Gas prices
Well, there's a shock. Gas prices are up again. Kingston hit $1.33 per litre today. That's an increase of 37 cents (or 38.1%) since Monday. How do they justify it? I watched a petroleum industry shill blathering on about reduced supply on CITY-TV Tuesday morning. I felt sorry for her, actually. It was painfully obvious that she didn't believe a word she was saying.
Let me spell this out: No matter what has happened to refineries in Louisiana, there is no legitimate reason to jack prices almost 40% in one week. It's profiteering, plain as day. They know our government doesn't have the balls to do anything about it, so why play fair with consumers? Hell, the Feds have held a handful of inquiries and the official line is still that there is no evidence of price-fixing in the petroleum industry.Excuse me? Every gas station in Ontario raises prices to unconscionable levels almost overnight simultaneously and there's no evidence of collusion? Look harder, moron!
I'm getting very weary of hearing how much the rest of the world pays for gas as a justification for this, too. Because some poor schmuck in an oil-importing country pays 2-3 times as much as I do for gas, our price has to go up? Give me a freaking break. Do they put up with the oil industry raising prices on the Thursday before a long weekend, then having the slow slide back down only to have it cranked up again? Then, they're as stupid as we are.
Have you noticed that the rhetoric surrounding the government and gas prices has changed slightly? It used to be calling for the government to bring them in line, impose some regulatory control. This time, it's all talk about how reducing the gasoline tax (which pays for our highways, by the way) is the only option. Hello? Do what Hawaii has done: impose some control on the wholesale price! The govt needs that tax income so we don't have more toll roads! Sheesh.
Let me spell this out: No matter what has happened to refineries in Louisiana, there is no legitimate reason to jack prices almost 40% in one week. It's profiteering, plain as day. They know our government doesn't have the balls to do anything about it, so why play fair with consumers? Hell, the Feds have held a handful of inquiries and the official line is still that there is no evidence of price-fixing in the petroleum industry.Excuse me? Every gas station in Ontario raises prices to unconscionable levels almost overnight simultaneously and there's no evidence of collusion? Look harder, moron!
I'm getting very weary of hearing how much the rest of the world pays for gas as a justification for this, too. Because some poor schmuck in an oil-importing country pays 2-3 times as much as I do for gas, our price has to go up? Give me a freaking break. Do they put up with the oil industry raising prices on the Thursday before a long weekend, then having the slow slide back down only to have it cranked up again? Then, they're as stupid as we are.
Have you noticed that the rhetoric surrounding the government and gas prices has changed slightly? It used to be calling for the government to bring them in line, impose some regulatory control. This time, it's all talk about how reducing the gasoline tax (which pays for our highways, by the way) is the only option. Hello? Do what Hawaii has done: impose some control on the wholesale price! The govt needs that tax income so we don't have more toll roads! Sheesh.
posted by Gordo at 9/02/2005 02:42:00 p.m.
<< Home