POLL: Where Do You Buy Gas?
New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann called on residents to boycott local gas stations until they lower their prices. Tell us where you get your gas and whether you'll make a change.
At Monday's Village Board meeting, New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann called on residents to boycott local gas stations until they lower their prices.
"If they will not lower their prices, then go buy your gas somewhere else," he said.
That call drew a lot of response on Patch, from people who said they haven't purchased gas here for a while to others who said it's silly to boycott every station in a single town.
But what will you do? Vote in the poll below.
Baldermann's rant against the gas stations here, which have routinely charged between 5 and 20 cents more than stations one town over, drew regional coverage. The story was featured on CBS News at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Watch the video here.
Here's a sample of what some commenters on Patch said. Tell us what you think in the comments after voting in the poll.
- "I never get gas in New Lenox...I always drive to Joliet. New Lenox is usually the highest price around."
- "If we buy gas elsewhere but still from the same company such as Speedway, will that really make a point? After all, they're still getting your money."
- "Shouting at 'capitalism at work', is not anything more than grandstanding politics ... The better move is to grease the way for more competition."
- "Buy gas in New Lenox? Never again. I live here and would like to support the businesses in town but when they all charge the same amount for gas, that is not competition, it is collusion."
Richard Conklin
7:04 am on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
A) If you spend 9 minutes of your life driving to save $1, you're working for less than minimum wage.
B) If you drive a typical car more than a mile out of your way for each penny you save on the per-gallon price, it doesn't matter how worthless your time is to you --the gas to get you there and back costs more than you save.
-xkcd.com/951/
Number Talker
12:26 pm on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Example: I drive a vehicle that has a 31 gallon fuel tank. Let’s say I’m filling up with 25 gallons. At a cost difference between 5 and 20 cents per gallon, that translates to $1.25 and $5, respectively. Comparing two of the same gas stations, one at Cedar and Rt. 30, the other at Lagrange and Rt. 30 (~6.5 miles away), on one particular day, there was a price difference of $0.18/gal. My vehicle also averages 16 mpg. If I was at the New Lenox station and thought it was too much at $4.00/gal, at a rate of $0.25/mile, it will cost you $3.25 just to drive to the other location. So, now add in all the time that has been wasted, especially now, while Rt. 30 is under construction.
My opinion: Not worth making a special trip. So I recommend filling up while you happen to be in that area anyway. Use your “Gas Buddy” app.
joel
2:23 pm on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Most of us in NL work outside of town so it is not a time thing we just buy gas elsewhere
it would be nice if the stations here would not charge so much and we could buy gas close to home and keep our tax dollars here ... not in another towns coffers.... I am not wasting time or working for minimum wage it make sense to keep our money in our town...
New Lenox Mom
8:52 am on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
You do not need to make special trips out of town to buy gas. Everyone leaves New Lenox and when you do...check the gas prices on the way out and then buy gas from the cheaper stations when you are already out of NL. Better yet, use gas buddy on your phone and it tells you the cheapest gas in the area you are currently in.
I regularly shop at Sam's Club, so I make it a point to fill up when I am over there. Not driving out of my way.
judd w. bonamino
12:46 pm on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
you are right on point.i guess some people never leave new lenox or like to be taken atvantage of.i have been doing what you do for years and i could care less what N.L. charges i dont buy here anyway.
kim
3:47 pm on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
I agree with you and that is what I do also, it is proper time management. Thanks for sharing:)
nlretired
8:53 am on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Points well made. However, many pass stations with lower prices on their way to/from work, shopping, etc., so in those instances it should be a no-brainer.
Nikki Sanders
9:14 am on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Notes: stop in (blocking a gas pump) and ask why the station charges so much more than the station of the same brand in (name a location).
Ask Why BP charges 5 to 25 cents more/gallon than Speedway or Shell.
Ask Why the Shell at I-80 & Rt 30 charges 20-25 cents more/gallon than the
Shell at I-80 & Larkin and the
Shell at I=80 & LaGrange.
Ask each of them why they are charging so much more than the national average.
Ask the people at the pumps why they are so stupid to be shopping there.
United We Stand
9:32 am on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Come to Manhattan:) $3.85 today!!!
Mary Beth Lubert
11:03 am on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
I'll be there!
NL RESIDENT
9:34 am on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
This has been going on for quite sometime now. I completely support Mayor Balderman in this issue and I applaud him for supporting the residents of New Lenox. Back in January 2012 I noticed that the New Lenox gas prices were 20 cents a gallon more than in Homer, Mokena, and Frankfort. NOT 2-3 CENTS BUT 20 CENTS A GALLON MORE and I have pictures to prove it. I will shop elsewhere and not give my money to these crooks!
