Democrats and gas prices
- Thread starter Diogenes
- Start date
"As to separation between California prices and the prices in the rest of the United States, we can offer the following information. For Valero, California is the most expensive operating environment in the country and a very hostile regulatory environment for refining. California policy makers have knowingly adopted policies with the expressed intent of eliminating the refinery sector.
California requires refiners to pay very high carbon cap and trade fees and burdened gasoline with cost of the low carbon fuel standards.
With the backdrop of these policies, not surprisingly, California has seen refineries completely close or shut down major units. When you shut down refinery operations, you limit the resilience of the supply chain.From the perspective of a refiner and fuel supplier, California is the most challenging market to serve in the United States for several additional reasons. California regulators have mandated a unique blend of gasoline that is not readily available outside of the West Coast. California is largely isolated from fuel markets of the central and eastern United States. California has imposed some of the most aggressive, and thus expensive and limiting, environmental regulatory requirements in the world. California policies have made it difficult to increase refining capacity and have prevented supply projects to lower operating costs of refineries.
We believe the Commission experts understand that California cannot mandate a unique fuel that is not readily unavailable outside of the West Coast and then burden or eliminate California refining capacity and expect to have robust fuel supplies. Adding further costs, in the form of new taxes or regulatory constraints, will only further strain the fuel market and adversely impact refiners and ultimately those costs will pass to California consumers."
If you rely on California-refined pipeline gas, here's a wake-up call.
ZenMode
Well-known member
Better by .20? Not a meaningful difference when the price jumped $1.50.
Yes, it is.
So, back to what you called a my "story".
Which of these claims is the "story"?
- I'm paying $5 a gallon
- I live in Maricops county where the average price is $4.91: Link
- because we had a nuclear agreement in place with Iran,
- Trump tore it up,
- then spent $200 billion to attack Iran,
- they (Iran) closed the strait of Hormuz
- and now we have to offer them a deal, where we have to ask them to reopen the straight of hormuz and, once again, agree to not develop nukes?
But, still better, despite your protestations. I suspect that had you seen that lower price at a pump across or down the street, you'd have preferred to pay that rather that the $5 you said you paid.
That is a segment of "your story". It's what's known as "anecdotal", since you haven't verified your residence in "Maricops county" (which doesn't seem to exist, BTW) and presented no proof of purchase to corroborate your claim of "paying $5 a gallon".
It's unproven.
The bulk of your screed has already been addressed.
https://gasprices.aaa.com/?state=AZ
Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018. Trump signed a presidential memorandum ending US participation and restarting sanctions. The phrase “Trump tore up” (or “ripped up”) the deal is rhetorical language commonly used by critics of the withdrawal—such as Democrats, European leaders, Iranian officials, and some media—to dramatize the decision. The JCPOA was never a purely bilateral US–Iran deal; the other parties initially tried to keep it alive after the US exit. Iran later began breaching its own commitments (starting in 2019), and the deal effectively collapsed in practice. The US withdrawal did not “end” the agreement for everyone else immediately, but it removed America’s involvement and sanctions relief.
https://x.com/i/grok/share/bf16b87fdd0a4a35a63ba0e65fd6cb82
https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.go...-states-participation-unacceptable-iran-deal/
https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.go...-states-participation-unacceptable-iran-deal/
Your source says " the Pentagon appears poised to ask Congress for up to $200 billion". Can you spot the incongruity between what you said and what your source reported, or do I need to explain that "spent" is past tense and "appears poised to ask" isn't?
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/p...s-for-additional-200-billion-to-fund-iran-war
By attacking unarmed merchant ships. I'm sure we could teach them the meaning of "freedom of the seas" if we wanted to.
https://www.npr.org/2026/03/04/nx-s...ait of Hormuz,blockade, but with cheap drones
https://www.npr.org/2026/03/04/nx-s1-5736104/iran-war-oil-trump-israel-strait-hormuz-closed-energy-crisis#:~:text=The Iran war has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz : NPR&text=LiveKQED Listen Live-,The Iran war has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz,blockade, but with cheap drones
Who told you "we have" to? It wasn't you source, was it? I suppose that's why you didn't quote any specific text to validate your claim. Were you hoping I hadn't read the article in question?
ZenMode
Well-known member
Again, prices were in the low 3's until the Iran war. You're intentionally playing dumb, which is fine because it's only you that's looking dumb.
Completely besides the point that you are trying to avoid, but yes.
You're still playing dumb to avoid addressing the actual point. But, I'll play along so you have one less thing to play dumb about. It's Maricopa County.
I used Gas Buddy, which was the same "proof" you used when you tried to pretend that pricing at 2 stations is relevant when all the others were showing in the upper $4's.
Now you're just lying.
And not proven to be in accurate.
Right, like I said, he tore up our the existing agreement with Iran. Glad we agree.
lol.... now you're resorting to word games to deflect. Here, I'll use different wording so you can start being honest...
The US had an agreement, related to Iran's nuclear program, and Trump voided it. If you don't like that wording, pick any wording you like that states the before and after Trump took action.
