Well, they've managed to keep retail prices of gasoline high for long enough so that $3.00 @ gallon for regular will seem reasonable to Californians now. ******* brilliant they are.
It is the riddle, "How do you double the price of a staple commodity w/o causing rioting?"
Easy. Triple the price first for a short while, then dial it back to ~double and they'll thank you for the "break". The supply of gas and diesel hasn't changed one drop. I haven't seen one empty or closed fuel station, (or read about one anywhere), and traffic is as bad as ever.
It's a lesson learned learned 100 years ago and probably taught at business schools, call it the "Wonder Bread theory". You bleach the schit out of a loaf of bread and remove all nutrition from it, then put some of the nutrients back in artificially and call it "enriched". It is like if I rob you on the street and give you back your empty wallet and bus fare. I "enriched" you.
"Thank you sir, may I have another?"
