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Vehicles were lined up at gas pumps outside Kroger in Herrin on Thursday as consumers braced for the effects of Hurricane Ike’s expected landfall in Houston. (PAUL NEWTON / THE SOUTHERN)
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Ike effect: Run on gas begins

BY JOHN D. HOMAN, The Southern

Friday, September 12, 2008 10:08 AM CDT

As Hurricane Ike took aim at the heart of the U.S. refining industry, cars lined up eight and 10 deep at each pump at the Herrin Kroger station Thursday evening as rumors circulated throughout the region that gas might hit $5 per gallon by this morning.

But whether the run on pumps was panic or plain smart, it was sporadic. In some towns, there was little activity, while in others, there were long steady lines at gas pumps.

As the workday came to a close Thursday evening, the price of gas at all Herrin stations was $3.68.

In Marion, the price was $3.79 at Kroger, BP, Huck's and Phillips 66. Large lines formed on the east end of town, but there were only small lines on the west end.

In Carterville, gas was considerably higher at $3.99 at both Moto Mart and Citgo in Carterville. Both stores showed long lines.

In Carbondale between 7 and 8 p.m., traffic was unremarkable or even slow at the Shell station on Walnut Street and at the BP station on West Main Street near Oakland Avenue.

Regular unleaded was going for $3.75 about 7 p.m. at Shell, and at 8 p.m. it was priced at $4.09 at BP.

"My wife was watching TV and she said gas prices were going to go up and that I had better get my tank filled up," said Kenneth Vick of rural Marion. "I drove through Marion and saw that gas was $3.79 and thought I'd take a chance on coming over here to Herrin Kroger and saw that the price was $3.68."

Vick said he can recall waiting in long lines in the early 1970s when there was an energy crisis, but at least the prices were low.

"I think it's ridiculous what we have to pay now. Someone needs to do something about these prices. People can hardly afford it. If the oil prices go up, gas goes up, and if oil prices go down, gas prices don't come down that much."

Jennifer Thompson of Herrin said she got a text message from a friend that prices would soon spike, so she hustled over to Kroger in her Honda SUV.

"I don't want to pay $5 a gallon for gas," she said. "It's already crazy at $3.68."

Carol Baldi of Herrin said she heard at work that the prices were going to escalate, so she made a beeline to Kroger.

"My tank was almost on 'E' anyway," she said. "I figured if the price could go up a dollar a gallon overnight, I had better get it now. It's just so aggravating. I have a pretty good job, but it seems like we never have enough money anymore."

Krupa Patel is part-owner of the Citgo in Carterville, formerly known as Veach. She said rumors that her station had run out of gas were false.

"We've been busy for hours," she said. "People are scared the prices are going up, so they've come here to fill up."

Patel said the reason prices are higher in Carterville is simply based on the wholesale price.

"It's what they're selling it to us for," she said.

- The Southern's Blackwell Thomas contributed to this story.

john.homan@thesouthern.com / 351-5805

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The Sky Is Falling wrote on Sep 23, 2008 2:57 PM:

" Gee 1st you’re correct, when you do your own research it is more fulfilling. You also find sources that aren’t filled with lies. Madblogger, below is not what Carter did, below is a quote from an extremely biased source that blames the Bush family for everything wrong with the country, but actually tells you very little. Quoting from Common Dreams 1st? I noticed you left this part of that article out “But then came the Iran/Contra October Surprise, when the Reagan/Bush campaign allegedly promised the oil-rich mullahs of Iran that they'd sell them missiles and other weapons if only they'd keep our hostages until after the 1980 Carter/Reagan presidential election campaign was over. The result was that Carter, who had been leading in the polls over Reagan/Bush, steadily dropped in popularity as the hostage crisis dragged out, and lost the election. The hostages were released the very minute that Reagan put his hand on the Bible to take his oath of office. The hostages freed, the Reagan/Bush administration quickly began illegally delivering missiles to Iran”. Oh so that’s why Carter lost. It wasn’t the 15%+ prime rate, 10% inflation, or the 28% approval rating.
What Carter did was pass the Solar Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Act and Federal Non-Nuclear Energy Research and Development Act. The National Energy Act was passed in 1978, including conservation incentives and taxes, and limits for the use of oil and gas in electrical generation. The Natural Gas Policy Act passed soon after, giving the government a stronger role in regulation, and also raising prices of natural gas. Most importantly he created The Department of Energy in 1977 to bring cabinet-level order to divided efforts. Carter also called for a tax to help subsidize mass transit, and support energy assistance funds (Windfall Tax Act of 1980). Which wasn’t a tax on profits, but actually an excise tax. Carter was also proposing that 20% of or energy demands were derived from solar power by 2000. "

