Let’s Talk About Costs EDITORIAL

LIBERTY, July 4, 2006 – Everyone is certainly aware of the recent increases in the cost of fuel for your car of truck. However, that’s only one of the many costs of owning and operating a vehicle. We as a society are paying far too much for transportation. When you add up all the costs of owning and operating a car like, the car note, insurance, tires and oil changes, fuel and repairs, owning a vehicle is an expensive proposition any way you look at it no matter what you drive. We spend far too much on transportation.

Another thing folks spend far too much money on is entertainment of all sorts, from ball games, shopping, going to movies, plays and shows, and traveling to theme parks. We as a society spend far too much on entertainment when our money could be better spent on other things more meaningful.

Not only is the cost of transportation an issue, the time lost sitting behind the wheel is something more and more people just can’t afford. There’s little that can be accomplished while driving except perhaps returning some phone calls. The time in the car is unproductive and represents time lost that cannot be recovered. Time is the only thing we can’t make more of. It’s a limited commodity and we just can’t afford to waste it. It’s far too valuable.

But I would like to offer some predictions.

1. We will spend less of the family budget on transportation in the future than we do now.
2. We will spend less of the family budget on entertainment in the future than we do now, and we will have more of it.

How could it be that we will spend less on transportation in the future than we do now? We will drive less because it won’t be necessary.

Driving won’t be as necessary as it is today because the Internet will bring you the goods and entertainment without having to leave your home.

Even now, with a high-speed Internet connection and a computer there’s little need to get in the car and go shopping, shop for music or go to a theater. It’s available online at much lower cost and without the cost of travel.

Through sites such as the iTunes Music Store you can download TV Shows, Videos and Films from the comfort of your living room easy chair.

Below are some great international short films on the iTunes Music Store that I would like to recommend.

• Taking the Wheel 11:33 Shorts International   
• Our Time Is Up 14:38 Shorts International   
• The Last Farm 16:10 Shorts International   

Almost anything you need for your home can be purchased online and delivered to your door much more efficiently than you can go and shop for them.

The Internet could easily reduce fuel consumption in the US be eliminating many trips in the car to fulfill our day-to-day needs.

If Washington could ever get together on a national energy policy, making high-speed Internet access available to everyone in the entire country should be made a priority. It’s possible that this one thing alone could reduce fuel consumption in the US by several percent. Even a few percentage points reduction in fuel demand every day nationwide could make a huge difference in conservation and perhaps even result in cleaner air.

For those who have access to a high-speed Internet connection at their home many of these benefits are available today. Check the following sites online.

http://www.smartbargains.com/

http://www.ebay.com/

http://www.amazon.com/

The use of the internet is and will be in the future the way that we will all improve our quality of life, reduce the amount of money and time we spend on travel and communications and save us money.

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