Randy wrote on Mar 18, 2007 8:24 AM:Big Oil = "Loyal Bushie"

Sam wrote on Mar 18, 2007 9:24 AM:WOW! Thanks for the hard work revealing the true cost centers of the gasoline game. Closing refineries of all things! This is all very anticompetetive!

Kieth wrote on Mar 18, 2007 11:04 AM:High prices are a result of stupid politicians passing arcane environmental regulations that make California a safe harbor for refinery owners to do as they please. We are regulated to death and are forced to buy gas with ethanol, a product that adds to the price pressure. Open up the market and let us buy product that the rest of the nation burns. This would create greater competition for our gas dollar. The only way to lower prices now is to stop buying the product, let supply build in their storage tanks and then watch prices plummet!

Dan wrote on Mar 18, 2007 1:05 PM: If we,as a nation,could stop paying for fuel with debit cards,the price of fuel would go down at the pumps,but,this is just my opinion.

roger N wrote on Mar 18, 2007 1:13 PM:WHY are we paying higher prices. Our gas here in california is sent to Arizona, Colorado, Utah, The Gas in yuma Arizona is 80 cents cheaper there then here, Does that make sense? Why us gas un North Carolina, today 2.52 cents per gallon. Gas in Rockford, Illinos is 248 per gallon. Illinois has as strict rules on Smog as we do here in California Go to MSN and type in Gas prices - MSN Autos simply put in a zip code and you will find out what gas is across the naion. We are being Screwed by the Oil Refinders. Just look at the profits that were announced just a few months ago. The profitted millions of dollars. What is are government doing, Its not just the Democrats, nor the Republicans it is he whole government that is allowing this Gas rape to go on

Rogn wrote on Mar 18, 2007 1:16 PM:Randy it has nothing to do with Bush, get a grip and realized that is out Senators and Congressman/Women who are both Democrats and Republican do nothing for California's in the way of gas prices. Every Caliornia should write their Senators and Congressman and tell them we are tired of paying more then the rest of the country for oil

bush hater wrote on Mar 18, 2007 1:40 PM:I hate that bush

Jim wrote on Mar 18, 2007 2:26 PM:State gas tax rates vary considerably. The gas tax in California is substantially higher than the gas tax in most other states.

G. R. Roy wrote on Mar 18, 2007 2:28 PM:If you want to see another big scam the oil companies had their hand in rent the video "Who Killed The Electric Car." As long as we have the Bush administration in charge no one will ever investigate the oil industry and the scams they are pulling on the public. It will all just continue.

Ralph wrote on Mar 18, 2007 2:38 PM:As long as the Bush administration is in charge the scams of the oil industry will continue. Their lobbists have a lock on the White House and most of the Republicans when it comes to oil with all the money they contribute to their coffers. If you want to see another scam they help pull on the American public, rent the video "Who Killed The Electric Car?" Anything to keep gas and oil prices sky high.

John wrote on Mar 18, 2007 2:46 PM:High gas prices are not Bush's Fault. Nothing is Bush's fault. He is the Greatest President We have ever had. Just ask anyong they will tell you how Great a man he is. Where would the country be with out his help, we would be losing all that tax money from all those high priced gas. It you don't like to pay high prices walk or get a bike. Long live King Bush!

Josh wrote on Mar 18, 2007 4:04 PM:Mandates for ethanol are not the cause of higher gas prices. The logic behind them is to burn something we have (ethanol) instead of something we don't have (gasoline). Environmental regulations also have little to do with the increased cost, despite what the industry says about increased regulation discouraging an expansion in refinery capacity. The real reason is that the oil companies want to have a tight control on supply, and so environmental regulations for refineries are used as a convenient excuse to keep that supply tight. That, and the oil companies have little desire to comply with environmental regulations anyway. After all, why should the public health and welfare come before profits?

alfonso wrote on Mar 18, 2007 5:25 PM:your socalled representatives do not represent you. don't expect any help from them. they are in on the take. the sooner you realize that, then you can act as a group. stay home for a few weekends. you will save quite a few bucks. stations with out customers can't operate. operators will have to take off of work a couple of days a week like most of us. no cars or trucks on the road, think of the clean air you will breathe. they always throw that supply and demand crap at us. let us cut that demand so they can shove their surplus up their old giggy.Americans were fighters once. get good and pissed and you will again be a warrior. our new congress passes symbolic and non binding legislation. who needs that? let's fight AMERICA for our beautiful land of the free, this shouldn't just be a wish, make it reality. love my people and my country

