Eat beans...America needs the gas

An old bumper sticker. It will probably get new life on bumpers all over the country this summer. I seem to recall last summer hearing that rising costs were due to refinery capacity being down as many refineries were down for maintenance. Aren't they back on line yet? Shell recently announced they were going to close a refinery because the cost to modernize it was too much. Let's see, I paid $2.37-9/10 on Sunday (3/27) for regular unleaded and saw it was $2.41-9/10 today. I consider myself a lucky one, too. I can (and often do) walk to the office. There is a major grocery store and a large drug store, along with many smaller shops and restaurants all within a short walk from my home. I feel for those who are commuting 30+ miles daily. I can choose to drive or not, and if I decide to take off for the weekend I don't have the concern that the fuel I use for that is going to cut into my commute budget. Many don't have that choice. But the biggest thing is....why? Why are prices so high. I believe in the free market, but when drilling offshore in CA, and in the artic, is cut off by environmental restrictions there is no free market. When you cannot "brew" your own gasohol, then we are not free. My CT friends (conspiracy theorists) will tell you there really is no shortage of crude, it is just the government tightening the supply to force people into things like mass transit and to curtail trips in order to better keep an eye on everyone. I don't buy that, but I do think that the increased taxes based upon the higher prices is causing smiles in Washington & in state capitols all across our land.

What can we do? Short of not driving, to reduce demand, there's not a whole lot that can be done. Keep your car maintained for maximum fuel efficiency. Buy a more economical car if you want. Build a still & brew your own (at your own risk). That is about all I can think of that we, as individuals, can do. And that sucks.