Gasoline is simply NOT an optional consumable.  The quantity of gas used can be adjusted, but I can't stop driving to work.  I can't stop driving to the store to bring home $100 dollars worth of groceries.  Chocolate milk is optional.  Brand new clothes are optional.  PDA's and cell phones and tomatoes and steak and all of these things are optional.  Gas is not for the majority of people.

I don't believe gas companies care whether I take a vacation in my car or not or if I drive 2 blocks to get a burger.  They sit in their offices and look at the reports that say the average american travels 16 miles to commute to work.  Add up the millions of people who MUST work and therefore MUST drive those 16 miles each day, and the gas companies salivate.  Its the required mileage that we must make that makes the gas companies money.

The real problem is there is no control on gas prices.  If Maverick is charging to much - where do you go?  another gas station that is charging too much?  They inch it up and inch it up.  Think back 10 years and what was the average gas price increase?  2 cents?  maybe 3?  Now its jumping by 10's up and 2-3's down.  The ONLY reason that gas isn't $35/gallon is because the public would be at outrage if they suddenly jumped the price.  Riots would ensue - governments would step in and finally put some heavy regulation on gas prices.  Heaven forbid the gas companies allowing that so they continue to inch it up.  Nothing but public outrage can stop them.  But just like the frog sitting in cool - then warm - then hot water - the public just accepts it.  If the gas companies 'boiled' the water and threw us in - no way would we take it.

You get enough analysts out there telling us all the reasons for the price increases and the public just accepts it.  Katrina - oil lines - war - whatever.  But in reality - the gas prices are climbing because gas companies don't feel that 30 billion dollars in pure profit is enough in a measly 90 day period.  And since nothing is stopping them (including the public), they'll continue to increase it until they are making that same 30 billion in 30 days - then 30 hours, then 30 minutes etc... and the Americans who say 'inflation' - or 'katrina' - or regurgitate the same nonsense spat out by the analysts getting paid by the gas companies, (ie "Germany pays $5.00+ per gallon") are getting hosed all around.

ugh