Blah, blah, blah... we had an agreement. Thanks to Trump, we no longer have that agreement and are now trying to get Iran into a new agreement.
Which part of that is wrong?
That's right. Here's why they went up:
Why are your gas prices rising if the US barely imports any oil from the Strait of Hormuz?
The Strait of Hormuz continues to be a thorny issue for the Trump administration, despite the United States being one of the top oil producers on the planet.
abcnews.com
So you say.
Your animus is showing, methinks.
I figured that out immediately. That would've seemed obvious in my opinion. Don't you spell well?
So you said.
Am I? How so? When? Where?
As the claimant, it's your responsibility to validate your own assertions. Don't you know that? It's called the burden of proof.
We don't agree.
The United States was a party to a major multilateral nuclear agreement with Iran—the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly called the Iran nuclear deal—which was finalized in July 2015 under the Obama administration
- It involved Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members—the US, UK, France, Russia, China—plus Germany and the EU).
- Iran agreed to strict limits on its nuclear program (e.g., uranium enrichment levels, centrifuge numbers, stockpile caps, and inspections) for 10–15 years in exchange for relief from nuclear-related economic sanctions.
- It was a political commitment, not a formal treaty ratified by the US Senate. The Obama administration implemented it via executive waivers of sanctions.
This was not a literal act of physically tearing up a signed document on camera. Trump signed a presidential memorandum ending US participation and restarting sanctions. The phrase “Trump tore up” (or “ripped up”) the deal is rhetorical language commonly used by critics of the withdrawal—such as Democrats, European leaders, Iranian officials, and some media—to dramatize the decision.
Trump and his administration described it as “terminating” or “withdrawing” from a flawed agreement that failed to permanently block Iran’s nuclear path or address its ballistic missiles and regional behavior.
Hope that helps!
I refer you to the response above.
Words have meaning. Hyperbole can be fun, but IMO it's more accurate if people avoid it in a discussion of geopolitical events.
ZenMode
Well-known member
Again, I said that the US had an agreement with Iran as it relates to nukes. Trump took us out of that and we are now trying to get a new agreement with Iran related to nukes.That's right. Here's why they went up:
Why are your gas prices rising if the US barely imports any oil from the Strait of Hormuz?
The Strait of Hormuz continues to be a thorny issue for the Trump administration, despite the United States being one of the top oil producers on the planet.
So you say.
Your animus is showing, methinks.
I figured that out immediately. That would've seemed obvious in my opinion. Don't you spell well?
So you said.
Am I? How so? When? Where?
As the claimant, it's your responsibility to validate your own assertions. Don't you know that? It's called the burden of proof.
We don't agree.
The United States was a party to a major multilateral nuclear agreement with Iran—the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly called the Iran nuclear deal—which was finalized in July 2015 under the Obama administration
On May 8, 2018, President Trump formally announced the US withdrawal from the JCPOA. He called it a “horrible, one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made” and immediately directed the re-imposition of the US sanctions that had been lifted or waived to comply with the agreement.
- It involved Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members—the US, UK, France, Russia, China—plus Germany and the EU).
- Iran agreed to strict limits on its nuclear program (e.g., uranium enrichment levels, centrifuge numbers, stockpile caps, and inspections) for 10–15 years in exchange for relief from nuclear-related economic sanctions.
- It was a political commitment, not a formal treaty ratified by the US Senate. The Obama administration implemented it via executive waivers of sanctions.
This was not a literal act of physically tearing up a signed document on camera. Trump signed a presidential memorandum ending US participation and restarting sanctions. The phrase “Trump tore up” (or “ripped up”) the deal is rhetorical language commonly used by critics of the withdrawal—such as Democrats, European leaders, Iranian officials, and some media—to dramatize the decision.
Trump and his administration described it as “terminating” or “withdrawing” from a flawed agreement that failed to permanently block Iran’s nuclear path or address its ballistic missiles and regional behavior.
Hope that helps!
I refer you to the response above.
Words have meaning. Hyperbole can be fun, but IMO it's more accurate if people avoid it in a discussion of geopolitical events.
Which part of what you posted contradicts that statement?
ZenMode
Well-known member
So... word games. Had I said "Trump took us out of the agreement" rather than "Tore it up", you would agree?
We've discussed that already.
Why Hyperbole Can Hurt More Than It Helps
It might seem harmless or even helpful, but hyperbole can sabotage connection, twist your message, and deepen division.
heartmindfusion.substack.com
No need to thank me.
Why wouldn't i? It is what happened.
BUT IT'S TRUMP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seems a tad hypocritical to whine about gas prices now if you didn't complain about them when they were much higher.
Skyrocketing gas prices in the U.S. brought economic pain in early June 2022, with more than a dozen states surpassing $5 as an average price per gallon. The national gas price average was $4.96, rounded up to the nearest cent, per the American Automobile Association (AAA).
The rising gas prices have, unsurprisingly, spurred news headlines correctly alleging record-setting levels — including, "Gas prices are the most expensive in US history, breaking record from 2008," which USA TODAY published in March.
