Michigan gas prices jump to more than $4 per gallon to second highest in the country
Everyone with a car or a view of a gas station likely noticed the recent painful spike in gas prices in Michigan.
The average per-gallon price in the state shot up 23 cents in the past week to $4.10, well above the national average of $3.64 and second highest in the country behind Hawaii, according to an MLive report.
Gas prices in parts of the state are reaching the extremely high levels experienced in the summer of 2011.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
“People aren’t sure how long it will be or what’s going on,” Patrick DeHaan, a senior petroleum analyst at Gasbuddy.com, told MLive.
The president of the Michigan Petroleum Association told MLive that Michigan gas stations are having difficulty absorbing the higher wholesale fuel prices, and some are selling gas at no profit or even at a loss in order to attract business to their convenience stores.
According to a report in USA Today in May, high gas prices can also slow the broader regional economy. When customers are spending more at the pump, they tend to spend less elsewhere, leading to a drag in overall consumer spending.
The lowest gas price in the state as of Monday afternoon was $3.74 per gallon of regular unleaded for members at the Sam’s Club on Carpenter Road, according to MichiganGasPrices.com. The highest price in the area was $4.19 at a BP on Ecorse Road in Ypsilanti.
Ben Freed covers business for AnnArbor.com. You can sign up here to receive Business Review updates every week. Reach out to Ben at 734-623-2528 or email him at benfreed@annarbor.com. Follow him on twitter @BFreedinA2.
Comments
shula
Fri, Jun 14, 2013 : 2:59 p.m.
What does the cost of a gallon of gas have to do with anything? For starters, transportation costs. This is why the cost of food at the store has doubled or tripled over the past couple years. You can buy a meal at a fast food joint for less than it costs to purchase the food from the store and prepare it! Whenever a gallon of gas gets much over $3 bucks a gallon, you hear how the economy starts slowing down again. The last reason for raising the price of gas at the pumps was something about needing to shut down some refineries thus reducing the supply. 4 months latter the price continues to go up, but we did not hear what the reason was this time. When I sent an email to the President's office and asked why there are no regulations on how much the big oil companies can charge for a gallon of gas, they say "it doesn't matter what a gallon of gas costs to produce, it's how much a Wall Street trader can get for that gallon of gas, or barrel of oil, on Wall Street". So it has come to this, "If you don't like the high cost of gas, you should go out and buy a $40,000+ electric car or a $35,000+ car that gets 30+ mpg, grow your own garden and go get a cow or two". If you can't afford to buy a car, or have "bad credit" and can't afford those 23% interest rates, you and a few million other Americans, are SLO ...
Kellie Woodhouse
Wed, Jun 5, 2013 : 2:41 p.m.
Gas is incredibly expensive here. I went to the D.C. Metro area this weekend and was surprised to find that gas was less than $3.50 a gallon. I would think it would be expensive there.
rutrow
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 6:29 p.m.
Yeah of course, it's all the liberals' fault. So is the weather we've been having. Any time you don't fully endorse 100% of what the uber-rich want, you're n infidel.
mike
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 8:57 p.m.
Nope, not the fault or the liberals'...It is all my fault, and yours. We should have known what we were doing a longtime ago and corrected it. oops sorry dad, I know you had the wisdom to change it before me, I must blame you first. Than I get the credit for not changing things.
mike
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 5:58 p.m.
The gas shortages of 1973 or was it 74? We had long lines of cars wasting gas to get more gas( Made a lot of since). The government reduced the national speed limit to 55 in order to save fuel. Today, they want the speed limits increased in order to use more fuel, so you can buy more gas( again that makes since)? On the road my Ford 500 gets around 33 miles per galon at 55 or 60 but is reduced to 27 at 70 MPH. I drive 60 saves almost 20% of fuel costs. So, if the state is claiming a fuel shortage, why not conserve the gas and reduce the speed limit? Not popular but it works.
mike
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 5:38 p.m.
The sad part of this situation is that gas prices affect the less fortunate then it does the more fortunate. With Michigan's high prices it hurts the young and elderly more then those afluent few that that have full time jobs. High fuel costs means that the young and the old have to choose to feed themselves or try to make it to their low wage jobs or to the doctors. Social security checks will not rise enough to help them out.
Patrick Maurer
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 3:19 p.m.
