Impossibly High Gas Prices

If the price of gas goes up any more, I won’t be able to do anything but go to work. Well, I suppose stopping at the grocery on the way home would be o.k. but I’m going to have to do all my shopping online — tax free. That can’t be good for the economy. I mean, if I can’t go anywhere to buy anything, won’t that hurt the local businesses, the American businesses?

They said that gas has gone up 10¢ in the last two weeks, but I think it’s gone up more. And last night I saw a gas station for $1.85 and I practically was giddy since all the other ones are over $1.90 and some gas stations are having to MacGuyver the signs that are now over $2 since the “1″’s are permanent parts that never got changed out in the past. I didn’t stop last night and hopefully when I go back tonight it’ll be the same price but I doubt it. A few weeks ago, there was a gas station at Exit-10 in Freeport that was $1.72 on Sunday. On Wednesday, it was $1.73. Thursday morning, it was $1.74. Friday morning it was $1.75 and by the time I got back from work, it was $1.78!

This is madness! There doesn’t seem to be rhyme or reason. I guess I just don’t understand what could possibly make gas prices rise that fast. I understand that the Opec people are limiting production to raise the prices but have they been lowering the limit on a weekly or daily basis in the last month that has caused this? Has this limit changed at all in the last year? I’m asking because I don’t know and I don’t understand.

And what about our own oil reserves? Someone told me that the U.S. supposedly had enough oil to gas us up for like 60 years. I don’t know how true that is. I do know that my father used to work with the department in Louisiana that managed the oil reserves there and that during the first war with Iraq, against advice and better judgement, the government sold off the oil there and though the gas prices went up during that war, we never had a shortage and in fact didn’t need the reserves.

So, I suspect that the oil reserves have already been tapped into which is why I don’t understand the daily increasing cost of oil and somewhat suspect that the gas companies are using this as an excuse to milk the public. But maybe that’s just me being paranoid in my lack of understanding of the situation. I wish I understood.

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2 comments

1. on May 11, 2004 at 4:42 pm

   Maggie said:

   While you are shopping online tax free, don’t forget at tax time next year to pay your "use" tax…it’s a tax you pay in Maine for all those "tax free" purchases that you have made throughout the previous year…also, it is based on your yearly income and I haven’t figured out what my yearly income has to with my "tax free" purchases..go figure…lol….so, be sure to check it out on your State of Maine Income Tax Form… :o)

2. on May 11, 2004 at 11:23 pm

   jhad said:

   please.. only suckers pay the use tax.

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