Ah, look at the positive side.

1) Everyone in the world still pays more.

2) Buy a Prius, not an Escalade, and really make the oil companies sweat.

3) Better yet, use a bicycle and get in better shape.

The way it worked at the station I worked at is the manager of the stop-n-rob across the street would raise his price, and stand out looking at his sign. My boss would then run out, and make a close match to the price he had - a few pennies more. Then the other guy would raise the price on his sign by a penny, then my boss would lower a penny or so. This would go on, with teh prices on both signs changing rapidly, all by a penny or so, up down down up, etc. until one of 'em got tired, looked up, make sure he wasn't loosing money, and went inside for a coffee or cold beer. The other would then set his price onc penny higher or lower, and call it a day as well.

Somebody from Texas please verify this observation. I was in Houston about 4 weeks ago. While there, regular gas in LA was approx. $2.37/gallon. In Houston (not sure about other parts of TX), the price was $1.50. It's kinda difficult to compare then and now prices as prices shift so quickly, but are TX prices still at that price point? And what about other state prices now?

Currently, regular gas in my part of So. Cal is $2.27/gal.

Regarding the oil conspiracy theories.
Aren't the Saudi family/other oil company executives real close to the Bush family and Cheney?

Doesn't Condoleezza Rice have strong ties with oil companies? I mean, wasn't she a board member with Chevron Oil (with a tanker named after her no less).

Does it help Saudi Arabia to sell or profit as much oil as the market will bear to it's largest customer, the USA?

Does it make sense for the US to be aware of our "national interests" and to make sure we have access to the oil we need, especially at the rate we use it?

If SA were in any way knowledgeable or responsible for 9/11, would the administration look past the familial relationship and charge the SA government with complicity with the known SA terrorists?

Is it possible Bush/Cheney (ex-CEO of Halliburton) could have ensured another source of oil by having control of Iraqui oil?

Is it true that Hamid Karzai was a Unocal employee before his appointment to lead Afghanistan?

Is the new American Ambassador to Afghanistan a gentleman named Khalizad, former Unocal consultant and ex-staff member of Rice's National Security Council?

Weren't Enron and Unocal both building natural gas power plants and gas lines, respectively in India? And wasn't it Kenneth Lay (infamous Enron CEO and good friends with GW) who was there in secret meetings with Cheney when the administration was formulating its energy policies?

Hey, even the corporate offices of Halliburton and Enron are right next to each other in Houston.

What a coincidence, but I think I got off-topic a little.

Sherwood

thank god i have a work truck! nothing i drive gets good gas mileage.

California has chosen to have some of the highest fuel costs in the nation for tax and environmental reasons. It's 50.8 cents per gal (state and federal taxes) is the 4th highest rate in the nation...plus high local taxes. Texas tax rates are much lower...38.4 cents per gal.

Refinery capacity is the next problem causing high prices. From 1985 to 1995, 10 California refineries closed, resulting in a 20 percent reduction in refining capacity. Further refinery closures are expected due to the cost of complying with environmental regulations. No new refineries are planned in California due to the strict permitting issues. Texas has excess refinery capacity and sells fuel throughout the region.

California refines about 90% of it's own fuel and requires it's own blend. This prevents buying fuel at market prices from other states during peak usage. The final 10% must be purchased at a premium due to the unique blend and high transportation costs.

Blah...this is for one litre (1/4th of gallon) and price is in Euros:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1084183889.jpg


How much does it add up? 6$ a gallon?

cheaper gas or not,,, its still texas.

GW has about as much influence over the price of gas as I do over the size of Oprah's waist line. the real equalizer is the end user. if even a small percentage of fuel consumers were to pull back their fuel buying habits to the tune of only several million bbl a day, the effect would cause prices to drop drastically. just don't expect that to happen anytime soon