We are just being raped by the petroleum industry. The supply of crude is very high and the supply exceeds demand and we are being gouged continually be the industry and speculators.
jns131
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 2:24 p.m.
O now you tell me about Sams Club. Darn. As of June 4, Meijer on Carpenter was 3.95. Still, a big ouch for a lot of us. Glad I got paid today. Otherwise, I would have taken a few days off until I did.
mady
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 1:37 p.m.
Yipes. I'll ride the bus until the grim reaper comes for me!
Wake Up A2
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 12:16 p.m.
5 regional supply issues, yet Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin and Kentucky have lower gas prices. This points at a Michigan issue. Greed for both taxes and profit. I could see it if all states around us have an issue, but they don't.
clownfish
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 11:49 a.m.
Wow. So many conspiracy theories! How about throwing some factoids into the discussion? The rise in prices was fueled (excuse the pun) by RUMORS of a slow down in midwest refinery capacity. Those rumors caused the speculators to buy, and run up the price. There is no fuel shortage in the midwest. The rise in price is purely about speculation. A lot of this expensive gas can be traced back to the The Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000, which changed the rules for speculation, and cost most of us citizens a LOT of money over the last 20 years (yes, gas was over $$/gal when Bush was president, the reason it was 1.87 when he left office is because of a massive world wide recession) . But, that is OK, because the ENRONS and Kochs of the world did GREAT, and then that success trickled down to the rest of us because they got huge tax breaks and used that extra money to create jobs...not.
EyeHeartA2
Wed, Jun 5, 2013 : 12:11 a.m.
Kochs. I knew it. I knew they were behind this. Also Reagan.
clownfish
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 11:50 a.m.
...yes, gas was over $4/gal...
beardown
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 4:51 a.m.
Oil companies can do what they want and price what they want and charge what they want since they have a stranglehold on the market and seem to be impervious to any collusion or tampering claims. In the end, it is a "free market" economy, right?
Stuart Brown
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 4:16 a.m.
Here is a theory for the higher gas prices-) Since all the fracking is leading to excess supplies and the US is now poised to be a net energy exporter, the reason for the higher prices is due to the storage of all that oil (somebody's got to pay for it!) Oh Well, perhaps I have been spending too much time watching UofM officials justify their annual tuition increases (have these guys been exchanging ideas on how to stick it to the public and justify it after the fact?) Or better yet, watching John Hieftje justify cutting city services to the bone while jacking up fees and taxes to residents of Ann Arbor.
Dan r OBryan
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 3:33 a.m.
a serious revolt by the people is so needed ,a stand of unity ,we have been pushed ,people need to stand together ,.shut this country down for a day in protest ,no vehicle on a road ,no work or taxes being paid . this would wake up or government up .the people have had enough
Lowcat
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 3:19 a.m.
If your looking for a REAL way to loose the oil addition, the Michigan Electric Auto Association is holding a Rally & Auto Cross racing at SchoolCraft College this Saturday 8-4.
Paul
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 2:45 a.m.
And our R governor wants to raise gas taxes. Just what we need, no wounder business are leaving the state.
Trepang674
Fri, Jun 7, 2013 : 1:40 p.m.
Not sure where you get this inside scoop.
uabchris
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 2:42 a.m.
You can lease a Chevy Volt for $240/mo...I love my Volt!
Paul
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 2:46 a.m.
My gas hog car is paid for..$240 a month still buys lots of fuel.
Tru2Blu76
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 2:31 a.m.
June 18, 1968: I went on a 500 mile vacation with my '65 Chevy muscle car (and often drove around 80 mph). Fuel cost for that trip: $18. And that was for premium because the engine was high compression and would only run properly on 100 Octane & above. And that Chevy was factory order spec., it cost... $2950 ($1/ pound, the same price as sirloin steak - General Motors bragged about it). Today, things are "a bit different." May 20, 2013 Gasoline price breakdown: Distribution / Marketing $0.24, Crude Oil $2.55, Refinery: $0.60, State Underground Storage fee: $0.02, State & Local Sales Tax $0.09, State Excise Tax: $0.36, Federal Excise Tax: $0.18, Retail Prices $4.05. At that price and with a car getting a maximum of 18 mpg (as my Chevy muscle car did on the highway), a 500 mile trip costs $112.50. Which is: 625% greater than the cost in 1968 - very close to the rate of inflation over that period.
