Are Oil Companies Keeping Prices Low At the Pump to Save Bush's Butt?
Kyle Murphy
Remember years past, each and every time there was a spike in the price of a barrel of crude oil, maybe a spike of .50-$1. Literally the next day prices at the pump would jump a few cents. I can remember local papers complaining that it should take weeks for those barrel prices to effect consumers. Oil companies are far too powerful to feel any pressure from the NYT or the Washington Post, so they always got away with it. This time is different, something has changed dramatically. Something so obvious that we all missed it. Do you realize that the price of a barrel of crude oil fresh from the ground has recently jumped from roughly $37-$39 a barrel (which is what cause gas prices to jump to $2.20 per gal.) to an insane daily record breaking pace that has it right now at this moment pushing $49-$50 a barrel? So, where is the change at the price at the pump? If they can raise our price per gallon 3 cents the day after gas went from $36 to $37 a barrel than how come the price per gallon has quietly been dropping a few cent. A crushing blow to our economy should have happened 2 weeks ago, gas at $3 a gallon.
If you haven't deduced the answer yourself, well than, here it is. Oil companies are biting the bullet here, sweating it out, praying that prices either come back down to normal or waiting for bush to win the election so we can all instantly start paying $3 a gallon or more to recover for any looses they have sustained while playing political games. I don't want there to be a crushing blow to the economy. But I don't want oil companies to put one off for 4 months so their candidate can win either.
I drive an SUV. I hate high gas prices, but not as much as I hate staring at the price at the gas station while I am pumping away, knowing that the price is drastically held down so Bush's hanging on by a thread economy doesn't drop like a rock so he can win the election and then destroy it further. Had oil prices been this high last year this time we would all be paying something like 2.97 a gallon depending on your state taxes. They thought we would let this one slide because we all want to save a few cents at the pump. But I warn you now. If this plan works, we will all be paying over $3 a gallon by Christmas and you may never see gas under $2.75 again.
Kyle Murphy [kgmurphy@optonline.net]
editor's note, This came in as a letter, but it's such an example of "why didn't I think of that" brilliant observance of what should have been obvious. If you think Kyle should write more, let him know.
