Good News, Bad News
The Washington Post is reporting that gasoline supplies have risen, while prices have fallen. Even though this is only a relatively small drop and is, of course, subject to change at any time based on world events, it is a welcome thing to many people interviewed for the story.
The decline, based on a survey from Friday, is the largest drop since November, when prices fell 18 cents after the price increases that followed hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
And as if this weren't enough good news for consumers, Lundberg and others said more relief should be on the way, as long as crude oil prices remain stable and no supply disruptions occur.
Lundberg said in a telephone interview that the gasoline market was in a "mini-glut" state, with prices tumbling in the face of increased supply at the end of the peak driving season.
"Given other situations not confounding it . . . some further reduction seems likely from here," she said.
Lisa Craig, 47, a teacher at Holton-Arms, a private girls school in Bethesda, was thrilled to see regular gasoline selling for $3.09 a gallon at a Wisconsin Avenue Texaco station in Bethesda — even though she was just in New Hampshire, where, she said, gas was in the $2.70 range.
"Life's got to be a little better if gas is going down," said Craig, who shuttles three carloads of children home in the afternoon. "I went, 'Wow, $3.09, that's not so bad!' And that's pathetic."
While good for consumers, the news is likely not all that welcome to Democrats who wanted that to be one of the big issues they could push in November. Mind you, I've always thought that the pandering on gasoline prices, which only happens in election years, has always been a weak strategy. Voters aren't really all that impressed with the rhetoric about things like this.
By Roland Hesz, Tuesday, 29 August , 2006 @ 7:01 am
“I went, ‘Wow, $3.09, that’s not so bad!’ And that’s pathetic.”
And I went - Wow, $1.3 a litre ($5.02 / gallon), that’s not so bad.
I wish gasoline was that “expensive” here.
By Gaius, Tuesday, 29 August , 2006 @ 7:18 am
Yeah, I know. It’s a silly thing we get into almost every election cycle.
By Roland Hesz, Tuesday, 29 August , 2006 @ 7:25 am
Same here.
Gasoline prices hurt.
And for this reason it is annoying when you see that it’s cheaper over there, and still, people whine over it - which is only natural.
But, I wish that the expensive gasoline was my biggest problem