On the 10th, I wrote about the exorbitantly high price of gasoline in these parts. It was $3.23/gallon for regular in Anchorage, and much higher elsewhere, here in the Last Frontier.
I told the story about how the price is deliberately escalated because of something that isn't actually the case. The price is based, we're told to believe, in a suppositional case of whimsy, hot air, "what if?" and "why not?"
I mentioned that two legislators in Juneau had petitioned the Governor's office to investigate, since our price was 80 cents above the national average - for no apparent reason other than greed.
Strangely enough, the price had already dropped to $3.08/gallon by yesterday. In only three days.
¿Por qué no me sorprende?
John 12:24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."
Showing posts with label greed. Show all posts
Showing posts with label greed. Show all posts
14 September 2015
10 September 2015
Low Temps, High Prices
In Deadhorse, up on the North Slope, they have temps in the teens, with snow. Yep - global warming in action!
Not.
Meanwhile, we're having normal temps (upper 50s in the daytime) with the inevitable falls rain fronts, and lots of wind, here in southcentral. Could be worse.
* * * * *
Meanwhile, our gas prices ($3.23/gallon in south Anchorage) have prompted another cry for investigation from two - count 'em, two whole legislators - in Juneau.
According to the talking heads on local news, our prices tend to remain about 60 cents above the national average. But more on that in a bit.
Right now, we're 80 cents above. But the operators of our sole refinery (in Nikiski, in case anyone's keeping track) insist it's the law of supply and demand. Since they're all by their onesies, there's no competition, and therefore no reason to drop the price.
In 2008 - the last time anyone investigated high pricing - there were two functioning refineries. The one in North Pole hadn't yet closed; yet our prices were in the neighborhood of $4.37/gallon.
Why? Glad you asked.
"That's what it would cost," the refinery owners responded, "if we were to ship the crude to California to be refined, and then returned here for consumption."
"But that's not what we do," local reporters told them.
The reply was an oh-so-expressive shrug. Apparently, that's what we getting this time, too.
So.
Why are prices so high? Because the refinery can charge whatever it likes. Yes, it's capitalism in action. But is it reasonable, or greed? Only you can answer that.
It's not like we can go anywhere else for our gasoline.
Not.
Meanwhile, we're having normal temps (upper 50s in the daytime) with the inevitable falls rain fronts, and lots of wind, here in southcentral. Could be worse.
* * * * *
Meanwhile, our gas prices ($3.23/gallon in south Anchorage) have prompted another cry for investigation from two - count 'em, two whole legislators - in Juneau.
According to the talking heads on local news, our prices tend to remain about 60 cents above the national average. But more on that in a bit.
Right now, we're 80 cents above. But the operators of our sole refinery (in Nikiski, in case anyone's keeping track) insist it's the law of supply and demand. Since they're all by their onesies, there's no competition, and therefore no reason to drop the price.
In 2008 - the last time anyone investigated high pricing - there were two functioning refineries. The one in North Pole hadn't yet closed; yet our prices were in the neighborhood of $4.37/gallon.
Why? Glad you asked.
"That's what it would cost," the refinery owners responded, "if we were to ship the crude to California to be refined, and then returned here for consumption."
"But that's not what we do," local reporters told them.
The reply was an oh-so-expressive shrug. Apparently, that's what we getting this time, too.
So.
Why are prices so high? Because the refinery can charge whatever it likes. Yes, it's capitalism in action. But is it reasonable, or greed? Only you can answer that.
It's not like we can go anywhere else for our gasoline.
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