Ask wrote on Mar 18, 2007 5:42 PM:Thanks SANDAG and local politicians. You have done NOTHING!!!

joshn wrote on Mar 18, 2007 5:52 PM:As long as you an oil related person in the front office affecting the setting of energy policies, you will get SCREWED!!!! The government broke up and regulated many of the huge corporations when they got too big and made too much money. NONE of them however were BIG OIL companies. They regulate electric and natural gas companies, but they can't seem to figure out how to regulate BIG OIL. Imagine that!!! Demote Bush to a Shrub!!!!

gasrage wrote on Mar 18, 2007 7:07 PM:Force any oil company who wishes to participate in any portion of the production or refining of oil to spend 5% of revenues (not profits) on new refineries. In 2 years they'd be swimming in capacity, and we'd be paying a fair price.

Fred wrote on Mar 18, 2007 7:49 PM:By now you would think Bush had payed backallof the oil company,s paid to get him elected."NOT".

Dennis wrote on Mar 18, 2007 9:31 PM:It will not do any good to build more refineries. Because the lower cost of gas will just allow us consume more and in a few years or so there won't be any crude left to refine. Make the oil companies spend one dollar developing alternative energy sources for every dollar spent on trying to sqeeze the earth of its very last ounce of oil. Problem solved.

AZtraveler wrote on Mar 18, 2007 9:32 PM:E-85 fuel is a good alternative and now becoming more affordable. Also greatly reduces the need for America to import from oil rich countries that support terrorism against us. I hope E-85 fuel becomes more prevalent in all 50 states.

Stephen wrote on Mar 18, 2007 9:36 PM:All the whiners should open their own gas stations and refineries. Stop complaining about high prices. Get your share of the profits. Build a refinery in your back yard. Bet your neighbors will be in your front yard with picket signs when you go public with the news.

JB of San Diego wrote on Mar 18, 2007 9:46 PM:Langley is always good for a juicy quote or two, but he's got a one-track mind. California has a special formula for summer gasoline, and nobody else makes it. The rest of the country can import gasoline if it's running short, but not California. Blaming refiners because they can't make enough fuel isn't going to solve the problem. Also, blaming them for closing small inefficient refineries because they can't meet California's air quality standards, but ignoring the many refineries that have been expanded, and all those which might have been built except for regulatory barriers -- that's another Langley tactic. If Californians want cheaper fuel, let's standardize our fuel with the rest of North America; then we wouldn't have to pay 50-70 cents a gallon more.

Steve wrote on Mar 18, 2007 10:58 PM:I don't knowwhy the Government is complaining about the ethanol/gas mixture. It isnot more expensive to make, and this is not the first time it has ever been used! Back in the 70's I was burning gaswith ethanol in it, and mycar never had problems,myemissions were cleaner ,and had better fuel mileage! Just think back to prohibition, moonshiner's used it mixed with thier gas and where does it come from? Corn squeezin's. These new "FLEX FUEL" cars are a croc! Your vehicle can run on itand not have a problem, I know! Look at gas additives, where do some of the petroleum distilates come from? HUH!

Fred wrote on Mar 19, 2007 12:55 AM:Note: Yuma now is at $2.65, we are getting hit hard as well. stop driving big SUVs and expensive cars and prices might come down.

Jim wrote on Mar 19, 2007 2:04 AM:When I was working at ExxonMobil in the year 2000, some senior VPs were discussing in the lunch room how they could rise the price of gas to $5 per gallon. This is a quote "Americans are stupid enough to pay $5 per gallon..." There is too much greed, the oil industry has to be broken down in 2 dozens or more smaller companies, more refineries, stockpiling of refined gas. Like they did before the 1970's oil embargo.

Jay wrote on Mar 19, 2007 3:40 AM:Just came across this website, I wish we had your petrol (gas) and deisel prices. Here in the UK we pay 0.899 pence per litre of Unleaded petrol (gas) thats $6.25 a US gallon and deisel 0.939 pence per litre $6.50 a US gallon.

