Gas Prices Tell a Tale

[maha]

Yesterday, gasoline pump prices in Phoenix jumped to $2 per gallon because of a broken pipeline. Gasoline is getting hard to come by at any price in Pheonix, and will be for several days. (I learned this by googling; has it been on CNN or Faux News at all?)

In some parts of the country drivers have been paying nearly that much without a broken pipeline. Last week the national retail average for regular gasoline was $1.571 per gallon, according to Reuters. Drivers in San Francisco paid $1.827 a gallon for regular, although in Houston pump prices were at $1.452.

I bring this up because gasoline prices were an issue in the 2000 presidential election. Just for fun, google for "Clinton energy policy" and find relics like this, which I find amusing in context of our current situation.

More blasts from the past: "Bush blames Clinton energy policy for soaring fuel costs"; "Clinton and Gore Shut Down Domestic Energy Production"; "A Conspiracy Exposed: Gas Prices and the Clinton-Gore Administration."

The "Conspiracy Exposed" article begins:

Over the past year, gasoline prices have soared, rising from an average of $1.03 per gallon in January 1999 to almost $1.60 in July 2000. For several weeks, some areas of the Midwest saw gasoline cost more than $2.00 per gallon.

In other words, gas prices in July 2000 were almost identical to what they are now. Are these same bozos writing today about the failed Bush-Cheney energy policy? Of course not. (The screed quoted above is in the archives of an organization called Citizens for a Sound Economy, co-chaired by Dick Armey, which is dedicated to "improving" the economy through -- you guessed it -- more tax cuts. Hallelujah!)

Read remainder ...

[nedlogg]

1. I just filled up at $1.94 a gallon.

Where's all the cheap gas we were promised from the Iraqi pipeline?

[MI Cherie]

2. I've been wondering the same thing!

Guess I better get filled up at $1.659 and be darn glad if it doesn't go up in the next couple of hours!

A few weeks ago it went up .25¢ overnight!

:grr:

[olmy]

3. You have no idea how bad it is here

I have come back from my second try today to obtain gas. I am running on fumes. ALL gas stations are closed in a 10 mile radius from my home in the west valley. The last try had me in a gas line 1/2 mile long. The line seemed not to be moving very quickly, about a car space every 10 minutes. I waited for 2 hours. Then some guy walks by and says that they have no gas and are waiting on a delivery sometime today.

Getting out of line, and then passing the station, outside are three employees with lit heaters just standing there.

Janet Napolitano is going to get "Davised" with this if she does not do something real fast and very decisive. I remember the gas gig in the seventies. She needs to do the following things PRONTO! Or the scum bag repugs here will have the commercials in the can.

Like New Jersey did:
Flags at stations. Red no gas...green gas

Station employees must go out and give updates.

Odd-even gas days by plates

20 dollar maximum....every suv in town sucks a station dry very fast.

You read it here folks, this is going to be like candy for the republicans...."she was not decisive, she did not react quickly....

By the way...if you want to see the future, come to Phoenix...it's here.

[catzies]

6. Gasp! Are they setting up for another recall? Is Napolitano Dem?

Does the AZ state constitution have a recall in it???

:tinfoilhat:

[sandnsea]

11. 'the future'

That's what this Administration wants everybody to think. Implant the idea of what America would be like unless we hurry up and set up drilling everywhere.

I'm sorry, no way is this an accident. John McCain is one of 6 senators holding out on ANWR drilling and the energy bill.

[Boreas]

4. Gas prices anywhere

Here's a useful site, especially if you're travelling and you're looking for the cheapest gas in a strange town, or even your own town.

http://www.gasbuddy.com/

[MI Cherie]

5. Thanks for the link!

It's good to be prepared!

:hi:

[RamboLiberal]

9. Thanks for the site - check out the graphs you can create

Notice you can also create neat tracking graphs, even compare 3 different areas in time periods up to 24 months - could be a useful political tool.

[Boreas]

10. Quite right about the charts and political usefulness

They have a members forum, much like this one, heating oil price chart, links to vehicle fuel economy, and fuel tax rates by state among other things.

[PATRICK]

7. the media joins the defense

EVERY timethe question comes up, accepting reasons without asking obvious questions, routinely every single year the issue up- the exact same uncritical way. Sure a lot of the diversity has to with season, geographic distribution. Even the occasional tanker spill. The disparity every year though has to do with the same inattention to distribution infrastructure as caused the last electricity blackout and Enron preoccupation with profit over even doing the job of organizing distribution. Also, theu trundle out this "reasons" only when people really start getting gauged, adding on others until the public is confused and soothed if not placated.

Then if the that continues the prices magically plummet- especially if their paid guys are getting too annoyed at having to waer too many hats on Congressional hearings into the gauging.

The the media- and the public- bury the issue until next time they start squealing. This song and dance is so old it is a wonder no one has found a breakthrough punch to get them offstage. And the Palast style revelations and scandals and sheiks have not done so except to deepen the incoherent cynicism of the masses.

[maha]

8. Good point

'And the Palast style revelations and scandals and sheiks have not done so except to deepen the incoherent cynicism of the masses."

So many Americans subscribe to a simple-minded ideology that politicians pander to -- deregulation is GOOD, government is BAD.

We're going to be the end of ourselves.