Paul
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 2:53 a.m.
Yeah but that Chevy was a better car in many ways. I agree thou gas is "cheaper" then in the past. Back around 1981 min wage was $1.65 and gas was around $1.65. My car got only 14 mpg..today cars get 22 mpg-roughly and min wage is ? $8 I believe ? One hour of working min wage buys 2 gallons of fuel and cars go farther on each gallon, so its cheaper to drive today..if you don't lease a new car. 15 year old cars still can get 22 mpg can cost $4000---$5,000 in great shape for their age. But I rather have that Chevy, lol...much better car, IMO
Commander
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 1:11 a.m.
I have a real difficult time understanding the rational of gas price hikes just before every summer weekend or just before a holiday and how can a price increase effect the price of gasoline that has already been purchased, paid for, delivered and is stored in the stations storage tanks? Am I seeing price gouging going on here or what ?
snark12
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 1:56 a.m.
Even though the gasoline has been purchased by the station and placed in storage tanks doesn't mean it isn't still a commodity whose value changes according to the rules of supply and demand. If you bought a gold coin for $100 and the price of gold goes up 50%, wouldn't you think the coin was more valuable and should fetch more if you sold it?
Chase Ingersoll
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 1:07 a.m.
CNG - 3 Ann Arbor stations....... still enjoying 2.39 per GGE at 130 octane.
Chase Ingersoll
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 3:13 p.m.
The way the fuel is priced, is in Gasoline Gallon Equivalent BTU's. Propane conversions have actually been a less expensive option that CNG. The cost of CNG conversions is in the high pressure tanks. The latest CNG conversions have dropped the price on a 6 cylinder Chevrolet engine to $1,500.00 and that includes the tank. A local driver of one of these systems on his 2007 Saturn claims the new electronics on the conversion afford him an additional 3 MPG over gasoline.
leaguebus
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 6:50 a.m.
Except it takes 30% more propane to get the same number of BTU's as gas.
tim
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 1:44 a.m.
If you really want to go cheap convert your truck to propane ( around 4,000$) and pay around 1.79 per gal.
Jack Gladney
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 1:02 a.m.
Candidate Barack Obama (and the man he appointed as energy secretary) said that Americans would not do anything to curb their use of fossil fuels until gasoline was above $5.00 a gallon. Gas was at @ $1.88/gal when he said that. Keep up the good work, Mr. President of the Working People! Your goal is in sight. We can get this job done.
tim
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : midnight
Here's a real commie idea --- how about nationalizing all the oil and natural gas in the USA. We could use the profit to pay off the national debt-- stabilize the economy-- pull our military out of the middle east-- buy universal heath care--- and (Manhattan like project) discover a cheap way to produce hydrogen so we don't have to burn fossil fuels.
Tom Todd
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 5:17 a.m.
we are not smart enough to do what is right as a nation
Nicholas Urfe
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 11:51 p.m.
Exxon-mobil is the most profitable corporation in the world. And we are forced to subsidize them with our taxdollars as corporate welfare. Remind me again why we haven't nationalized the oil industry? Why must it be the most profitable industry in the world? Look at how inexpensive and pure the water is that comes from your tap.
EyeHeartA2
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 11:08 p.m.
The wheels were set in motion for this under Reagan, then Bush I. Clinton stemmed the tide for a bit, but Bush II sent it over the cliff along with his henchman Cheney. But for Obama's hard work, gas would be $7/gal. now.
EyeHeartA2
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 12:56 p.m.
@Carole; That quotation was taken out of context and really was just some sort of Koch brothers propaganda. I'm not going to show any supporting evidence though. You go figure it out, but that is what it is.
Carole
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 10:49 a.m.
Under Obama, his Sec. of Energy wishes to have gas to seel for $8 per gallon -- words from his mouth.
Arborcomment
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 1:02 a.m.
Nicely played, and three bit.
MRunner73
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 10:48 p.m.
Why can't the Michigan State Atty General put a stop to this scam? It would seem the State AG office could force the greedy wholesalers who dictate the prices, to lower prices immediately. I still wonder what group people dictate these prices and what kind of power and influence do they have? Seems obvious by now...
B2Pilot
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 10:08 a.m.