HDRIDER16
9:36 am on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
What a joke he want's us to boycott gas stations in our town cause the price's are to high....LOL He thinks that's a problem how about he lower's our property taxes!!!! Maybe he should find out what the property taxes are in other surrounding towns and not worry about what their gas price's are and do some real savings!!!! GET REAL
New Lenox Mom
10:03 am on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Maybe you should check your tax bill a little closer! 75-80% of your property tax bill goes to the school districts, so if you want to complain about how high your bill is, complain to the school boards. The Village also rebated 50% of the Village's portion of the tax bill! While I am not a fan of Baldermann in many things he does, the gas prices in this town are ridiculous and its the stations not the village. I got my rebate check did you??
United We Stand
12:17 pm on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Your property taxes goes to schools and here is an example on why it is so high!
As a way to keep Sass in the district, the school board gave him a couple of incentives: a $747,000 life insurance policy and other compensation of $333,000, plus interest, over
six years. Both incentives are not tied to the Teachers' Retirement System so it will not affect his pension. This school year, he will receive $40,477 in deferred compensation. He
is scheduled to get $54,000 in deferred compensation in the 2010·11 school year.
Sass' current contract has him scheduled to get a raise July 1 that will boost his base pay from $179,000 to $196,000. The contract also says he will receive a $5,000 annuity, a
$15,000 bonus and a $5,000 meeting stipend. He will also be able to receive money for 10 unused vacation days. Last school year, he received $6,884 for his unused vacation days........ Herald News
NL RESIDENT
9:59 am on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
I would rather drive out of my way to buy gas than be a fool and be taken advantage of.
NLMom
10:01 am on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
The mayor doesn't personally set property taxes. If you have a problem with your tax bill take your complaint to Bonnie Hernadez's office on Cedar Road.
Marie
10:43 am on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Property values can be addressed at the township, but each taxing body sets their own tax rates.
I don't think a mayor calling for a boycott during a village board meeting is a particularly classy move, but that's just my opinion. If I can get gas cheaper just a few minutes away in another town while I'm out, then I do it. And I doubt the only drivers who buy gas in New Lenox are New Lenox residents anyway.
HDRIDER16
11:27 am on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Ya well he may not set the property taxes but yet he's trying to make a stand on gas prices and trying to hurt local businesses in our town. Ya that's a really smart move!!!!! People in this town work at those local gas stations and if they start hurting cause of boycotts who's the 1st one to be laid off....our residents.
Nick.
11:44 am on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Just because the gas station is in town doesn't mean that it's new Lenox residents working there.. I personally that the employees come from all over.. There's a few that are from Indiana too..
New Lenox Mom
1:02 pm on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
While those stations might be located in town, they definitely don't fit the standard definition of "local businesses". Local is a business that isn't located anywhere and most of the time, the owner isfrom the town they are located in. While there can be local residents working in some of these stations, unless the station closes, they aren't going to lose their job.
Serge Storms - I Follow No One
12:30 pm on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
This all has to do with Corporate marketing....so we are not hurting the town....but we really are not hurting the corparation. Also what may be driving higher cost of gas to the corporations is that New Lenox has I80 and 355 exits....which implies more traffic to the gas station regardless of their locations. So if we want lower gas prices....close those ramps. Anyone who has taken the Indiana toll road to Ohio knows this, the last two Indiana rest stops have the high gas prices, then you get into Ohio and it drops almost 50 cents.....
New Lenox Mom
12:59 pm on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
The stations along laraway are NOT easy exits from either 355 or 80, so that arguement doesn' really apply here, although I agree it can affect some major interstate exits. Not going to the local stations will affect those individual stations and at some point there will be changes made... don't make special trips, just buy gas in another town where it is cheaper...end of story.
Erin
1:45 pm on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
I work right near 183rd and Wolf Rd, Gas is anywhere from 5-10 cents cheaper here, I have been gasing up near work rather then in town where its more expensive. I wont make a special trip just for gas thats a few pennies cheaper.
Sandy
5:33 pm on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
I work outside of New Lenox and would have to be running on fumes before I would purchase gas here. I never purposely drive out of New Lenox to get fuel, just plan my fill ups so that I never get low on the weekends. I'm glad he took a stand on this issue. I know there are other issues but we have to start somewhere.
Bob McLaughlin
7:08 pm on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Interesting that 24 hours later (from yesterday's call to boycott and the Mayor stating that the gas companies won't lower the price) the price at the speedway and jewel was about 10-12 cents lower. Co-incidence?? $4.09 is still high. BTW, I was in Morris today off I-80 and the gas price was $3.84. Why not here? They were off the expressway. Bought a tank full there.