Zeev's Turnips Patch-No Politics (ZEEV)

[nwsailor]

I have heard from friends in the refinery/distribution businesses in the SF Bay Area that prices are often set on a regional basis and are determind on the regions "ability to pay" Thus, California with a higher standard of living pays more for petrol than Oregon. Oregon has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country at 7.7%. All this even though the refineries are in California and it costs more to transpost the gas to Oregon. Sounds like big time market manipulation to me. The price of gas is determined by the ability to pay rather than the cost to produce at the pump.

One more factor. Oregon requires a station attendant pump the gas. California is self serve.