GreatPlains wrote on Mar 19, 2007 7:01 AM:This whole thread is funny. Do you want to know the reason your gas is so high? Look in the mirror! The NIMBY crowd won't let any new refineries be built for a myriad of reasons (ruin your view, it's dangerous having one in the next county, etc.) but you want the products so you can drive anywhere at anytime. The Tree Hugger crowd won't let the existing refineries operate and won't let any new ones be built for a myriad of reasons (if it makes gasoline then people will drive more which will introduce more exhaust into the environment, they might have to clear land to build it, it might harm a weed, and it's not natural) but they seem to always use the products (ever see a tree hugger travel across country to a protest site on foot?). The rest of California crowd who are letting the NIMBY and Tree Hugger crowds drown out their voices and water down their votes. Between the NIMBY and tree hugger types, the refineries can't operate what they have already built, can't build more, and have to make many different types of fuel due to smog rules. This reduces your refinery capacity and mandates interruptions in supply (switching from winter to summer fuel 1, fuel 2, fuel 3, etc.) while the demand is increasing which equal $$$. Ethanol is NOT added because we have it. On the contrary, we don't have enough and are building ethanol plants at a rapid pace to provide the 10% needed for E-10 (Gasohol) which will grow to E-85. It's a fuel oxygenate and was our alternative to MTBE which which was mandated by whom? California!!!!! When MTBE was banned and California was being forced to oxygenate their fuel they tried to get an exemption, from a requirement they caused to be mandated! You wanted an exemption because of the expense of ethanol (you don't have any ethanol plants and were going to have to import ethanol from the central plains)! You reap what you sew. It's costing billions to clean up the MTBE mess and to gear up and make ethanol. You are always blaming someone else for your own decisions. Then you give your government more of your power so they go "manage" your problem for you at an ever increasing cost through regulations, fees, taxes, and reduced service. NIMBYs: If gasoline and ethanol must be imported to California at extra cost, you got what you deserve. Tree Huggers: You got what you asked for in reducing smog. Now go ride a bike. And before you blow me off as a flat lander in the center of the country who's a country bumpkin, I've seen more of the world than most people. I've lived in Europe, on both coasts, on the great plains, and in California twice! I escaped California the last time as the rolling blackouts were starting in LA due to the electrical power fiasco caused by the above groups. So look in the mirror. You have no one to blame but yourselves.

The sad truth wrote on Mar 19, 2007 7:20 AM:In 1983 a car engine was developed that got the equivilent of 1268 miles m.p.g at 60 m.p.h. It was in the Guiness book of world records. Gulf oil bought the patents and the rights. The developer of the engine died a year later in a single car car accident. The sad truth is there is an administration that is the most corrupt admin. In the history of this country. I'm a REPUBLICAN that has been invited to the white house on both inagurations for president Bush. This is simply a regime. And I believe that the meeting with Cheney behind closed doors with execs from the oil industry was to screw the American public. What is so sinister is that the main stream media isn't even questioning anything about big oil or King Bush. What happened in Califorinia is happening everywhere. I own a large roofing company and here is the ironic thing. We have had true shortages of material. You order material and there truly is none. Not once during the supposed shortages have any of the gas stations around the entire city ever been out of gas on any level. This is about open corruption. We just completed a 18,000 sq. foot roofing project for an oil exec. He was drunk when I asked him, tell me the truth about the price of oil, he smiled and said it's like this. There used to be six major markets for oil now there are two. We get to quote oil based upon the price of sweet crude from Texas which is the best oil in the world. He said it's not even used in the production of gasoline. So he said this is the best four years in the history of our company. It's like your paying the price of a Ferrari and they deliver a Ford. Erver bought oil at Auto Zone or Checker auto parts. Why has the price of a quart of oil only risen .59 cents for premium oil when in reality is should be 3.79 a quart?. Shell premium is only 1.80 a gallon out here. Corruption on the highest level. Bill Gates microsoft windows a monopoly please. The refineries aren't even cleaning and doing maintience when they say they are. Media no questions because they buy ads on all mainstream media outlets. What we should be doing as a country is boycotting one large company at a time. For two months stop buying oil at all the Gulf oil owned companies, the next time boycott all the Conoco owned stations. If we did this as a country big oil would have a choke hold that they would never forget. Together we could turn things around. We need to impeach Bush, long live America God bless America and all AMericans

