The price of gasoline is in no small part due to the high taxation of the product at both the federal and state level (36.4¢/ gal. combined). Other taxation occurs at multiple points along the process, from the moment oil is pumped out of the ground or imported, to when gasoline flows into your car. Yet the governor objects to eliminating this single burden upon you, as losing your money would place a dent in her plans for spending your money.

Also the costs of refineries are prohibitive due to government regulation, and environmentalists filing law suits to block refineries being built, repaired or upgraded. Which is why our nation has not built any refineries in over three decades.

Additionally government regulations regarding fuel production, producing "cleaner" gasoline, and required additives (ethanol or MTBE contaminating your groundwater, and making the gas more explosively dangerous) in major metropolitan areas have greatly added to the cost of gasoline/diesel. Additionally, this increases insurance and petroleum transportation costs.

Lastly, India and China are now major importers of oil, competing with us. They will pay what they will pay, so the price of this limited product increases. Get used to it. The days of major petroleum source discoveries is over, and the known reserves will be used up in a few decades. Price will increase to conserve the supply.

Worse, when you start wars in the region of the world's major oil producer or threaten to assassinate the head of the country of another major oil producer, oil suppliers get nervous, and oil speculation drives the price of crude up, up and away.

Enjoy Bu$h's War, Bu$h's Economy. Got Ga$?