Far from Ike's path, an aftershock is felt: $5 gas

Jan, your are corect about congress, etc.. Does this not lead us back to bipartisan spats?

besides, jvh, I think "WE" whoever "we" are , do indeed understand.. Sort of waiting for you to catch up.
Yes, I am a successful business owner, and have not become so by not conveying projected raises and drops to my loyal and values clientele. I conduct real time business, and it has rewarded me very well.

Here comes the Europeanization of America. That's what you get with $5.00+ gas. Learn more at

The price of a gallon of gasoline today has nothing to do with the price of a barrel of oil... it all started because Hurricane Ike decided to go into the west Louisiana/East Texas coast line area... and pass thru a area of the Gulf of Mexico where there are many oil rigs.. Rightly so... the oil rigs in the Gulf were shut down and the people working on them were evacuated to shore... Rightly so... the refineries in the area shut down production so their employees could evacuate the area... as the government ordered... now the government is telling people NOT to return yet...What I do NOT understand.... is why there is not enough gasoline already in the system to cover the week or so till the refineries are back on-line... of course...we go thru this every spring and fall anyway... and they always claim they have to change the formulation of the fuel for the season... Today I went by 4 stores near my home... one had regular gas for 3.99.... next door they advertised 3.99 but all the pumps were closed... across the street from them was one listing it at 4.29... and a block away was one that only had one grade... and they were selling for 4.09.... this time last week...the prices were all the same.... at 3.48.... a 50 cent increase in one week... and all because of a storm that was not near as bad as predicted... remember...it was predicted to hit as a Cat 4 storm... and in reality was only a Cat 2 storm.... so much for what Bush .... and my local state Atty General Troy King said about price gouging...If... and I stress the word if ... the stations were charged that much by their suppliers...then I understand them raising the prices that much...I am all for a business man making a profit... but the profits that have been announced for the past several years by oil companies... Billions per quarter... that is outrageous...remember people... Profits is the money made after all expenses have been paid for that quarter... salaries... research... drilling...etc...

I live in Michigan and the price went from $3.85 to $4.29 in afew days, it could be more today I haven't been out. Talk about Price gouging and our Senators don't help us Carl Levin, I don't know why he isn't doing anything to help us, but I promise you I will vote Him out come November, God please give us someone else to help us.

Now that our fuel supply is once again threatened,I would like to know why McCain isn't properly addressing his NASCAR fans- What gives them the right to WASTE our prescious fuel?? Many folks can't even afford to drive to work, yet, these people drive around a track all day and call it sport... Where are your priorities, people?? (Oh wait , are they also consuming his wifes' beer and then driving home intoxicated????.) WE are in big trouble, America

Funny how the prices surged up because of "fear of damage", even though there's no actual damage that significantly affected anything for the oil refineries. The "fear" wasn't of not being able to refine oil for the nation, it was oil company executives and owners being "fearful" of not bringing home a couple extra billion dollars in PROFIT like they've been doing.

I find it very ironic that the Saudi Arabian government dropped out of OPEC just a few days ago. I guarantee that this had something to do with the increase as well.

Anyone agree?

I agree something is "up." Immediately after the storm hit, all the news reports were that there was no damage to any of the refineries -- I remember hearing it on more than 1 station. Now all of a sudden there are lots of problems and prices are going up. I think I smell a rat.

WHAT A CROCK!

Every time we get a hurricane it raises the price of gas - shuts down oil rigs, damages pipelines, etc. - not to mention the environmental damage - and where do the oil companies want to drill??? In the gulf! That means the next time we have a hurricane we'll be paying even more for gas!

And forget about drilling ANWR - the damn oil companies can drill on the 60 plus million acres they already have access to - and it'd be cheaper for them to do that because they wouldn't have to deal with sub-zero temperatures, permafrost, etc.

THE FACT IS - THE OIL COMPANIES DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU OR ME - THEY'RE ONLY INTERESTED IN MAKING MONEY! AND THEY'VE BECOME THE RICHEST CORPORATIONS IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD WHILE THE REST OF AMERICA IS IN A RECESSION!

VOTE FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY IN NOVEMBER, AND TELL THE OIL COMPANIES TO GO "TAKE A HIKE"!

