Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Gas Gouging? Mr. Attorney General, Are You Checking?

Regular gas at a Citgo station and a BP station near each other on Madison's east side Tuesday afternoon: $3.959.

Regular gas at a Citgo station and a BP station near each other on E. Capitol Dr. in Milwaukee 90 minutes later: $4.099 - - 14 cents higher per gallon than in Madison.

Regular gas at a BP station and a Citgo station near each other on E. Capitol Dr. in Shorewood - - just down the road from the Milwaukee stations: $4.199 - - 24 cents higher than the Madison price and a dime over the same brands just blocks away.

Is this the reformulated gas differential?

Or just good old-fashioned gouging?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Do you have any idea what price-gouging is?

Do you know what the retailer's wholesale price was?

How about who his wholesaler is?

Could it be a differential between when he ordered the fuel to replace that taken out of his/her tanks, i.e., the spot price versus when the stations down the street?

Or maybe it was the stupid law that only allows one price change per 24 hours?

No - I don't suppose that fits your narrative and it MUST be something nefarious.

Way to think through this one, Rowen.

James Rowen said...

I was posing the question to the Attorney General, but I guess your answer is good enough.

Cindy K. said...

Ooh, ooh, pick me! How about you don't have to buy your gasoline from the more expensive outlet. Then your sensibilities won't be offended.

James Rowen said...

I'm not worried about my sensibilities. In fact, I'm often accused of not having any.

I'm just illustrating a problem.

Anonymous said...

You're not illustrating a problem because there isn't one.

Are you suggesting they all should, by law, be charging the same price for fuel?

They are trying to compete within a constrained construct fo stupid state laws...

James Rowen said...

It's definitely a problem for low-to-moderate income drivers.

And are they really trying "to compete?"

As I said originally, the AG should be asking.

Anonymous said...

They aren't - by law - allowed to compete. They can only match a competitors price.

That's the minimum markup law for you!

Are you really suggesting price-controls because some people can't afford it? Because in the context of this post and your subsequent comments, it sure seems you are advocating price controls.

Anonymous said...

Yep, Milwaukee area gas prices are routinely higher than other places in the state, expecially in the summer. I thought this was because of the reformulated - or "summer gas". However, just yesterday, the gas station 2 blocks from my house was charging $4.29/gallon. I drove up north on HWY. 45 and found a Citgo station in Antigo that was charging $3.77/gallon.

I'm on the road alot for work and I regularly find gas in Manitowoc to be about 30 cents cheaper than in the Milwaukee area.