week x 52 weeks a year). Total income for Rhode Island last year = $39,054,000,000.00. 1/3 paid for gas? Doesn't add up, thus why demand is not just a consumer issue.

sb

Ps.

Considering this, one would think that our government(s) and companies should disclose all usage of energy in specific concrete numbers, but thats not out there in the open.

Will continue with my research, just too much to take in at once, alone.

Maybe, once people understood why demand is really not based on the consumer, one would understand why a free market is one thats not really free, nor truly understood.


[edit on 24-5-2007 by squidboy]

It sounds like they are considering the fuel needed to run industry and commerce as well per individual person, I would think, yet the prices do not make any sense. Just one more useless government statistic IMO.

For example, I only use about 3-4 gallons of gas a week unless I am really going somewhere special, but considering the goods and services we pay for, perhaps most of that cost is involved in fuel to drive all the logistics in getting it there and servicing it. I know we have a fleet of 8-10 semi trucks with 60% of them used full time and they are refueled every 2-3 days at a cost of about $1200. That is just one service industry specializing in a product that is not even for the consumer but supports industry. Add in all the associated fuel costs of making something for the consumer and then getting it to the store and maybe these numbers you are talking about makes sense.

[edit on 25-5-2007 by ben91069]

Thank you for replying, took awhile to get a reply.

This is about the blame game, that the media is pushing onto us.

"It sounds like they are considering the fuel needed to run industry and commerce as well per individual person"

But they don't say industry, commerce. and the perople. They just say per capita, person. Understandable. I suppose in the way a society works and the thinking that everyone involved is responsible, but thats part of the the mystery of hidden demand that should not apply and be blamed on every person.

Break society down to 3 people (ie citizen, government, and commerce, just for arguement sake) If 2 out of the 3 people (government and commerce) use 2/3 of the widgets, then blame the citizen for using all 3/3 of the widgets, it is not right. Government taxes us for gas, then the industries pass there prices for gas onto us, then we pay for higher demand at the pump (because of government and industry) and take all the blame of demand, despite being responsible for little of the total amount (while almost being responsible for all the cost). That last part is important, because it is almost true, if you considering the act of passing down cost, our taxes paying for the government's use, along with our usage.

We pay for it all, in the grand scheme of things. But wasting and overuse in industry and government should not be put on us, and need to be addressed and disclosed, to fix it.

There are no specific numbers anywhere for what our government uses in terms of state and government? No sources for what the actual numbers are. Why is that? How does that impact demand? What about companies?

You listed your company and its usage compared to yourself, your company usage effects the total demand on gasoline more so then yourself, but according to the media you are to blame.

"Add in all the associated fuel costs of making something for the consumer and then getting it to the store and maybe these numbers you are talking about makes sense. "

This would be true if every company product, or service was for every consumer, they are not. There are companies that support niche customers, companies that sell a product for maybe 1 percent of the population.

In no way, should that be the case, where the demand of the Industry and commerce, is added to that of the citizen. When you factor in that those costs are passed to products the citizen buys. It affects the total demand (in a hidden way, look below) resulting in a cry for we as consumers to stop, when if we did, it wouldn't change anything really.

If the government can tax us, then the must release numbers on their usage for us to understand true supply and demand, and when consumer boycotts can show that a stopage of citizen buying, does zero or little to the actual demand, it gives us power.

If companies can pass down the price of gas increase, and totally have a major impact on demand, they must disclose their usage as well..

IF these things were done, the media would not be able to blame the citizen, the per capita. The numbers don't make sense, but they are the only numbers we have, because there are no usage disclosures in place for either our government or business industry.

They are all put on the citizens back, and that is not right. The Demand that is needed by our industry and government out weighs the citizen ten fold. And while it takes that to run a society, not everyone benefits from every product or service.

The products some people pay for, they pay for all costs (including gas) in the price of said item, while the companies, used by a citizen or not, keep jacking up demand and total usage per capita.

In the end, the government actually makes alot of money from all of this, thus why things do not change (fed and state taxes), while also benefiting by the increase in demand (as shown by the increase in taxes from the increase of gasoline at the pump price.

Just think about it.

Supply and Demand.

www.netmba.com...

In the simple way of economics, and the way the media portrays it, we the consumer want # amount of gasoline per day, when the oil industry only has # amount of gasoline per day. Supposedly, according to supply and demand, a consumer's demand, matched with with the supply dictates price.

Okay so regardless of how oil is priced compared to the same time last year, the price of gasoline has gone up more so then last year, and is at the highest price ever in U.S. history.

According to the Experts, this is because of our demand as consumers (always portrayed as citizen drivers), and a problem with refineries (at 80 percent, please compare that to similar times). At the same time, the price profit for turning a barrel of oil into a a gallon of gasoline is at an all time high of 30 or so dollars vs. then normal average of 9 dollars. At the same time, the oil industry has only applied to make one new refinery in the last 20 years, and never did so. What is happening here?

