Gas Prices Hit All-Time High After Post Katrina Peak

The U.S. gas prices have hit an all-time high earlier this week at $3.10 per gallon. This tops the previous record set after hurricane Katrina hit in 2005 of $3.07 per gallon. I've read so many comments on this topic that I'm driven to write a blog on this site in response.

The comments that I have read and hear people say refer to the high gas prices as being totally controlled by our government and big U.S. oil companies. I have to believe that people have not taken the time to fully educate themselves about the current situation, but rather take the easy road and blame the government, specifically the president. Where is Congress in all of this? We now have a Democratic controlled Congress, yet no one wants to ask these same tough questions of the Democrats. That would probably because our current Congress is also blaming the president rather than trying to help solve the issue at hand.

While I don't love the $3.33 I just paid at the pump here in Oregon, I do understand part or most of what is driving these high gas prices. I think people either don't know or have completely forgotten that refineries have shut down in the past limiting supply of gas. This especially rings true on the West Coast where California, Oregon and Washington are reporting the highest gas prices in the nation. In addition, we are now approaching the summer demand for gas which goes up significantly versus other times throughout the year. Refineries are just starting to increase their production which should ease things a bit, but that doesn't necessarily mean prices are going to go down.

In addition, while SUV and truck sales have been down over the past few years, people are still buying them. For whatever their reason is, I still see new trucks and SUVs on the road, so the gas prices must not be too painful yet. That might partly be because incomes are on the rise. If incomes are on the uptick, then people are likely to spend more. Just a comment....why isn't the president getting kudos for incomes rising? Probably because the liberal media doesn't want the public to know this information. Otherwise, the president's approval rating might go up a little and they don't want that as we move into an election year. They want people to have their focus on 2 things and only 2 things right now...Iraq and gas.