[Vwdiesel] Alaska prices and stories WAS: Diesel below $3.00

[Will Taygan]

oops, sent this just to Loren the first time.

On Fri, 2008-10-31 at 20:45 -0800, Will Taygan wrote:
> While most communities have a road system and a power grid, the roads
> and power lines are not connected statewide.  Even the main "railbelt"
> from Anchorage to Fairbanks (the "affordable" part of the state where
> most of the people are) which has the railroad, highways and powerlines
> is not connected to Canada or other parts of the state - well, the
> highway goes through but the powerlines, gaslines, railroad, etc. do
> not.
> 
> Communities on the railbelt can get stuff off the twice a week ships
> that come into Anchorage, but out in Bristol Bay the ships come once a
> month, less often in the winter, and they have to go all the way out and
> around the Alaska Peninsula, through the Bering Sea, and then are only
> delivering to regional hubs that might have 2000 people.  Of course
> these hubs supply dozens of smaller villages, and also serve as the
> summer bases for the massive fishing fleets.
> 
> If you need something fast you've got to air ship it from Anchorage and
> you're looking at $1 a pound with a $50 minimum. You can, however, send
> stuff flat rate priority mail, and it's the same price as anywhere else
> in the country, but that only works for small stuff.
> 
> That being said, Anchorage is a fairly affordable place to live, 3-bed
> 2-bath houses can be had in the mid $200s to mid $300s and salaries are
> similar to lower 48 city wages.  And the big box stores have invaded.
> We've got Lowe's, Home Depot, Walmart, and Target opened last month.
> Kind of a shame as the little Mom and Pops are being driven out of
> existence, but the urban areas are striving hard to become lower 48
> suburbs.
> 
> Of course, I live 30 minutes outside of the city. I can't see my
> neighbors. I'm a block off a float plane lake, next to groomed cross
> country ski trails, and 3 blocks from a 500,000 acre state park.  I've
> had moose, bears, fox, and snowshoe hares in my yard.  One of my
> neighbors legally shot a grizzly from his porch a few weeks ago.  And
> there were wolves eating dogs in the subdivision down the road last
> winter.  The Matsu valley (the fastest growing part of the state and
> home to Wasilla) just got building permits and zoning regulations last
> year.  It's a little slice of heaven.  I'm just hoping the "drill baby
> drill" frontier mentality doesn't wipe out our last frontier.
> 
> Will
> 
> On Fri, 2008-10-31 at 22:04 -0400, LBaird119 at aol.com wrote:
> > > Well, I love the Governor, but the prices would deter me from drifting into 
> > >  
> > > Alaskan territory.  Wonder why they just don't build a local refinery and  
> > > process the crude coming down the pipeline?
> > > 
> > 
> >   :-D
> >   I think a lot of the high prices would have to do with so many things 
> > being trucked in during a short period or having to be air lifted in.  Just 
> > my guess but I've heard that has a lot to do with the high prices of 
> > a lot of things there.
> >  Limit the ease of availability and the price goes up!
> >      Loren
> > 
>