Average price for gas in California hit $4.6140 a gallon

[markopolo]

http://www.theprovince.com/life/Calif+p ... story.html

It's a record, though just barely. The price of gasoline hit an all-time average high in California of $4.6140 a gallon Saturday, fueled by a reduced supply and a volatile market.

Prices throughout the state were expected to increase for several more days before levelling off, after a temporary reduction in supply triggered a price spike that saw fuming motorists paying $5 or more per gallon in some locations and station owners shutting down pumps in others.

Here in New Brunswick we are around $5.20 per US gallon for gas.

We're trimming back what we spend while on trips. Making more meals etc, instead of occasional restaurants while touring. We'll take no service sites. Window shopping instead of actual shopping. It all adds up. Gotta keep money for fuel. I'll cut the "other" spending before I cut the trips. And, we go a little slower in the van. The Scan Gauge, with the MPG visible on the screen is a motivator. High fuel prices must be a big drain on the economy.

[wabbit]

The "reduced supply" was mostly created by the oil companies, who decided to take some refineries down for routine maintenance all at once.

On the local news here, a couple of nights ago, they covered the story (I paraphrase)
Anchor: Gas prices spiked again today. We go to our reporter in the field for the reasons.
Reporter: The oil company executive told me that prices went up because it's hot today.
Anchor: Really? That's the excuse they're using this time?

They have also started rationing gas delivered to some stations to create a shortage that will further drive up the price locally. If I drive 300 miles away from the nearest refinery, the price per gallon is almost a dollar cheaper.

[Mike]

Without getting too political (difficult/impossible, because the issue seems to be a political football), isn't it possibly just a problem with the Administration not wanting to alienate one of their largest 2008 voter bases? Some have written that they are trying to stick to an agenda that is trying to steer you all to rely less on cars and gasoline/oil, by allowing it to become so expensive as to price it out of the equation for many people and pushing them towards greener alternatives in the middle of a recession? I guess I'm thinking that blaming big oil may be kind of silly when you think about it, considering the prices have only really risen since Mr. Obama took over. They were more reasonable under all his predecessors, except possibly Jimmy Carter.
No offense intended, just some opinions and conclusions I've drawn over the last 4 years.
btw, I paid $0.99 litre in Michigan yesterday. Happy days are here again.