The Rising Price of Gas - $4 and Climbing in MA to $7 in CA – Watch all Retail, Including Food Prices, Also Rise – the Solution see 2008

Gas Prices 2008 - commentary from Wake UpAmericans


The price of a gallon of gasoline is on the rise from a high of $4.17 in Boston, MA (Gasbuddy.com) to a high of $7.03 for unleaded in Catalina, CA.(CBS Local) Diesel Fuel is also on the rise affecting the cost to deliver goods to markets, affecting retail items, including food.

The rising price of gas will take a chunk out of a paycheck, at $3.25 a gallon, a vehicle with a 13 gallon tank would cost the consumer - $42.25, at $4.18 that increases to $55.25 - and so on. However, in September of 2008, the price of a gallon of gas of gas, which was at a high point began to drop to $3.72 a gallon from a high in July of $4.11 per gallon (Consumer Reports) - what caused this trend?

A band of House Republicans watched in frustration as the summer recess was upon the Congress, and the rise of fuel was responsible for the closings of businesses, and a downturn in tourism. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was the Speaker of the House, and refused to discuss the possibility of offshore drilling - instead opting out of a discussion in favor of shutting down Congress and taking a vacation. The House Republican’s revolted, Nancy Pelosi had the cameras (CPAN) removed, the lights shut down - however, several Congressional Representatives, stood their ground, and stayed in session, using cell-phones to upload the proceedings, inviting people into the gallery to listen to arguments, (and buying pizza) – this went on for weeks until Pelosi gave in, brought the House back into session and allowed a vote on offshore drilling. As soon as that occurred, the price per barrel of oil, and subsequently, the price for fuel, dropped.

It was not so much that the drilling ever took place (as soon as President Obama took office, there was a drive towards Green Industries, away from fossil fuels), it was that the speculators who bet on the price of gasoline, much like betting on a horse, were convinced it would continue to climb, as soon as the vote was cast, the speculators backed off, and the price dropped like a stone.

Now we’re looking at the same factor, and solutions have been offered, however, none of them include a serious threat to open up the immense U.S. oil and natural gas industry. If there was, for example, if the President would get behind the completion of the pipeline (natural gas) from Canada it would not only bring more fuel into the country, but much needed jobs. but that is not the case - he did suggest they complete “half” of the project known as the Keystone Pipeline. Half of the pipeline, or a pipeline to nowhere – which if one were a fuel speculator, one would bet against the price of fuel dropping anytime soon.

With a great deal of clamoring from the General Public and those pesky House Republican’s, Obama has given the Department of Interior permission to “expedite the review of drilling permits” on private land in North Dakota. That said reviewing drilling permits is not the same as issuing permits, which shows those speculators a half-hearted attempt of satisfying the populaiton as something appears to be happening, however the Administrations continued love affair with green industries, is transparently trumping pain the consumers are facing at the pump.

With the House in Republican control, and the President on the Campaign Trail, a campaign from either or to not only expedite the process of reviewing the request for drilling permits, but an outright push to fast track permits, would end the high price of gasoline – first by squelching the dreams of the speculators, which would trickle down to the pumps, and as a result, would make many middle to low income families quite happy.

The question remains, when will it become politically expedient for the President to make such a move? That’s hard to tell, but until then the country that has more natural resources than Saudi Arabia, must import the majority of its oil, and watch the prices at the pump rise. History is what happened yesterday, and since this not so distant brouhaha with the former Speaker and the loan band of rebel Republican’s took place in 2008, one would think that memory would serve and somehow the President would connect the dots. Policies should be put aside at this point and time for the poor (which will now include the middle class).