I think the price of gasoline has just gone out of control. $25.00 for a 1/2 tank this morning.
Why can't the government step in & do something?
Inflammatory personal attack removed

Whoops! My apologies! It won't happen again!

That's called free economy, gw. Quite simple mechanism: goods get scarce, prices soar.
Solution: depending on situation.
In this case, perhaps look for possibilities to make do with less gasoline?
(I'm hard put not to just suggest getting a car with a smaller tank. ;)
By the way, US-gov. is trying to do something. Ruining Alaska to draw out the inevitable, looking for alternatives (hydrogen; questionable, I think), try to reduce consumption (hybrids. No, wait, is that gov.?).

Let's see???????? First we go into Kuwait and give them back their country, then we go into Iraq and give them freedom?????? What is the thank you? Sorry, we need more money for our barrels. This is a pile of crap (pardon the french), but until we get a non-politician in the White House, this country will continue getting taken advantage of. I like Bush, but his friendship with the Oil producers in the Middle East is a barrier for Americans. We need to stand up and say to the world (Europe/Asia) "The next time you need help or aid with your problems (Aggressive neighbors, natural disasters, diseases, etc.), ask the French or Germans!"

Thank You Mark Gilles! Well said! Why is it that We have to come to the aid of everyone all the time? Where is the help when WE need it?
There must be a way that we don't to depend on other countries for our fuel!!!

I second that remark CC RES. Mark hit the nail on the head.

CCR: Sure there is, or rather are ways. But you don't think they do not come at a price, do you?

We found the oil in the Middle East. We developed the oil fields. We built the infrastrature to deliver the oil around the world. If americans pulled out and left it to the Arabs, no oil would be delivered. We are held hostage by the Arabs on Gasoline prices.
What is wrong with this picture? Only in America.

Yea, isn't that something! We are the most powerful nation in the world but yet we can't take things into our own hands.

To be fair must say that gas in the states is still cheaper than most countries. However,
just read that Exxon-Mobil`s profit for the first quarter is the most for ANY company EVER. Free economy is fine but some areas
of basic needs should be controlled.
My 2 cents.

Less than half of the oil consumed in the USA is from the middle east, more than half comes form the American Continent - be it South or North - America... That is a fact. Before we get comfortable bashing the Arabs, for simple supply and demand economics, we must also bash our northern and southers neighbors. That said, we do not have the ability to refine oil for an increased demand here. Interesting, USA and Japan each consume 25% of the resources. As china becomes more and more industerialized, then the supple / demand equation will kick us... Much worse I'm fear...

This is all a big game and its all about money, what would happen if everyone in the country held out for seven days without buying fuel, it would change the scheme of things real quick, it says we are tired of taking it in the rear end and we wont put up with it anymore, but alass no one is willing to make that kind of a statement, so dont blame anyone but us. How many of us carpool, none because we feel we deserve our freedom and sorry for any spelling mistakes as i have not run this through a spell check.

Boy, I thought my hubby and I were the only ones that feel exactly like Mark G in Lakeland and CC Resident....next time there's another disaster, don't call us. They don't seem to come to our aid when we had all those storms in Florida or California. We'll all be walking soon. I fear tourism is going to take a big hit as well. We were thinking about coming up to the U.P. this spring or summer but now we're not without hauling a gas station behind us with our pick up truck.