Okay so from the above we already see alot of deception taking place at the supply level, but you need to ask who benefits. It is not only the oil industry, but our federal and state governments (through the price increase at the pump of course).

From the micro economics stand point of supply and demand, we the consumer are hit with a higher price, because our demand is so high, a hidden demand. Every time you here a number, 300-400 Gallons of gas is used a day in the United States, that not what our citizens our using, but most what our companies and government are using. This is a false demand and false supply/ demand example. In that our demand as citizen drivers would fall alot less then what the demand is, due to business and government. We pay for the demand that includes business and government. While getting the blame, and paying all the costs (outright and hidden).

However, with oil being a commodity, it is traded and used as such. However, this supply and demand arguement is used under false context, and should be address as what it is. How much does our government and Industries use, how much do they waste? Why do we have to pay for the higher demand caused by our government and industry. Funny part about the whole thing, the government, while not disclosing its usage, can jake up demand their demand and usage so high, it would effect the price of gasoline, thus bringing in more money from taxes.

If Joe Schmoe thinks he is doing his part for enviroment and gasoline usage by driving a bike only to work, and growing his own food in his gardern, and is off the grid due to his solar panels and wind energy on his farm, he isn't. He is still a per capita, and technicalls uses just as much gasoline as the guy with a hummer h2, in terms of stats (according to per capita stats).

I call for total disclosure of Company and Governmental usage/waste.

This reminds me of the severe drought years when individuals were asked to turn off the tap while brushing their teeth and "if it's yellow, let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down". Then I'ld drive by a green golf course with water spraying everywhere (with some of the water evaporating before it could hit the ground).

Now, personally, I do believe in being conservative with energy anyway. Part being good stewards of the Earth, part having parents growing up during the Great Depression. And I could add, part not committing one of the Seven Deadly Sins--Gluttony (with resources upon which humanity needs to survive).

Consumers don't realize how much oil is used in plant applications (pesticides, herbicides, etc. for example); and, again, as with government military use alone (some of those underground pipes carry jet fuel), the news goes on and on ad nauseum about pump prices, cars, driving, etc.

You mentioned the high profit for refining oil, so I guess that answers my question about why all the new oils wells are being drilled and old ones starting pumping again, even though there is a refinery "problem"?

Originally posted by desert
This reminds me of the severe drought years when individuals were asked to turn off the tap while brushing their teeth and "if it's yellow, let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down". Then I'ld drive by a green golf course with water spraying everywhere (with some of the water evaporating before it could hit the ground).

Now, personally, I do believe in being conservative with energy anyway. Part being good stewards of the Earth, part having parents growing up during the Great Depression. And I could add, part not committing one of the Seven Deadly Sins--Gluttony (with resources upon which humanity needs to survive).

Consumers don't realize how much oil is used in plant applications (pesticides, herbicides, etc. for example); and, again, as with government military use alone (some of those underground pipes carry jet fuel), the news goes on and on ad nauseum about pump prices, cars, driving, etc.

You mentioned the high profit for refining oil, so I guess that answers my question about why all the new oils wells are being drilled and old ones starting pumping again, even though there is a refinery "problem"?

Thank you, and yes I also believe in being enviroment friendly. As pointless as it may be in the grand scheme of things in terms of oil and gasoline usage per capita, I feel fine doing my part. Its just sad that it has so little impact. T

he real heart buster for me, was watching "Who killed the Electric Car."

Such an eye opener of a movie. In my own life, I traded my Jeep in my a higer mpg car, and I hope to eventually have the money to get an all electric car some day (Tesla motors is awesome, but out of my reach in terms of price, maybe one day). Too bad they killed it off, in terms of the major US car companies.

But yeah thats the problem, people do not relize, and everyone is getting richer, off of us, the American people. While we get the blame for the problem.

In a way, if you think about it, we are almost becoming hidden slaves of capitalism, unless of course you are in the top 6 percent of wealth, the slave drivers. The American Dream has become the American nightmare.

Interesting little thought I just had. In ancient Rome they always were sure to give the people entertainment to calm dissent.

Look how popular Nascar is today. Look how much it wastes in term of energy. Look who the majority of fans are. Look who are pushing the wasteful sport. I could only imagine how much Gasoline the Nascar circuit uses in a year. They have the fans hooked, its a modern day circus. You can't do anything about it. And that is only one industry driver sport.

Any have an idea on how to approach the government on disclosure of energy usage. If we the citizen have to be pinpoint accurate with our taxes. Why can't we have pinpoint accurate disclosure of state and federal usage/waste.

Okay so...

Some more research, netted me some interesting results... In my home state, regardless of the price of tax, State Tax is 31 cents for every gallon of gas sold. Federal Tax is 18.4 . (As of 2005, need to check up on any adds) Combined that is a total of $00.494 Dollars paid in tax for every gallon (state and Federal).

www.projo.com...

Okay so According to address earlier in my thread, listed above (that sites AAA), there are 9,616,000 gallons a day used in Rhode Island, and in a year 3,500,224,000 Gallons used just in Rhode Island.

