Dear Joseph,
Thanks for fleshing out my argument with some specific evidence. I suspect
what will happen this time will be what has happened in the past here on
the left coast. People will bitch, legislators will draft bills which
threaten sanctions against profiteers etc, then the price will
mysteriously slowly come down again.
"Never ascribe to Malice that which can be explained by Ignorance."
John J. Peloquin, Assistant Research Entomologist
Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
On Wed, 31 Mar 1999, jmc wrote:
> Leo,
>
> John makes a point I failed to mention and let me elaborate. Last year
> when California wrongly legislated that MTBE be added to gas to reduce
> pollutants (and raise cancer rates along with polluting ground water) the
> price went up. Last month when the Tosco oil refinery in Richmond blew up
> and was closed for investigation, prices went up. (A price increase
> because of one oil refinery?? Then there was a Chevron refinery that had
> a fire. Again prices go up. Now the Governer issues an executive order
> that MTBE not be added to gas. And guess what, prices go up again. While
> I'll admit that the U.S. does enjoy the lowest gas prices is the world,
> isn't that because we drill, refine and store our own, instead of relying
> solely on foreign sources?? Weren't the oil reserves we built up after
> the 1970's gas crisis supposed to stabilize gas prices? I don't know what
> you're paying where you live, but here in Marin County, California, gas
> prices are pushing $2 a gallon -- more than a 25% price increase in less
> than a month. Needless to say, I'm beginning to feel a bit ripped off.
> Especially when 4 gas stations at one corner, all owned by big oil, all
> have the same price. That's not competition, that collusion.
>
> Joseph
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