The same way Granholm did when she was atty general. ooops forgot she never did and still got elected to governor. The fact that gas has gone up across the country and On June 1st is the key. Speculation is driving (no pun intended) the price. Hedge funds, banks, all are betting more demand for the summer driving season. I believe it was Bill Clinton's administration that deregulated oil speculation
leaguebus
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 6:43 a.m.
The Rickster would never let anything bad happen to his oil buddies. Forget the Atty General.
Paul
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 2:55 a.m.
Why should they care ? You know gasoline is tax..the higher the price per gallon, the more tax money the states get. You think that R Atty General cares about the common people, ha ha ha.
Mr. Me
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 10:38 p.m.
The total supply of petroleum is finite. What's left is deep underground, very dirty, or coming out at a slower rate every day. The demand for petroleum is the highest it's ever been. When demand goes up and supply goes down, what happens to prices?
Steve Bean
Wed, Jun 5, 2013 : 1:19 p.m.
katmando, Mr. Me is correct in that *worldwide* demand is higher than ever, though Americans are using less than in the recent past. Paul, the net energy of petroleum is declining. It won't be viable either economically or in energy terms to extract oil from such places within a matter of several years. Mr. Me's point about the quality and availability of petroleum is correct, again on a worldwide basis, which is the market for oil—increased US production will bring profits but not lower prices for us consumers here. Those who voted down Mr. Me's comment might cling to a belief that gas should be more affordable, but that would be arguing with reality, which only leads to stress. Prices will drop over the next few years due to economic deflation, but gas will be even less affordable to most (who will have lower incomes). Please do yourselves a favor, folks, and prepare for this inevitability.
leaguebus
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 6:40 a.m.
Demand is off 20% but prices are still high. Somebody must be pocketing windfall profits.
Paul
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 2:58 a.m.
Yeah but there is still many hundreds or years of oil left...maybe thousands. Wait until the arctic circle starts to melt and we can start drilling for oil down there.
katmando
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 11:16 p.m.
demand is down oil prices are down
Greg
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 10:32 p.m.
Seems fair to mention Obama in this discussion. Everything but the weather was blamed on Bush...
Paul
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 3:03 a.m.
Yeah hes a pretty good guy but isn't perfect. He can take his green energy plans and 55 mpg cars and pack up and leave. No wounder the feds now want to lower drunk driving limits to .05, they know those 5 mpg cars are very unsafe in a crash. When we got these "safer" air bag cars, we first got .08 limits vs .1 and .15 for drunk. Now we are told cars today are safer ever in a crash but they forget about how the roads are much safer today thanks in part to .08 limits.
MRunner73
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 10:44 p.m.
And the next President, no mater which party, will also get blamed for everything including the weather.
jrigglem
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 9:33 p.m.
But hey! Let's add another 39 cents per gallon on top of that for the roads!! Why is our economy so crappy and yet we pay outrageous prices for gas?? Is that to make up for all the unemployed workers that don't have to commute to work?
lefty48197
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 9:33 p.m.
The summer gas gouging season is upon us. It's as if big oil and the retailers are trying to destroy America's economy all in the name of higher short term profits. I have to wonder if al Qaeda isn't behind it all. Sometimes, it's hard to distinguish between big oil and al Qaeda.
amazenblue
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 9:13 p.m.
I am from Ann Arbor and now live in Palm Bay Fl. One hour east of Orlando. Florida has no state income tax and one hour ago paid $3.39 for gallon and Orlando is cheaper yet!! What's going on up there?
Mike
Wed, Jun 5, 2013 : 1:01 a.m.
We lost two refineries, that's what the problem is.....................
jns131
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 2:25 p.m.
We are stuck with the auto industry. Go figure. They need more gas then anyone else in the country.
Tom Todd
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 5:15 a.m.
Right to work for less!
Jack Gladney
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 1:10 a.m.
Rabble, rabble, rabble. Jeb Bush. Floridasippi. Rabble.
johnnya2
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 11:28 p.m.
Yeah except you have to live in Florida. Your "no income tax" is off set by higher sales taxes and higher property taxes and wages that are lower than Michigan
EyeHeartA2
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 11:23 p.m.
Bush screwed us over, that's what.
lefty48197
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 9:51 p.m.
