Yesterday, I paid the most I’ve ever paid for gasoline: $4.99 & 9/10ths. Yes, one-tenth of a penny short of $5 per gallon gas.
As ET would say, "Ouch!" 
There is something we can do about this besides cry and whine, however: demand that Congress stop pandering to the environmental and alternative-fuel lobbies and start allowing the exploration and drilling of new wells and the building of new refineries in the US. As the slogan says, "Drill here. Drill now. Pay less."
It won’t have much of an immediate effect, but, in the 5-10 year range new drilling and refineries could have a tremendous impact.
RELATED: Could science be on the verge of creating renewable oil? (hat tip: Fausta)
Read them on the 
Buy 
Buy 
I paid $7.40 a gallon…
But then again I’m living in a country the size of California with a world renown public transportation system.
Though I would hope that the rise in gas prices would promote some form of conservation and public transportation I am not for the US being at the mercy of foreign oil and middle to lower class families living in Michigan not being able to afford heat in the winter time.
Drill now and drill deep, baby!
Gas is only $4 a gallon out here (Boston). Why is LA gas $1 more?
That’s a good question. I think it’s because we lack enough nearby refinery capacity, thus increasing the transportation costs, but that’s just a guess.
I had heard about this from a teacher many moons ago, but apparantly California gas pumps dispense gas cleaner than the gas found in any other pumps in the US. I don’t know when it came into effect, but it has to do with the pollution standards that the California state government put into effect. From what I heard the crude oil found in the US is a lower quality than that found in foreign countries such as Saudi Arabia and such, and therefore California must import its crude rather than use domestic crude. This is why Californians gotta pay another $1 at the pump.
Okay, so we’re both right…
California prices are higher and more variable than prices in other States because there are relatively few supply sources of its unique blend of gasoline outside the State. The State of California’s reformulated gasoline program is more stringent than the Federal government’s. In addition to the higher cost of this cleaner fuel, there is a State sales tax of 7.25 percent on top of an 18.4 cent-per-gallon Federal excise tax and an 18.0 cent-per-gallon State excise tax.
California refineries need to be running near full capacity to meet the State’s gasoline demand. If more than one of its refineries experiences operating problems at the same time, California’s gasoline supply may become very tight and prices can soar. Even when supplies can be obtained from some Gulf Coast and foreign refineries, they can take a relatively long time to arrive due to California’s substantial distance from those sources. The farther away the necessary relief supplies are, the higher and longer the price spike will be.
California was one of the first States to ban the gasoline oxygenate additive methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) after it was detected in ground water. Ethanol, a non-petroleum product usually made from corn, is being used in place of MTBE. Gasoline with ethanol requires changes in the way gasoline is produced and distributed. Some supply dislocations and price surges occurred in the summer of 2003 as the State moved to ethanol and away from MTBE. Similar problems have also occurred as a result of other fuel transitions.
Here’s the site I got the info from. Really fascinating stuff talking about gas prices. http://www.eia.doe.gov/bookshelf/brochures/gasolinepricesprimer/
And here’s the main site. A great resources about all things, well, gasoline! http://www.fueleconomy.gov/