What's up with the price of gas?

'Splain something to me, Lucy.  When I bought my little Audi five years ago the difference between 87 octane "regular" gas and the 93 octane "premium" that I use was $0.20 a gallon.  A couple of years later the difference was $0.30 per gallon.  Yesterday I paid $3.95 a gallon, while regular was $3.59.  That's $0.36 a gallon difference.  Why?  Somethin' smells.


Remember back in early '08 when oil hit $147 a barrel?  I was one of those early ones screaming "speculators!" while our government, who's supposed to be looking out for our best interests by insisting on a level playing field, said, "Huh?  We don't see nuthin'.  Yuck, yuck."  As it turned out it was speculators who ran the price up and got filthy rich(er) at our expense.  It's one thing to add something to the economy and make a profit, but when you just skim off a fat profit without adding anything, well...that's called stealing as far as I'm concerned.


I'm seeing things right now with the price of oil that don't seem right.  The supply / demand equation doesn't sync.  I'm not ready to attribute it all to speculators just yet, but my antennae are up.  As Inspector Clouseau was fond of saying, "I'm on zee case."


S