I'm not sure. Add Michigan's 6% sales tax and your $3.39 per gallon would soar to about $3.60 per gallon. Where is the rest going? That's the question of the day...
dontcountusout
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 9:07 p.m.
I love how the "Petroleum Institute" always has a plausible excuse for why gas prices go up. It's always somebody's refinery hiccup or whatever. The fact is that all gas (foreign and domestic) is sold on the spot market and the price is whatever the market will bear. They bid it up and if nobody's buying they drop it again. They've gotten so good at this that they are now "richer than God" according to their own analysis.
Arieswoman
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 8:59 p.m.
Sure glad for my small car. I laugh at these big suv's and pickups! Guess they can afford those gas prices though.
Judy
Wed, Jun 5, 2013 : 3:53 p.m.
Areswoman, I am sure glad for my 2000 Jeep and laugh at people with small new cars that cost hundreds of dollars a month in a car payment and insurance. My point is sometimes the balance is more having a small car than old suv and/or pickup.
Poorman
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 2:32 a.m.
I cannot think of something we won't pay more for with the increase in gas prices. Delivery and process costs increase for everything when fuel costs go up. This is passed on to you with everything you buy, as oil companies will again have record profits.
lefty48197
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 9:48 p.m.
Don't laugh when the construction workers present you with a proposal or invoice for their work. Some people MUST drive big vehicles.
JRW
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 8:37 p.m.
GREED. No other explanation. Big oil will spin something for the media to placate the masses, but any story about fake shortages or expensive summer fuel mixes is just another scam. Don't believe it. With oil running at $93/barrel, this is ludicrous. This is just another scam to allow more and more and more drilling in national parks, and to put pressure on the feds to approve the Keystone pipeline, which will allow Canada to EXPORT its oil internationally out of Texas. The pipeline won't be used to expand US oil supplies. No new refineries have been built in the last 25 years in the US for a reason. It's more profitable to IMPORT oil from the middle east than refine domestic oil here. That's not going to change regardless of what the media says about energy independence. Why is the US EXPORTING oil now? Because it's more profitable to export US oil abroad, and then import oil from the middle east. It's a scam, folks. And Big Oil is laughing all the way to the bank.
Nicholas Urfe
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 8:31 p.m.
We just need more free market corporate welfare subsidies for those big oil companies.
Retiree Newcomer
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 8:24 p.m.
There is no excuse for the price in Michigan. The state gas tax (19 cents per gallon) hasn't been raised since 1997, and won't be in this environment. The high price of gas does NOT benefit the state. When the price gets this high, the consumer does less discretionary spending, and state sales tax revenue is negatively impacted. Meanwhile, Michigan roads, already a disgrace, are getting worse. The extremely poor condition of the roads costs the motoring public millions in increased repair and maintenance bills. Blaming the higher prices of gas on undisclosed refinery problems is a smokescreen. And the extreme right wing Michigan legislature would never support a strong price gouging bill.
jns131
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 1:56 a.m.
I remember paying $1 a gallon in 2000. It was a year later that it went up a dollar and now? $4. Ouch. Sounds like we need to start drilling at home.
MRunner73
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 10:42 p.m.
It boggles my mind why pump prices are so high in MI. I blame the State Atty General on that for not cracking down on the wholesalers who dictate the prices and get away with it.
Carole
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 8:11 p.m.
It is all totally disgusting. One excuse after another as to why the price of gas is so high. I truly wonder exactly what the EXACT truth might be behind the continuing increases.
snark12
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 11:01 a.m.
And when demand is down, oil producers like OPEC and others moderate supply. That's how prices are maintained. It's the basic function of supply and demand. BTW, oil demand has NOT been going down. http://www.indexmundi.com/energy.aspx
leaguebus
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 6:34 a.m.
It's NOT supply and demand. Demand has been going down for years.
snark12
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 1:44 a.m.
It's called supply and demand.
lefty48197
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 9:46 p.m.
Greed.
Homeland Conspiracy
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 9:28 p.m.
The truth is....because they can
Blue Marker
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 8:03 p.m.
Time to break out the pitchforks and torches!
nicedoggy
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 7:54 p.m.
Gas was $3.25 in Virginia last week.
Paul
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 3:07 a.m.
Yeah but Mi has legal weed if your doc OK's you, that is priceless, ha ha
sHa
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 11:45 p.m.
Right now you can fill your tank in Greenville, SC for $3.06/gallon.