If you were to multiple that by the tax, for the full state and federal tax money recieved in a year, it should come out to, if every gallon is taxed,
1,729,110,656 Billion dollars in both Federal and State tax from Rhode Island Gross Use of Gasoline Per year.

If considering just State Tax of 31 cents on the gallon. The State annual tax would equal 1,085,069,440.00 Dollars in Tax money just in Rhode Island tax (to be used on Roads, Bridges, so on)

For Federal Tax at 18.4 Cents per Gallon. The total Federal tax Payout would equal $644,041,216.00 . . .


According to the Providence Journal Article listed above Annually Rhode Island collects $142.8 million From the pumps.

"While a cut might be a politically popular thing to do, Rhode Island relies heavily on the $142.8 million to be collected at gas stations this year to finance road and bridge improvements and public-transit operations. "

That is a huge huge difference in total payout for Rhode Island Tax vs. the payout if every gallon was taxed. According to the Tax payout per year of 142.8 million, Rhode Island Pumps take in the tax of 460,645,161.29 Gallons of Gas a year.

460,645,161.29 x .31 = 142,799,999.9999($ in tax, for Rhode Island at the pump Tax per year)

3,500,224,000 - 460,645,161.29 = 3,039,578,838.71 gallons of untaxed gasoline in Rhode Island Per Year.

Yes thats over 3 billion gallons, not being taxed, nor used by Rhode Island citizens.

Time to find more sources Regarding Rhode Island Gasoline usage. The first source sites AAA as the source for gasoline usage per day in Rhode Island, with 8.9 per capita.

The thing to remember is that always remind Americans, hey you use 300-400 Million Gallons of Gas a day.

350,000,000 x 7 = 2,450,000,000 a wk. x 52= 127,400,000,000 a yr.

127,400,000,000 / 50= 2,548,000,000 per state.

Thats 2.5 billion gallons per state

The numbers do not add up, considering my state based on taxes should only be using 1/5 of that amount. Something needs to be clearified. I am thinking the numbers that do not add up, explain the real blame for demand..

According to the EIA (Energy Information Administration)

" Gasoline is used in most U.S. passenger vehicles with internal combustion engines. Americans use about 385 million gallons of gasoline every day. With about 299 million people in the U.S., that equals more than a gallon of gasoline every day for each man, woman, and child. "

www.eia.doe.gov...

140,140,000,000/50 = 2,802,800,000 per state.

That's 2.8 Billion Gallons per state according to government agency.

Rhode Island uses 460 Million Gallons a year (as shown by my state's Tax on Gasoline). 460 Gallons per person a year (pop.=million+) 1.2 gallons a day per person. Fits so tightly into that Government estimate it hurts. To perfectly. I just don't undestand why State Master's numbers are so off???....

Someone prove me wrong.



[edit on 25-5-2007 by squidboy]

[edit on 25-5-2007 by squidboy]

The main concern of it all, to remember that our Federal Government makes 18.4 cents per gallon sold in the United States.

385 million gallons a day...

385,000,000 x 7 = 2,695,000,000 a week

2,695,000,000 x 52 = 140,140,000,000 trillion gallons a year.

140,140,000,000 x .184 = $25,785,760,000 (awesome how that is a whole number without any decimals, just gotta love that one) Billion Dollars a year earned from Federal Gas Tax.

25.7 Billion Dollars.... Hmm no wonder people think our roads are paved with gold.

With that sort of money, it should be.

Fun part about it. IF they gave each state an equal share of that, it would mean each state would get $495,880,000 dollars a year.

Broken down (considering 299 million people) its about 86 Bucks a person.

Now we should all understand, why Uncle Sam and Aunt Opec are so close.

However, just remember all these numbers are speculation. When doing the math, I've found that alot of the numbers multiple or divide out to perfect whole numbers. In finite math, with examples using decimals, when does that ever happen on a continuous scale.

Don't forget that putting that 1 gallon per person a day number is a motive to hide what is truly used. Remember if the Driver is to blame, like the media says, then that number would fall upon just citizen drivers.

Every man, women, and child do not use a gallon of gas a day. Its silly logic.



[edit on 25-5-2007 by squidboy]

Hi, an astonishing statistic in my opinion (from an article regarding the Air Force's attempts to develop an alternative jet fuel):

The Air Force consumed 3.2 billion gallons, or 12.1 billion liters, of aviation fuel in the 2005 financial year, which was 52.5 percent of all fossil fuel used by the government, Pentagon statistics show. The total Air Force bill for jet fuel last year topped $4.7 billion.

Squidboy, excellent thread, thanks for doing all the research. I don't have time right now to read all of it, but I will and then back with my comments.

Originally posted by db330
Hi, an astonishing statistic in my opinion (from an article regarding the Air Force's attempts to develop an alternative jet fuel):

It is astonishing, I would think the U.S. Postal Service would use a hell of a lot too.