Gman wrote on Mar 19, 2007 7:32 AM: The problem does not lie with refineries or any of that crap. If we, as Americans could get our government to keep it's own oil instead of sending 75% of all American drilled oil overseas, that would mean that much less we would have to rely on from foriegn oil countries. Bush is to blame, but so should every senator and congressman be equally blamed for allowing this to happen. Check out the figures on the internet and see how much of our own American oil gets sold to other countries instead of staying here at home, that will shoch the ell out of you.

Byron wrote on Mar 19, 2007 8:07 AM:200 years ago an engine running on the components of water was demonstrated. 77 years ago the President of General Motors predicted 80-mpg by 1939 70 years ago Ford Motor Co. tested a 170-mpg Pogue carburetor 33 years ago Shell Oil Co demonstrated a 376-mpg automobile 29 years ago a 100-mpg Ford V-8 was demonstrated 23 years ago Peugeot advertised a 72-mpg @ 56-mph Diesel 4 years ago an English newspaper article announced a 104-mpg Toyota Diesel and 94-mpg VW/Audi Diesels Commercial fuel cell vehicles have been available in Europe for years Many U.S. Patents exist for devices that separate the elements of water for use as fuel, one patent #603,058 was granted in 1898 The governor of Alaska, in 2005, said there is enough oil on the North Slope to last the USA 200 years A chairman of ExxonMobil, on 9/11/2006, said Peak Oil theories wrong.

Will wrote on Mar 19, 2007 8:26 AM:Well it comes as no surprise to me considering that Exxon/Mobil last year reported record breaking profits. Actually, it's number last year were higher than any company ever in the history of the world. I can't believe that there is so little we can do. It sucks that the people who are supposed to represent the best interests of the people (read our elected officials) are actually in the pocket of these greedy s.o.b.'s

DOC wrote on Mar 19, 2007 10:55 AM:WHEN BUSH TOOK OFFICE GAS WAD 1.46 A GALLON. BUT NOW? ANOTHER FINE JOB BUSH.OF COURSE YOU ARE A TEXAS OILMAN WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT.

C wrote on Mar 19, 2007 10:58 AM:Each and EVERY state should recall there Senators and Congressman-Women, and start FRESH and do away with these crooks and theives in Washington that are raping the poor and middle class........ Lets take back OUR COUNTRY.... They work for US not the Corporations....

Mary wrote on Mar 19, 2007 12:39 PM:Gosh, this article has a lot of inaccuracies in it, downright lies. Some of the reasons gas prices have gone up are many refineries are down for annual spring maintenance, making changes from winter blends to summer blends, overall demand is high (law of supply and demand). This is well known and documented in the real news. California also has it own oil sources throughout the state, predominantly in the southern half, i.e., us. State regulations in addition to federal ones, require/force California to create specific gasoline “blends” , i.e., “boutique blends”. So unfortunately, California can’t “borrow” gas from other sources outside California if there are shortages or costs go up because that gas wouldn’t meet the state and federal standards. Therefore California prices are more variable than others because there are relatively few supply sources of these unique “boutique” blends of gasoline outside of CA. California refineries need to be running near their fullest capabilities in order to meet the State’s fuel demands. If more than one of its refineries experiences operating difficulties at the same time, California’s gasoline supply may become very tight and the prices soar. It doesn’t make sense for Big Oil (which most of them are owned by foreign companies anyway) to shut down refineries and sell less gas. The profit margin is not that great. They need to sell more gas not less. They would have to somehow manipulate the price much much higher than 50 cents a gallon, more in the dollars range. One of the reasons oil companies had a lot of profits is they sold a lot of gas, profit of 10 cents on a trillion gallons is a lot more than $1.00 profit on a billion gallons of gas. Look at the news, the prices of gas are not expected to go up that much in other parts of the state. The logic of this article is very distorted, probably because he is involved with UCAN. PLUS, all you people should WANT the price of gas to go really really high, like $10 a gallon because then that would help come up with alternative fuel sources and we would drive less and isn’t that what the Democrats and Global Warming people want? Nancy Pelosi and Mrs. Bill Clinton and other Democrats want to tax Big Oil heavily (her first 100 days dealy) so if that happens be prepared for really really big gas increases, maybe even $6 or more a gallon. The oil companies will just pass that cost to the consumers, us. And guess what, Bush will have nothing to do with that. That will be all due to Democrats. By the way, why did gas go UP so much and why did we have gas shortages during Jimmy Carter’s tenure as President? Did Bush have something to do with that?