Mike
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 7:51 p.m.
I hope people aren't complaining. As a matter of fact they should be celebrating since we are getting closer to Obama's energy czars target of $8.00 per gallon so we "can be like Europe". I'm so happy I can hardly contain myself...................
Mike
Wed, Jun 5, 2013 : 1 a.m.
People in Europe take mass transportation because they have no money due to high taxes. They live in little tiny apartments, drive tiny cars that can't carry a family, and depend upon the government for everything. I think a lot of people left Europe many years ago to come to America to escape all of the overbearing government only to find Europe is on our doorstep.................
SEC Fan
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 12:48 p.m.
@JRW, not really. many of the cars driven in Germany, for example, are also sold in the U.S. (VW, etc.) -- I read a study a few years ago that looked at a blend of cars (sport, family, diesel) and the average gas mileage was around 20 mpg. The primary difference is that a great many of the cars on the roads in Europe have diesel engines (and these cars have higher gas mileage). Additionally, diesel is taxed significantly less in Europe compared to gasoline, making diesel considerably cheaper than gas.
lefty48197
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 9:46 p.m.
Mike, you must have LOVED it when gas was over $4 per gallon during the Bush Presidency. Adjusted for inflation, today's gas prices are still cheaper than that, so you're probably sad.
JRW
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 8:39 p.m.
Cars in Europe get 50-60 mpg. In addition, Europe has wonderful mass transit everywhere, so people don't have to own cars, unlike the US.
arborarmy
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 7:50 p.m.
Love the conservative ignorance on delay here. "Bloody outrageous when crude is selling around $92 per barrel. I miss the news media crowing about how it is oilmen Cheney and Bush's fault. When Obama took office gas was about a $1.87 a gallon. Where is the media and public's outrage now?" Yup. And one year before Obama took office tea enrage price per gallon nationwide was $4.13--an all-time high. The reason for the drop in price was the collapse of demand caused by the collapse of the economy caused by the collapse of financial markets. So I guess Bush and his supporters want to take credit for that? And then there's: "Did you know that oil is purchased in US dollar denominations? I have a question for you. If you print more money, thereby devaluing the dollar." This is a brilliant "analysis" except that the spike in the price of gas is not accompanied by a similar spike in the price of oil. Buggs Bunny was right.
Paul
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 3:10 a.m.
Hey, Obama wants us to buy and drive 55 mpg cars, what do you expect...too bad that other guy wanted to lower min wages among other things. Oh he never said that but he was all for the fat cats to get fatter yet.
snark12
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 1:43 a.m.
Actually oil prices have historically been more volatile than gas prices. But the correlation of the rise and fall in one to the other is very good. http://tinyurl.com/kowt7wg
EyeHeartA2
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 11:25 p.m.
Conservative ignorance is certainly on delay.
arborarmy
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 7:50 p.m.
Hate autocorrect. Ugh
SEC Fan
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 7:39 p.m.
so why is Ohio's average only $3.85?
leaguebus
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 6:32 a.m.
The Ohio gas tax is almost $.10 per gallon higher than Michigan's gas tax, $.15 more for Diesel.
jns131
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 1:54 a.m.
Looks like I am going to Ohio to get gas. I should have filled up Sunday instead of Monday. Sucks.
MRunner73
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 10:40 p.m.
Our state taxes and road useage taxes are higher than those in OH but no excuse why MI has to be the highest in the nation.
northside
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 7:38 p.m.
Of all the deceptive statistics put forth by conservatives, the 'gas was under $2/gallon when Obama took over' - and therefore the current price is his doing - might be my favorite. What it conveniently neglects to mention is that gas was over $4 gallon in the summer of 2008, when Bush was still President. Click on the Excel file found at this link, and you'll see the week-by-week average going back to 1990: http://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/
hawkhulk
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 5:53 a.m.
That is the truth northside, and sometimes the truth hurts conservatives
tim
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 11:51 p.m.
Summer of 2008 diesel was 4.75 per gal--- just about killed me.
lefty48197
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 9:44 p.m.
It's funny how the right wingers keep telling us that the economy is weak and getting weaker. Those of us who are back to work full time and who have watched our 401K's return to their prior levels may disagree but why let some nit picky facts get in the way of their anti-Obama rants?
walker101
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 8:42 p.m.