Another panic the masses news article. Ha! Ha!

From what I have heard from the people that are working in the refineries. There is little damage to the facilities and production will be back to normal as soon as the people are allowed to return. There are several that require some work but nothing major. The BP refinery always needs something, including major safety regulation enforcement.

Not sure about the offshore facilities and their pipelines. But the national reserves will be there to keep the refineries producing.

The sharp rise in gasoline prices is nothing but gouging by the stations. I hope the government enforces the laws governing this, ASAP.

Hey, I just saw Rex( CEO of ExxonMobile) on the TODAY SHOW and for what it's worth, he feels REALLY bad about the price of gas!!

Just holler, "Hurricane!", and watch oil go up (whether it be Ike, Gustav, Katrina, Rita, Hazel (yeah, Hazel was in 1954, but any excuse helps)). In my section of TN, gasoline went up 90 cents. Can we say PRICE GOUGING?!! And crude is now lower than it has been since February! And don't give me the nonsense about conservation reducing the price of gas. If gasoline consumption goes down, gas tax money goes down. And presto, an increase in the gas tax to cover the reduced consumption. It is odd that only in this decade has weather affected gas prices so much. Camille hit in 1970 and did not affect gas prices appreciably.

Price controls do not work. I remember the price freeze of 1973. Right after that, inflation hit 12.2%. Inflation was a big problem until about 1984.

The squallbags in the oil industry have noticed the fall in the price in oil, so they decide to stick it to everyone at the pump with just one word: HURRICANE!

Just holler, "Hurricane!", and watch oil go up (whether it be Ike, Gustav, Katrina, Rita, Hazel (yeah, Hazel was in 1954, but any excuse helps)). In my section of TN, gasoline went up 90 cents. Can we say PRICE GOUGING?!! And crude is now lower than it has been since February! And don't give me the nonsense about conservation reducing the price of gas. If gasoline consumption goes down, gas tax money goes down. And presto, an increase in the gas tax to cover the reduced consumption. It is odd that only in this decade has weather affected gas prices so much. Camille hit in 1970 and did not affect gas prices appreciably.

Price controls do not work. I remember the price freeze of 1973. Right after that, inflation hit 12.2%. Inflation was a big problem until about 1984.

The squallbags in the oil industry have noticed the fall in the price in oil, so they decide to stick it to everyone at the pump with just one word: HURRICANE!

Just holler, "Hurricane!", and watch oil go up (whether it be Ike, Gustav, Katrina, Rita, Hazel (yeah, Hazel was in 1954, but any excuse helps)). In my section of TN, gasoline went up 90 cents. Can we say PRICE GOUGING?!! And crude is now lower than it has been since February! And don't give me the nonsense about conservation reducing the price of gas. If gasoline consumption goes down, gas tax money goes down. And presto, an increase in the gas tax to cover the reduced consumption. It is odd that only in this decade has weather affected gas prices so much. Camille hit in 1970 and did not affect gas prices appreciably.

Price controls do not work. I remember the price freeze of 1973. Right after that, inflation hit 12.2%. Inflation was a big problem until about 1984.

The squallbags in the oil industry have noticed the fall in the price in oil, so they decide to stick it to everyone at the pump with just one word: HURRICANE!

AC Robertson has it right. Gas here in N. Texas is up about 20 cents over the past week or so and now is at $3.79 per gallon with very little change over the last day or two. Interesting that as I drove around on Sunday, every station had that price. If individual station owners are jacking up the price where you live they should be prosecuted.

In Chicago, almost all of the gas comes from a refinery in Joliet. The same gas goes to all the stations. Some convince their customers to pay more for different "additives" but the base gas is all the same. Somehow, the damage from Ike managed to drive up prices from a refinery in Illinois. I know we've had lots of rain the past few days, but seriously folks, unless that refinery shuts down, there is no shortage of refined gas.

In Bush's and Mc Bush's country price gouging is perfectly legal.

The way they run the country it resembles more and more to organized crime. And just like the big Mafia bosses , they never get persecuted.

And after what 's been happening even now on Wall-street, anyone still thinks its just a little bump on the road!? I guess some people can make themselves believe anything!

But for some sobering facts tune in to Lou Dobbs Tonight on CNN