But, while it was true that gas prices on average nationwide have surpassed past records in terms of dollar amounts, when you take inflation into account, the average per-gallon price has been higher in the past. But just slightly.
Business and finance news site Kiplinger reported in early June 2022 that in order to break the inflation-adjusted record (set in 2008 when the average price reached $4.11 per gallon), the national average price would have to reach $5.40.
https://www.snopes.com/news/2022/06/08/us-gas-price-gasoline/
Well, our own little receptionist can't seem to make up his mind.Seems a tad hypocritical to whine about gas prices now if you didn't complain about them when they were much higher.
Skyrocketing gas prices in the U.S. brought economic pain in early June 2022, with more than a dozen states surpassing $5 as an average price per gallon. The national gas price average was $4.96, rounded up to the nearest cent, per the American Automobile Association (AAA).
The rising gas prices have, unsurprisingly, spurred news headlines correctly alleging record-setting levels — including, "Gas prices are the most expensive in US history, breaking record from 2008," which USA TODAY published in March.
But, while it was true that gas prices on average nationwide have surpassed past records in terms of dollar amounts, when you take inflation into account, the average per-gallon price has been higher in the past. But just slightly.
Business and finance news site Kiplinger reported in early June 2022 that in order to break the inflation-adjusted record (set in 2008 when the average price reached $4.11 per gallon), the national average price would have to reach $5.40.
https://www.snopes.com/news/2022/06/08/us-gas-price-gasoline/
One day, it's panic over gas stations closed,
the next day,
I don't need any gas.
Brad's anecdotes have a way of coming unraveled.
Just wait; he'll post a similar story again later as if nothing ever happened before.
Into the Night
Contributor
The United States has not been importing oil from Iran.
ZenMode
Well-known member
Great....minus the word games and your dishonesty related to gas prices, my bulleted list is accurate.We've discussed that already.
Why Hyperbole Can Hurt More Than It Helps
It might seem harmless or even helpful, but hyperbole can sabotage connection, twist your message, and deepen division.
No need to thank me.
Why wouldn't i? It is what happened.
Into the Night
Contributor
Chuckie's full of it too. He's making shit up.
Into the Night
Contributor
Current oil price is 94.31.Oil is almost $107 a barrel today
Open Close Daily High Daily Low
Crude Oil Price Today | Brent OIL PRICE CHART | OIL PRICE PER BARREL | Markets Insider
Oil Price: Get all information on the Price of Oil including News, Charts and Realtime Quotes.markets.businessinsider.com
03/06/26 83.54 93.32 94.64 83.16
03/05/26 82.24 84.31 86.28 81.50
03/04/26 82.00 82.58 84.48 80.30
03/03/26 79.00 81.96 85.12 78.38
03/02/26 81.57 78.07 82.37 75.75
02/27/26 70.50 72.52 73.00 70.33
02/26/26 71.10 70.91 72.61 69.16
02/25/26 71.25 70.97 71.76 70.44
02/24/26 71.49 71.21 72.24 70.71
02/23/26 71.10 71.50 72.50 70.69
02/20/26 71.72 71.68 72.34 71.06
02/19/26 70.33 71.94 72.12 70.19
02/18/26 67.39 70.32 70.70 67.36
02/17/26 68.54 67.36 69.04 66.82
02/16/26 68.13 68.58 68.76 67.32
02/13/26 67.58 67.73 68.05 66.89
02/12/26 69.68 67.55 69.85 67.09
02/11/26 69.10 69.63 70.72 69.00
02/10/26 69.04 69.08 69.49 68.44
02/09/26 67.25 69.14 69.45 67.02
And if it was $107 today as it says in that link, that means it has gone up from $81.96 on the 3rd , that is an increase of over $25 .00 in just over a week.
And gas prices will be going up more next week.
And gas is up
this is from AAA.
Regular Mid-Grade Premium Diesel E85
Current Avg. $3.450 $3.942 $4.306 $4.595 $2.762
Yesterday Avg. $3.413 $3.897 $4.260 $4.510 $2.717
Week Ago Avg. $2.984 $3.482 $3.851 $3.761 $2.319
Month Ago Avg. $2.897 $3.402 $3.765 $3.644 $2.306
Year Ago Avg. $3.095 $3.572 $3.925 $3.640 $2.523
Let see last week it was $ 2.98 and this week $3.423 , and according to CBS news tonight as of today it was up something like 51 cents and going up.
And we can thank Trump for all this.
And one more thing the price of just about everything you buy maybe going up seeing if you bought it it was on a truck at some point and the truckers won't be able to eat such large increases in fuel and will be passing those increases on to the retailer and they may eat them or pass them on too.
We will see in a week or two.
Gasoline is converting to summer mix. That usually causes a spike in gasoline prices around March-April, Tball. THAT was caused by DEMOCRATS.
You cannot blame DEMOCRATS on Trump, Tball.
Too many truckers can't speak, read, or write English, and can't understand basic road signs. Again, a problem caused by DEMOCRATS.
Into the Night
Contributor
It's already calmed down. Oil prices aren't moving much.
Into the Night
Contributor
The current price of oil is 94.31. (Source: NYMEX CLWOO)