[WardL]

It's funny, the Chip Beck article has some glaring and minor inaccuracies, but what he describes is certainly a part of higher prices. Refineries don't shut down to change from winter to summer gas. More than 3 refineries can make Phoenix gasoline. in 1982 there were about 252 refineries and today about 134 operating. Many of the refineries that shut down were smaller. I think his point is government regulations have increased the price of gasoline and that is correct. Ethanol in gasoline is not an energy saver for our country. We would consume the exact same amount of crude with or without ethanol. They eliminated the tax credit on ethanol in gasoline a couple of years ago. It's a jobs program for Midwest corn farmers to produce lousy performing gasoline. If the ethanol was made out of more energy efficient feedstocks, then it would reduce the amount of crude needed to produce. I don't like the idea fueling my SUV with food when it could have been food to feed someone in need. Of course, I'm biased.....