Under Obama the cost of living has been the highest, GDP the worst of any President and the War is still going on, along with all his current scandals and the Affordable HealthCare (Oxymoron) his tenure will be going down in history as the worst President every.
Top Cat
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 7:37 p.m.
Time to do the Green Things Put pin wheels and solar panels on your car and just watch it go.
julieswhimsies
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 7:34 p.m.
Once again. Thanks to Big Oil.
mike
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 5:25 p.m.
Thank the government for regualtion
Soothslayer
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 7:21 p.m.
HA HA! Enjoy your SUV's, hour commutes.. and higher prices for everything trucked in from somewhere else. Now more than ever BUY & WORK LOCAL! Support local farmers!
walker101
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 8:38 p.m.
Till it gets to $20 per gallon I'll still drive my SUV and truck, Ha, ha, the more money for petro the more money I make.
DonBee
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 7:10 p.m.
Please remember that unlike most states Michigan has a sales tax on Gas. That means that if the price goes up $1 in Ohio it goes up $1.06 in Michigan. Right now the sales tax on a gallon is just about 24 cents. This is good news for state tax collections, but not for almost anything else.
arborarmy
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 11:46 a.m.
Indiana has a higher sales tax on gas tan does Michigan, yet lower gas prices. http://taxfoundation.org/article/rising-gasoline-prices-benefit-few-states So much for the sales excuse.
lefty48197
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 9:41 p.m.
I liked it better when Michigan had a 4% sales tax. That was before Engler's tax cuts, which raised the sales tax. Go figure.
arborarmy
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 8:32 p.m.
Of course, it takes a 16.5-cent jump in price to result in a 1-cent increase in tax, so you've just explained 2 cents of the 30 cent jump that has happened in the last week. Congratulations
Katie
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 7:09 p.m.
Was watching a movie this weekend that was filmed in 1994. The gas price in that movie was $.87.....those were the days...
mike
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 8:59 p.m.
Yep, filmed in 94 for the setting was in the mid 80's
Paul
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 3:12 a.m.
Yeah but we also thought kissing spread Aids back in the early 1990's..it wasn't all rosy back then. I think life is better on a whole today then back then.
snark12
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 1:34 a.m.
When you adjust for inflation, gas prices are about the same as they were 30 years ago. Although they were certainly cheaper in the years between. http://zfacts.com/gas-price-history-graph
garrisondyer
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 12:19 a.m.
'98. It was definitely under a dollar in the late '90s. I remember when I was shellshocked that on my way to high school I needed to stop at the Amoco and drop a little over $20 to fill up my Dodge Omni.
lefty48197
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 9:40 p.m.
I remember gas getting down to about 87 cents per gallon right about the time of that Columbine attack. I think it was about 1989.
jrigglem
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 9:30 p.m.
Actually gas was around 99 cents when I was in high school in the mid-90's so I do't believe your assessment is correct Blue Marker
Blue Marker
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 7:51 p.m.
It must not have been a very accurate movie, gas was over a dollar a gallon in '94. Still, your point is taken.
Wake Up A2
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 7:06 p.m.
Business greed....
snark12
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 1:31 a.m.
Not to mention that the policy of "printing money" is run by the central bank, which is not part of the administration, and is run by Ben Bernanke, a Bush appointee. I personally agree with his policies in general, so I'm not trying to blame Bush with this, but to say it's Obama's fault is plainly wrong.
lefty48197
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 9:39 p.m.
Hey Mike, did you know that we had low interest rates/weak dollars long before Obama became President? It's true and those weak dollars caused high gas prices too. Perhaps THAT'S why gas cost $4 per gallon during the Bush Presidency too?
Mike
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 7:38 p.m.
Hey Wakeup - Did you know that oil is purchased in US dollar denominations? I have a question for you. If you print more money, thereby devaluing the dollar, like the current administration is doing; do you thing the price of oil will go up or down? In other words if we give the Saudis something that is worth less and less (our dollars) should we expect the price to remain the same? I hope you don't think I'm asking too tough of a question............
nekm1
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 7:09 p.m.
so uninformed....
Superior Twp voter
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 7:02 p.m.
Bloody outrageous when crude is selling around $92 per barrel. I miss the news media crowing about how it is oilmen Cheney and Bush's fault. When Obama took office gas was about a $1.87 a gallon. Where is the media and public's outrage now?
