To The Reader’s Forum:

My question: If most people “Stand With Ukraine”, why are some of those same people complaining about the price of gasoline? Even if that person does not “Stand With Ukraine”, speculation in the oil industry, artificial supply issues, projected change in gasoline mixtures, nature-caused interruptions, and actual supply issues caused by war drive the price of oil (and gasoline) upward. This is a proven combination of explanations for gas prices to rise that simply occurs. People should be used to those explanations by now.

I certainly don’t like it, but it’s more important to me to be concerned about people being ruthlessly attacked, killed, wounded or displaced than worry about the price of gas. It’s more important to me to resist, as best I can, an authoritarian or dictator waging war than to complain about gas prices! I admit I DO complain about the price of gas, but it’s a regular occurrence because of the grip the oil industry has on us going at least as far back as the “oil embargo” of 1973 and our “reliance” on (being held hostage to) carbon-based fuels.

Frankly, I believe the release of oil from America’s “strategic reserves” should be off the table inasmuch as it’s a so-called “drop in the bucket” and isn’t necessary. We can’t expect our situation to produce “business as usual” under current circumstances.

By the way, the P-J had a recent sports headline: “Gas Up The Truck And We Are Off.” Apparently, “Putting miles on the back roads this time of year” and using a lot of gasoline is not an existential crisis some make it out to be.

One last point – a President, Biden or otherwise, does not control oil prices! The price we have paid, will pay today and will pay in the future is determined by oil industry producers. Rep. Reed blames Biden’s “policies” and wants the US to expand oil production. So, if oil companies agree there are 9,000+ undeveloped leases, why aren’t those leases being developed? They’d have to be developed to satisfy Reed. My explanation is that oil companies would rather pass along higher “world” prices than pay to develop those leases. Thus, Reed’s argument is bogus – pure politics.

My opinion is that if you want to complain about gasoline it’s OK as long as it’s aimed at the right reasons.

Jamestown