Gas Prices Up, No Idea Why

What's behind all of this? Does anyone care? Image from HuffPo.

I just watched an unhelpful news report about gas price increases of late. The price has gone up over 25 cents in the last two weeks, and double that this year. The news report blamed rising oil prices, and refinery shutdowns. No further information was offered, and it was pretty much a [shrug] what can you do? report. Unsatisfied, I did a Google search, and found this article:

[Excerpt]

Gas Prices Jump Nearly 25 Cents In Last 2 Weeks

The average price in the United States for a gallon of regular gasoline rose nearly 25 cents in the past two weeks, up steadily since December as refineries passed along their costs, a widely followed survey released on Sunday showed.

Gasoline prices averaged $3.5918 per gallon on Feb. 8, up 24.75 cents from Jan. 25, said Trilby Lundberg, editor of the Lundberg Survey. . .
Read more at: Huffington Post


I read the whole article, but feel only slightly more educated on the issue. They mention "Brent" crude oil futures, but don't elaborate on what the term means. They mention constraints on a "Seaway" pipeline, but don't elaborate on that either. Mostly, these stories all seem to be a focus on the pain at the pump with some vague explanations, a few obscure terms, a nod in the general direction of a reason, and then they call it a day. I've seen nothing that gets at the reason why the prices have spiked, nor really, why the prices dropped so dramatically at the end of last year.

I'm irked by this discovery, but tired and ready for bed. But you know what? I might look into this further! There's got to be more than a grudging but bored glossing over of gas prices in the news, isn't there?

Don't Fall for "Gas Was Cheap" When Bush Was Prez

See where it craters? January 2009: Obama's Inauguration. Source: MotherJones.com.

Dishonesty bugs me. I try never to be dishonest, because frankly, lying requires too much remembering. If you tell the truth, you don't need to try very hard to remember things. Plus, you know, being honest is just the right thing to do.

So, it really pisses me off that there are a bunch of Republicans running around talking about how cheap gasoline was when George W. Bush was president. Man, things were sweet in the waning days of 2008, weren't they? The economy was rosy, the world was shiny and new, and then that [black] fellow took over, and everything went all to hell! Of course this is a fiction. The economy was tanking, the financial world was reeling, the stock market was crashing and. . .gas prices cratered.

Yes, it is true--but highly misleading--to say that when President Obama was inaugurated, gasoline was $1.78 per gallon. Misleading, why? Because the price hadn't been holding steady there, it had crashed there. Recently. Prior to that--in the summer of 2008--gas prices were at an all time high, a price that hasn't been topped (or if it has, only barely). So, this is just one more example of missing context and deliberate misdirection on the part of conservatives. I love the smell of desperation in the morning!