sassier wrote on Sep 20, 2008 1:45 AM:

" I still don't have an answer as to how a station can charge more for the gas in their tanks than they paid? If it's one price when they get it-how can they gouge the price before they get their higher priced delivery? "

southernman wrote on Sep 19, 2008 8:29 AM:

" I suggest everyone get the book or watch the video the enegry non-crisis.

Apparently there is enough oil in alska to fuel the USA for over 200 years but it will never be released.....

Thanks to our corrupt goverment...

Thanks Mr. Bush.... "

madblogger wrote on Sep 18, 2008 10:43 PM:

" yeah, but what do you think about the M.E.P.? LOL. Seriously though, bio fuels is the least expensive way to go, and the easiest to implement. i.e. liquid storage tanks, same filling mechanisms....One needs only to empty the tanks for E85. It also means that the energy will be produced internally. Again, some sort of strategic reserve will be needed in the event of drought or other natural disasters. The good thing about ethanol is that it can be produced from a myriad of crops..... even mushrooms.

I don't pretend to know everything, but I do know quite a bit. Especially where technology is concerned. "

1st Amendment wrote on Sep 18, 2008 12:50 PM:

" MB- Below is a description of what Carter "Did", he did more then talk about it. But as we have agreed before, its spilled milk now, we have to move on and work on our current problems. "

madblogger wrote on Sep 18, 2008 12:43 PM:

" So, basically, Carter stated what today's candidates are stating. We need to do something, we cannot keep relying on foreign energy, bla bla bla. Sure, if they would have stayed focussed with that message, we might have something in place today.

I've already outlined the Madblogger Energy Program (M.E.P.). The rest of the world may have to starve, but 'cest la vie. We're not appreciated around the world anyway, may as well live up to our reputation. May not be able to afford popcorn at the theater anymore, oh wait, you already can't. "

1st Amendment wrote on Sep 18, 2008 7:26 AM:

" Sky is falling-
1. No offense, but next time please do your own research, it will mean more to you then, instead of getting inromation hand outs and knowledge welfare from me. That said, Uncle 1st Amendment will take care of you, just like uncle sugar took care of the closet Welfare queens at Lehman Bros, AIG, etc:

From 5/3/05 common Dreams-

"Consider President Jimmy Carter's April 18, 1977 speech. Since it was given nearly three decades ago, when many of the reporters in Bush's White House were children, it's understandable that they don't remember it. But it's inexcusable that Bush and the mainstream media (which, after all, has the ability to do research) would completely ignore it. It was the speech that established the strategic petroleum reserve, birthed the modern solar power industry, led to the insulation of millions of American homes, and established America's first national energy policy. "With the exception of preventing war," said Jimmy Carter, a man of peace, "this is the greatest challenge our country will face during our lifetimes."

He added: "It is a problem we will not solve in the next few years, and it is likely to get progressively worse through the rest of this century. "We must not be selfish or timid if we hope to have a decent world for our children and grandchildren.

