Get ready for higher gas prices

[Gunit Hussein Sangh]

Boy ... this is REALLY going to help the economy 

NEW YORK - Get ready for another surge in gasoline prices.

Experts are predicting pump prices, which jumped by almost a dollar a gallon in each of the last two springs in many parts of the United States, will spike again this year as refiners and gas stations switch from winter- to summer-blended fuels.

The increases, starting as early as February in southern California, could push the average national price to a record $3.50 a gallon or more by June.

That would be 17 percent higher than today's average of just under $3 a gallon, which already is about 80 cents a gallon higher than year-ago levels thanks to the surge of crude oil that took futures prices briefly to $100 a barrel. Prices in urban areas on each coast could approach $4 a gallon.

And the reason for the spring price shocks? Analysts say it's linked to a shortage of alkylate, a little-known and expensive gasoline additive that some in the industry are calling "liquid gold." It has become a must-have ingredient since refiners stopped using MTBE two years ago when the potentially cancer-causing additive was found to be seeping into ground water.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22919642/

[SDML]

I hope gas surges to $5/gallon by summer.

[they call me MR. GRUMPY god damn it!]

I hope gas surges to $5/gallon by summer.

AGREED!!

[SDML]

Can I get $6? Going once, going twice....

[they call me MR. GRUMPY god damn it!]

the higher the better, it is the only way this country will adopt a realistic approach to our energy supply.

[conley]

the higher the better, it is the only way this country will adopt a realistic approach to our energy supply.

agreed except that money will go even more quickly into terrorists hands to fund their war against them

as the price goes up more and more of the wealth is drained from this country

i would prefer the discovery of a renewable energy source that eliminates the need for oil, well before supplies run out

shoot let china keep their oil driven economy and the us can set a world standard for clean renewable -cheap- energy

maybe space aliens will visit the earth and share their technology with us, thats about as likely i suppose

[they call me MR. GRUMPY god damn it!]

maybe we can drill in anwr, off the coasts, expand coal, turn our urban centers on to nuclear, flex fuel our autos... exploit the resources we have at hand and make an ordered transition to renewable energy sources.

[conley]

maybe we can drill in anwr, off the coasts, expand coal, turn our urban centers on to nuclear, flex fuel our autos... exploit the resources we have at hand and make an ordered transition to renewable energy sources.

true...i think nuclear would be a pretty good solution except for the fact that the security in this country is not very good. maybe once we secure the borders and dont have reports of the tsa guys getting tricked every day...maybe once we get a reliable foreign intelligence group together (instead of a patchwork series of agencies)...we dont need al queda flying a cessna into a nuclear plant providing power to a major urban center

[they call me MR. GRUMPY god damn it!]

when did you decide that we should secure the borders and how should we do that?

[conley]

when did you decide that we should secure the borders and how should we do that?

i know it absolutely blows your mind that a person could be anti dubya and still believe in national defense, security etc

guess the black and white world you assume failed you again

more intelligent people see the complexities in the issues this nation faces today

[they call me MR. GRUMPY god damn it!]

i simply asked a question!  why are you unable to respond to any question without flying off on bush?  i am sure that you are well versed in the complexities of this and whatever other issues you believe this nation faces.  so, when did you decide that we should secure the borders and how should we do that?