SEPTEMBER
5, 2005 --
LPR
has been taking note of rising gas prices since this past March,
posting photos of price signs on this website.
This writer does not recall hearing, during
the past five months, politicians demand explanations for the steady rise in
prices.
Suddenly, with the August 31 super-spike that gives new meaning to the gas
station term "self-service," pols have found their voices -- rather
late, LPR believes.
LPR would also point out, however, that it cited a poll, reported on CBS a
few weeks ago, indicating that motorists would not change driving habits until
gas prices reached $3 a gallon.
At the time, LPR regarded that as an invitation to go to $3. And just look
at pump prices now.
Also, recently, LPR cited a statement attributed to the Bush administration
that nothing could be done about the rise in gas prices -- a statement made
before Hurricane Katrina.
Suddenly, the administration found something it could do -- release oil from
government reserves. LPR believes diplomacy, development of new oil resources,
as well as alternative energy sources, would be even more effective in stabilizing
oil's impact on the economy.
The Waterbury Republican-American ran an editorial September 1 dismissing the
notion that Hurricane Katrina caused the present gas price spike. LPR agrees,
and has a hunch a lot of people are suspicious about the spike.
LPR has heard a number of remarks that the immediate spike is for gas already
on hand and presumably purchased at lower prices.
This writer was in Torrington and Winsted August 31 and September 1 when the
gas spike went right through our wallets.
At about 11.20 A.M. the price of regular gas was $2.75.9 at a Mobil station
off Exit 44 on Route 8. An hour later, regular at the same station was $2.93.9.
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Mobil
Station off of Route 8, Exit 44 in Torrington, August
31st.
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Mobil
Station off of Route 8, Exit 44 in Torrington - one
hour later than the previous photo.
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In Winsted,
August 31, the price of regular was $2.89.9 at the Gulf station
referred to as "humane" in LPR recently when regular
at this station was $2.55.9.
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The
Winsted Gulf Station on August 31st.
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Same
Gulf Station in Winsted later in the evening.
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That evening,
regular at the same Gulf station was $2.95.9, forty cents higher
than the recent "humane" price -- for the summer of 2005,
that is.
A Mobil station on Winsted's Main Street had prices written by hand, perhaps
lacking the "3" for the new $3- and more price.
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Mobil
Station in Winsted using handwritten signs to post
their prices, over $3.00 - the pre-printed price signs
do not go up that high!
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The price at
the Cumberland Farms gas station, nearby on Main Street, staggered
this writer.
Previously, this gas station charged prices comparable to the Gulf prices, lower
than Mobil, among others. It was amazing to see that premium was more than $3.47
at Cumberland -- whose sign "Self Serve" prompted LPR to understand
the term now has a rather new meaning -- to describe oil industry aggrandizement.
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Cumberland
Farms in Winsted, August 31.
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Close-up
of the Pump at the Cumberland Farms in WInsted, on August
31.
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The Citgo station
in Torrington was another whose prices had generally been cheaper
than Mobil, in this part of Connecticut. The evening of August 31,
LPR saw that the Citgo prices that were now significantly higher
than local Mobil prices, with regular at $3.19.9
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The
Citgo Station in Torrington on the evening of August
31st.
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Three Shell stations
in the area had varying prices: nearly $3.20 for regular, August
31 just north of Winsted;. On September 1, one Shell station in Torrington
carried regular at $3.24.9 , while the Shell station on East Main
Street charged
$2.92.9 for regular.
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Shell
- at the intersection of Route 8 and Route 20 in Winsted,
on August 31.
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Shell
Station on North Main Street in Torrington near Capuano's,
on September 1st.
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Shell
Station on East Main Street in Torrington, September
1.
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Later, someone
indicated to LPR that the smaller oil companies were charging more
than the huge oil companies, which perhaps had more oil available
to sell.
What will be the effect of this disparity -- if
it continues? Takeover of the smaller companies by the huge companies -- with
super duper price hikes going straight through our wallets into our assets?
The Sunday Republican, of Waterbury, reported August 21 on its front page that
members of Congress were getting a pay raise -- with rank and file members to
receive $165,200.
Those kind of bucks will absorb gas prices that are bleeding many of us. If travel
allowances won't.
LPR feels those wages don't build strong bonds with the people who elect the
members of Congress, not when it comes to gas prices.
Once again, LPR asks blogger country, filled with gentle grass roots, to consider
the Populist message of Federalist 57.
Among other things, that document indicated that under the Constitution the rich
had no more rights than the poor.
What would James Madison say, today, of our system of government by campaign
donation influence?
Of officials and media that are distant from the people?
In brief, LPR asks blogger country to talk up the founding vision of a free people
served by their representatives, not ruled for the self-interest of the representatives.
As Madison indicated -- when officials grow apart from the people, "every
government degenerates into tyranny."
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