"We simply must balance our demand for energy with our rapidly shrinking resources. By acting now, we can control our future instead of letting the future control us." Carter bluntly pointed out that: "The most important thing about these proposals is that the alternative may be a national catastrophe. Further delay can affect our strength and our power as a nation." He called the new energy policy he was proposing, "[T]he 'moral equivalent of war' -- except that we will be uniting our efforts to build and not destroy." "

The Sky Is Falling wrote on Sep 18, 2008 6:37 AM:

" That's twice I've seen you mention Carter's alternative initiatives mentioned. So what were they? "

MaMa56 wrote on Sep 17, 2008 2:36 PM:

" To: jsmith
Why don't you check on the road that Little Mrs Palin is having built that runs from Juan to her hometown which cost in the approximate amount of $600 millions dollars. Then talk about a bridge to nowhere. "

madblogger wrote on Sep 17, 2008 10:37 AM:

" what does your comments have to do with the run on gas prices? Nothing. Please try to stay on topic. There are plenty of other stories where you can get your shots in on McCain, or props to Obama or vice versa. "

oaktown87 wrote on Sep 17, 2008 8:55 AM:

" jsmith as for your reformer Palin, she said yes to the bridge until she couldn't get it and then took the money and ran like Steve Miller. Change your channel from the FIX, I mean FOX, News and you would get a grasp on the issues. McCain changed his tune yesterday to regulate more. It happened to be the same plan Obama introduced in March. Pretty quick thinking by an old fart. It is right wing conservative nuts like you that drive us progressive people crazy. We need to get rid of Bush/McSame thinking and progress this country for us in SI. The forgotten middle class workers. You know the ones McCain votes against all the time. No on minimum wage, no on unions, no on workers choice. Those votes. Unless you got $$$$, I don't see how you can even think of McCain is worthy of your boat. "

madblogger wrote on Sep 16, 2008 10:06 AM:

" Ok, well, I'm going to go ahead and make up the politicians' minds right now.

To Obama and McCain:

Our alternative energy of the future will be bio-based fuels. Our current infrastructure will need very little modifications to handle the new fuels, and vehicles will need minor modifications as well. It is the cheapest cross-over we have, and it will help our farmers. In doing so, we will need to lessen the amount of food we sell abroad. The only questions I have are: Do we have enough crop lands to support our fuel needs as well as food needs? Can we continue to stockpile oil in the event that we run into droughts, floods, or other natural disasters that might affect crop yield?

Thank you for your time presidential dudes. "

1st Amendment wrote on Sep 16, 2008 9:16 AM:

" MB- Well, that was my point, saying if we just would have built more refineries is no more constructive then blaming it on Reagan. "

madblogger wrote on Sep 16, 2008 9:02 AM:

" Reagan couldn't have cut Carter's alternative energy intiatives in 1980, because Reagan wasn't sworn in as president until Jan, 1981. teehee. (sorry, couldn't help it :) )

As far as building refineries, well, they could have, but the oil companies deemed that oil would run out before new refineries could pay for themselves. See: oil-price.n e t (copy/paste the above link in your browser's address box, and remove the spaces between the "n", the "e", and the "t".)
It will be one of the top stories at that site. (plus it lists the current cost per barrel on oil)

It's true, we knew this day was coming, yet we did nothing. When I say we, the government was echoing our concerns. I mean none of us were worried about oil shortages in the mid 80's through 2000, now were we?

See, I liken the government to a 10 year old trouble maker kid. If you (we) don't stay on it's case, it's going to do whatever it's friends (lobbyist) tell it to do.