Audion Man
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 3:35 p.m.
Let's build a refinery next to Mike's house.
Judy
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 1:02 p.m.
johnnya2, you are comparing apples & orange with a bottle of water and gas as far as I am concern.
leaguebus
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 6:26 a.m.
The EPA is mostly responsible for the lower demand because of the higher gas mileage standards. But, the law of supply and demand does not seem to apply to gas prices in this country. But be assured, the oil companies are still earning record profits with billions from corporate welfare from the government. Speculation also adds to gas prices.
Paul
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 3:18 a.m.
People don't complain about 99 cents for water cause you don't have to buy it. We HAVE to buy gasoline
Paul
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 3:16 a.m.
The EPA has cost us more jobs then union wages have. The EPA is the real reason Mexico and China got our manufacturing jobs, not union wages. How much does extra shipping cost, likely more then union wages.
Laura Jones
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 2:40 a.m.
I believe the point is that folks were crowing that high oil was Bush's fault when he was in office, but now that Obama is in office, no one says anything. It's the double standard that is annoying. Fact of the matter is that gas prices are not affected by any President. Of all our elected officials, Congress has the greatest impact, in as much as they affect trading policy on the street, You can thank legal speculation and futures for the gas prices - in other words, people making money on legalized gambling, except you are the ball whirling around the table. We also get they government we deserve.
garrisondyer
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 12:16 a.m.
Water should be clean and free. And, while I don't necessarily like paying for it, gas should be more expensive.
johnnya2
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 11:19 p.m.
1. Gas prices are no politicians fault (either low or high) 2. Gas prices are TOO low anyway. Let's do some basic math. A 16.9 ounce water is selling for 99 cents at Speedway. That translates into 7.49 per gallon. How come not a single person is screaming about the price of water being too high. 3. Gas prices were over $4.00/gallon NATIONALLY on average in 2008 (before the crash). Adjusted for inflation, this administration has never had a NATIONAL average that high. 4. SInce you are bringing politics into it, MICHIGAN is over 30 cents per gallon higher than the national average and second highest in the nation. Last I checked there was a republican governor, with a republican house AND a republican senate, as well as a republican supreme court.
MRunner73
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 10:38 p.m.
I hope all you who think the high gas prices are Obama's fault; think about this...as of this morning the highest pump prices in the nation are in Michigan. This article states what the national average is. If this were Obama's fault, wouldn't the national average be closer to $4?
lefty48197
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 9:37 p.m.
You might recall that when Bush left office, the economy was falling off a cliff. The Dow Jones was crashing and eventually bottomed out at around 6600. Today, it's up near 14,000 and guess what? The price of gas has crept right up with the improving economy as demand increases from it's near zero demand in 2007/2008. As for Mike's comment about oil refineries, he might want to read up on the subject. The US has been expanding existing refineries and in the last ten years, they've expanded capacity enough to be the equivalent of adding about ten new refineries. The key is the capacity, NOT the number of refineries. You'll have to look for that information though, It doesn't make for flashy headlines and it sure doesn't give red meat to the radio talk show hosts, so that story doesn't generally get covered.
sigdiamond
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 8:16 p.m.
So you're complaining that the news media refuses to report on high gas prices on the message board of a news media story reporting on high gas prices?
Carole
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 8:10 p.m.
Well according to Obama's Department of Energy, he would love to see the price of gas go to $7 or $8 per gallon. Hmmmmmmm.
fjord
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 8:02 p.m.
The national average gasoline price was $4.09/gallon in July 2008. In case your memory doesn't work very well, Obama wasn't in office then.
Mike
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 7:49 p.m.
Crude may be selling for $92.00 per barrel but we haven't build a refinery in over 40 years. Thank you EPA for protecting us.
Goober
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 7:31 p.m.
The media will do its best to ignore or hide any problem under Obamas time in office. The same standard does not apply. Go figure! Oh - and we continue to suffer under this group in power in DC.
harpua
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 7:31 p.m.
$1.87 gas.....and failing banks, failing housing markets , failing stock markets , failing auto industries, record unemployment.......yup, really long for those days.
Ignatz
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 7:18 p.m.
I didn't realize the Obama controlled the price of oil. This guy gets more powerful day by day.