WTF? Gas Prices Almost $4 a Gallon Here!

Local, State and Federal taxes make up 13%, more than double the profit of oil companies. How come nobody asks these idiots what they do with the money? But the oil refiners are evil? I work for an equipment manufacture(yes we still do make some things in the USA) that supplies to the refineries. Big oil is getting out of the refinery business. All the money is Upstream. Someday we will import the finished product from China. They don't care about pollution and labor is cheap.

You've got to be fucking kidding? Gas at the pump prices are not only heading up, but I'm predicting they will hit new highs before it is over. But you have to compare to George Bush, because we can never say anything negative while beloved Obama is in office.

For California, the total combined local, state, and federal taxes are 68.9 cents per gallon, which is second only to New York.
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California also forces refineries to switch over to a summer blend, which cost the refineries millions for the change, which they pass on to the consumer. The summer blend is supposed to burn cleaner, but has now been proven to be highly carcinogenic and has caused ground contaminatio problems.

The other frustration with California is the legislature will hijack gas taxes that are earmarked for road and infrastructure repair and spend it on other projects.

I can remember Senator Barbara Boxer threatening to hold senate hearings on gas increases while Bush was in office. Somehow she never threatens that anymore when gas goes up. I wonder why?

I have to call "bullshit" my very old friend, when I see it. Nice job. I see you don't know how to crop something.

Oh, . . . n-o-o-o-o-o-o! What could be worse? What could be worse?

Uh-Oh!

Today the Suez Canal Authority announced it is raising tolls 5% on crude oil tankers, petroleum product tankers, chemical carriers and other liquid bulk carriers, LPG, LNG and dry bulk carriers.

Ref: SeaNews

The informed reader should be aware that the Suez Canal Authority is an agency of the Arab Republic of Egypt. Perhaps it was not in the best interest of oil importers, e.g. the USA, for the US Government to encourage the removal of Hosni Mubarak and his replacement by Mohamed Morsi an Associate of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Perhaps the USA should continue to influence the Arab Republic of Egypt to be more agreeable with gifts, . . . like the 4 F-16 fighter jets delivered in a ceremony on 3 February, . . . with 16 more promised by years end.
The US Ambassador to Egypt, Anne Patterson announced: “Today’s ceremony demonstrates the firm belief of the United States that a strong Egypt is in the interest of the US, the region, and the world.”

The least they could do is knock-off that extra 5% for their good friend the USA. Or not.

Ref: ahram online

Part of the problem for high gas prices here in California is the air quality requlations which require a different blend of gasoline for the summer. The summer blend is more expensive. To make the summer blend the refineries literally have to "convert" and shut down operations. Since they all convert in the same time span we get this period of "tight supplies" and high prices.

then there were the refinery fires which caused other shortages... remember a few months ago when independents could not get gas and had to shut down and pump prices were close to $5 a gallon for regular??

I remember when that big Hess refinery was running in Jersey in the late 1960s. At the time it was the "cleanest" refinery in America meaning that it made the best gas in America. It was about that time that I did my investigation of the oil companies that led to all sorts of regulations first in New York State that required disclosing octane levels because consumers were wasting too much money on higher grades their cars didnt need, and I also demystified unbranded gas.

You might say that the highway taxes are being "hijacked" in California, but I would challenge any state in the union to say they do a better job on the roads than Calif. does in upkeep and maintaining the roads. And this is a state that doesn't collect tolls....that's why they are called FREEways!

You haven't seen the freeways in Los Angeles County. When you take Interstate 5 going South, it is night and day different when you enter Orange County.

Interstate 10 is a total mess of endless road patches. Much of it was caused by truck traffic.

I also think of taking the 15 to Vegas. When you cross over the Nevada state line, the highway is so much nicer than it is on the California side. Yes I know there has been some repaving on the California side, but there is a long way to go.

Oil supplies remain at very high levels, we've got more then enough supply.

The problem is Supply and Demand doesn't determine the price of gas. The assholes on Wall Street are determining it now. If you want gas to be priced fairly, contact your Senator and tell them you want speculators to be shown the door.

Take speculators out of the equation, and this problem solves itself real f**king quick.

Visit https://www.stopoilspeculators.com/ to learn more and to do something about it.