It's OK to blame Reagan, heh, for that matter Clinton was just as much to blame for not thinking ahead. If Clinton would have started an initiative in 1993, it would probably just now be at 100%, right when we needed it the most. We can play this blame game all day, the fact remains we don't have an intiative in place, nor can we agree on what alternative energy should replace oil. "

st Amendment wrote on Sep 16, 2008 8:49 AM:

" Call ME crazy, but if Reagan had not ended Carter's program that gave significant government subsidies to alternative energy development, we would not be in this mess nor, refineries or no refineries. Instead we would have had 30 years of alternative energy funding that would have made the mid east and their terrorists irrelevant. "

1st Amendment wrote on Sep 16, 2008 8:26 AM:

" Sky is falling- Call ME crazy, but if Reagan hadn't gutted Carter's alternative energy initiatives in 1980, we would have had almost 30 years of substantial federal investment in development of alternative energy. OPEC wouldn't even be and issue, neither would refineries. "

The Sky Is Falling wrote on Sep 16, 2008 8:13 AM:

" Call me crazy, but, maybe if someone had been able to build a refinery sometime in the last 30 years this wouldn't be as big of a problem.

The demand for gas has increased in the last 30 years. The ability to refine more fuel has not. What would wholesale gas be if modern plats were built? "

jsmith wrote on Sep 16, 2008 6:52 AM:

" Heh you liberal nut jobs just like to cite all kind of facts and figures to try and distract from the real truth. See I know the real truth and it's Mccain/Palin are reformers and are going to change Washington. I know this is true because Palin has a record of reform in Alaska. She told Congess no thanks to that bridge that was going nowhere. They get it and you don't. You think your facts are going to change peoples minds but your facts are only facts if I choose to believe them and I don't. "

Mel wrote on Sep 15, 2008 3:17 PM:

" jsmith; You should really read out loud what you write before you post a comment because you make yourself look foolish.As usual, we can always count on 1st and madblogger to make sense. "

1st Amendment wrote on Sep 15, 2008 2:57 PM:

" Well said madblogger, you know I think if we enforced the laws on the books, or the spirit of the law re: anti-trust, anti-collusion, etc. We could go a long way towards making things better. I don't believe in some bloated welfare state, but I do think somethings we should do through the government, like subsidized education at every level (and make k-12 less dependent on property taxes), or massive funding on altentaives (we've been through that), and we've got to fix healthcare and i like a proposal by flaming liberal Bernie sanders that we have each state run its own program with federal help to see what works. Its the old states as incubators idea. every other industrialized country has some form of universal healthcare, we need to stop letting hard working, albeit unlucky Americans from going into bankruptcy because their insurance company hosed them. "

madblogger wrote on Sep 15, 2008 1:58 PM:

" The supply/demand argument is so weak.

Say you have a car you fill up every 2 weeks, it takes 20 gallons. Well, 1 week goes by, and you hear of impending price increases, but you can only squeeze in 10 gallons. Guess what? You still are only going to be able to use 20 gallons every 2 weeks. (unless you decide to drive more)

For those of you who still don't get it: Supply is affected by more vehicles on the roads, or a reduction in available inventory. For the average person, they are still going to use the same amount of gas that they always have, and their demand for the product will remain constant (Even if they filled up last Thur). Granted a local station can only fuel so many people before the tanks run dry. The next shipment of fuel should dictate where their price will be.

I'm conservative in my beliefs, but that doesn't make me an idiot. I can see that gas/oil companies will do all they can for more money. With the collusion currently in place, there's no competition, so to speak. I can't remember the last time I saw any gas wars, where they tried to out-compete each other. I do know that the locally owned mom and pop stations are pretty much a thing of the past.

I can't believe I'm actually on the same side of a debated issue as 1st Amendment, lol. Anyhow, I don't think this is a partisan issue in the least bit. I think this is about corruption, and the taking advantage of adverse situations for financial gain. "

1st Amendment wrote on Sep 15, 2008 1:43 PM:

" no bs- Art 1 of the constitution says that the house of Rep's will be chosen every second year by the "people of the several states." Art 1 section 5 clause 1 says "each House shall be the judge of the elections" of its own members.
Also amendments 14,15,19, and 24 all reference the right to vote, and frankly, it is unclear how you could have a republic without the democratic element. Perhaps you are refering to the initial limit of the vote to property owning white males, which is valid to say that democracy didn't apply to all, but there is still the democratic element. So I would argue that the constitution does in fact guarentee a democratic republic, albeit the right to vote was limited in the begining.

