Point of View: Are California drivers being ripped off by big oil?

LOS ANGELES - California drivers pay the highest gas prices in America.  Yes, we have the special blend that reduces emissions, but most major cities do.  And yes, we have some of the highest taxes in the country.  California lawmakers love their taxes.  But after that, I have never understood why our prices are so much higher than anywhere else in the country.  

According to Gas Buddy, Louisiana has the lowest prices in the country at $2.23 for a gallon of regular.  Texas is $2.27.  You have to go 46 states deep until you get to the first one that is selling above $3.00 a gallon.  The second highest gas price is Hawaii at $3.63 a gallon.  And then there’s California, the most expensive state in America at $4.11.  The only state where gas starts with a four!

Governor Newsom’s has now called for an investigation into these inexplicably high gas prices.

I think this is a great move.  Look into the gas wholesalers but don’t forget the retailers either.  Today on my way to work I passed two stations selling the same brand.  They were just blocks apart.  One had regular at $4.05 a gallon.  The next station, again, same brand, offered it to suckers for $5.49.  What justification could there be for the price varying this much?

I applaud Governor Newsom for taking on the oil companies and I encourage State Attorney General Xavier Becerra to be as aggressive in his investigation of the price gouging as the oil companies have been at reaching into our pockets for more than their fair share. 

What are your thoughts?  Give us a call at 310-584-2030 or email at FOX11POV@foxtv.com and let us know.I’m Bill Lamb, and that’s my Point of View.

The views expressed are not necessarily those of the station or its employees.