Capitalism wrote on Mar 19, 2007 12:50 PM:Profits before people. Live with it.

Ask wrote on Mar 19, 2007 1:20 PM:Kinda funny, our gov't spends more time on Steriods/HGH in baseball, AKA the Barry Bonds hunt, than it does on price gouging in the oil market.

Schwagdog wrote on Mar 20, 2007 6:34 AM:You all should have bought oil stock like me.

consumeradvocate wrote on Mar 20, 2007 10:31 AM:the free gas saving guide mentioned in the article can be found ... there are more gas saving tips from UCAN ...

Stella wrote on Mar 20, 2007 2:05 PM:At what point, I wonder, will the government agencies supposedly safe guarding the interests of the citizens, stop taking money under the table from oil companies and refineries AND PROTECT US???

Stella wrote on Mar 20, 2007 2:06 PM:I will show Big Oil and their lap dog refinery bretheren. I will buy a Japanese car that gets 36 mpg plus.

don wrote on Mar 21, 2007 9:01 AM:tax the hell out of the oil companys or let them build new refinerys the tax monies if they refuse still take the taxes and put it towards new roads or put it in the general fund and not towards solar or wind energy last thing calif. needs is a anther beauracy

Daniel wrote on Mar 22, 2007 6:07 AM:Whine, whine, whine. You all complain yet drive an SUV 50+ miles to work each day... That's why I own stock in refineries & oil companies. I love making money off of .... like you all.

Lynn wrote on Mar 22, 2007 7:48 PM:The only way this spiraling price of gasoline is to break the secrecy surrounding the way big oil conducts business. Remember the gouging we got in 2000 on the electric scam. It took bold actions by our attorney general to start the investigations. It needs to be done again. This time with big oil. No matter how deep it goes into the government structure of the State or the U.S.

To Jay wrote on Mar 23, 2007 10:32 AM:The reason gas/petrol costs so much more in the UK is the amount of tax your governments adds per gallon/litre. The actual cost of the gas/petrol is not much diffeent from here. The big difference is taxes. How funny reading these long posts from people who obviously didn't read the article before posting.

shelby wrote on Mar 29, 2007 3:59 AM:i think that they should lower gas prices if they want people to buy from them because if they have lower prices more people will want to buy it and if it is because of oil they should make the same amount of price as gas or you should make gas as low as oil shelby P. 11 years old

~*Jennifer*~ wrote on Mar 29, 2007 9:10 AM:I think that they should lower gas prices because people can not go places with out gas and if the gas is to high then people will not get it and will not go any where any more

~*Jennifer*~ wrote on Mar 29, 2007 9:14 AM:I think that they should lower gas prices becuz people need gas for their cars and if the gas is to high and people don't have any gas then they won't go any where until it lowers!!!

~*Jennifer*~ wrote on Mar 29, 2007 9:14 AM:I think gas prices are to high the prices are risin very fast and I do know if my family is going to go any were for vacation this summer if they keep going up like they are.

~*Jennifer*~ wrote on Mar 29, 2007 9:15 AM:They should lower gas prices Now!!!! becuz some people need gas.

Who am I wrote on Apr 5, 2007 2:46 PM:Why gas prices

Shelby L. wrote on Apr 16, 2007 4:06 PM:why are people that own gas stations making gas so stinkin' expencive. if they want us to buy gas they should lower the prices per gallon it is already like $2.68 dollars a gallon it is making me so freakin' !!!!!!MAD!!!!!! 11 years old

al wrote on Feb 25, 2008 8:59 PM:no longer a nation for the people by the people. it's a nation were the rich and powerful rule. the statue of liberty says guve me ur tired weak and downtrodened not ur rich, ur powerful, and ur money