Further support lies in the Framer's own words. The second paragraph of the declaration of independence reads in part, “…Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…” Even Alexander Hamilton, despite his elitist tendencies would agree with this principle as we see in The Federalist Papers, number 22, “The fabric of American empire ought to rest on the solid basis of THE CONSENT OF THE PEOPLE. The streams of national power ought to flow from that pure, original fountain of all legitimate authority.” Likewise, in his Thoughts on Government, John Adams implied as much when he wrote, “…the people alone have an incontestable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to institute government; and to reform, alter, or totally change the same, when their protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness require it.” George Washington seemed to concur when in his first inaugural address he said, “The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the republican model of government, are justly considered deeply, perhaps as finally, staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.” It should come as no surprise that Thomas Jefferson would agree. In an 1813 letter to Pierre Samuel Dupont de Nemours, Jefferson wrote, “[The people] are in truth the only legitimate proprietors of the soil and government.” Furthermore, the pre-amble to the Constitution says that it (the Document itself) is ordained and established by We the People. The 9th and 10th Amendments suggest that those powers not delegated to the government (by the People) are retained by the people. It is irrefutable that living, breathing human beings were intended by the Framers to remain the sole repositories of political power in our country. "

No BS wrote on Sep 15, 2008 12:35 PM:

" 1st Amendment: "our constitution only guarentees our rights and that we have a democratic republic as our form"

Not true. The Constitution only guarantees that this country is a republic. Does not say anything about "democratic".

jsmith: "McCain will get rid of all the regulations"

Could you imagine living in a world when any crook could run a "bisiness"? Don't tell me you still believe in Adam Smith's ideas. "

1st Amendment wrote on Sep 15, 2008 12:30 PM:

" jsmith- Oh, I almost forgot, thanks for clearing up that "this is America." "

1st Amendment wrote on Sep 15, 2008 12:28 PM:

" jsmith- 1. Why didn't you know russia has a market economy now?

2. What regulations are you talking about? The regulations that prevent lead based paint? Be specific.

3. Bush Sr. called trickle down economics 'voodoo economics' because it doesn't trickle down, it doesn't work, Reagan's policy showed it didn't work, it have never worked. Businessmen don't have a right to make a profit that is greater then We the People's right to regulate their activities, the Supreme Court has said this countless times, but don't take my word for it, here's what conservative William rehnquist said about it-

" For in a democracy the economic is subordinate to the political, a lesson that our ancestors learned long ago, and that our descendants will undoubtedly have to relearn many years hence."

4, Why was it again that you didn't know russia has a market economy? Were you home schooled? "

jsmith wrote on Sep 15, 2008 11:55 AM:

" This is America and it's a businessmans right to make a profit. That's what this country is about. I'm glad there's one candidate in this election that understands this. McCain will get rid of all the regulations and let the invisible hand of commerce work it's magic. That bleeding heart Obama would just try to get in the way of business making money. If business makes money then the profits eventually trickle down to the little guy and everyone is happy. Obama doesn't understand this. Heh heh I'm glad the Republicans are still going to be running things after this election. "

voiceofreason wrote on Sep 15, 2008 10:10 AM:

" I once ran a small gas station, in a small town, with one of the biggest offenders of price gouging in this article as my competition. When they would raise their prices I usually didn't because my customers were also my friends and neighbors. What happened every time was that our gas tanks would be drained in a matter of hours. People would say "thank you so much for not raising your prices. We won't forget this." As soon as prices leveled out, they went right back to the one who gouged them. That is why these stations can continue to do this.They are not afraid of losing customers. And the last time fines were handed out because of gouging, the stations found guilty were made to make a donation to the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund. Which didn't go very deep at all in the owners pockets. "

SkipT wrote on Sep 15, 2008 10:08 AM:

" The reason prices are so high is due to all the people who made a run on all the stations. Its call supply and demand.

If most of you would have stayed home instead of acting like the world was coming to an end gas would still be the same price. "

madblogger wrote on Sep 15, 2008 9:58 AM:

" The problem with allowing capitalism without controls concerning the gas/oil companies, is the level of collusion that already exists. It used to be, there would be the occasional gas war to attract business. Those days are gone. Now, when one gas station raises their prices, the others get word and quickly follow suit.

To say this was a supply/demand issue is ludicrous. Sure, demand was up for 1 or 2 days, but whether we get our gas all in one day, or when we get closer to empty, we are still using the same amount of fuel in any given week (we can only buy so much fuel). Supply has not yet been threatened. Sure, there's a perceived threat to supply because of the refineries that shut down for "Ike". Well, guess what? The refineries sustained no major damage. Matter of fact, because the refineries went virtually unscathed, oil prices have fallen below the $100/barrel mark.

Wholesale gas prices have fallen 14 cents per gallon from Friday's close price, which give the wholesale price a net loss of 12 cents since Friday. Wholesale gas/gallon is now listed at $2.58 a gallon (According to CNBC's website). 75 cents/gal in taxes, 10 cents/gal for the filling station, and gas should be around $3.43/gal. The lowest I saw today was $4.09.

Heh, funny, you don't see many vehicles filling up at these high prices, now do you? Even though gas and oil are cheaper, I bet it will take a long time for gas to get below $3.68 (the avg price before the scare). I would really like to know what your definition of gouging and profiteering is jsmith. Let us not forget collusion.

That website again, if you would like to join the fight against gouging:

illinois.gov/gasprices/complaint.htm "

just a comment wrote on Sep 15, 2008 7:59 AM:

" was in cape yesterday - gas is $3.68.
Illinois is ridiculous, and Marion
is usually the leader. according to
WSIL last night they listed about 6 towns and Marion was the highest. Oh,
yea, we did fill up and do every chance we get to be out of the area. "

1st Amendment wrote on Sep 15, 2008 7:17 AM:

" Jeffsmith- It always amazes me at how little many americans know about the world they live in. You must be a Faux News fan. I say this because Russia.........no.....longer.....has......a...........socialist.......economy. Maybe you missed that whole "fall of the berlin wall" thing.

What is even more troubling, is you apparently think an unregegulated economy is some right you have, and it is not. In fact, our constitution only guarentees our rights and that we have a democratic republic as our form of government. We the People can regulate businesses and stop them from gouging us in times of crisis and when their doing so is unfair. If you don't like that, move to some facist nation where the corporations run everything. "

jsmith wrote on Sep 15, 2008 6:11 AM:

" Heh, this is just supply and demand folks. The supply remained the same but the demand went up due to rumors about gas price increases. This is capitalism at work and if you don't like it maybe you should move to Russia! "

NOTAGAIN wrote on Sep 14, 2008 4:53 PM:

" LET'S NOT LET LOCAL GAS STAIONS GET AWAY WITH PRICE GOUGING. REPORT THEM THE THE ILLINOIS ATTY GENERAL, illinois.gov/gasprices/complaint.htm

RUSSEL OIL COMPANY (ROC) IS STEALING FROM ALL WHO BUY GAS THERE. TODAY THE CARBONDALE BP (WEST) GAS STATION RAISED THEIR PRICES CONSIDERABLY. THEY WILL BE REPRTED FOR PRICE GOUGING.

THE OWNERS OF THESE STATIONS SHOULD BE PROCECUTED, HEAVILY FINED, IMPRISONED AND TARRED AND FEATHERED.

THESE PEOLE ARE VERY UNPATRIOTIC AND NOT GOOD CITIZENS IN OUR COMMUNITY. BOYCOTT THEM AND RUN THEM OUT OF TOWN.

WE NEED OUR MERCHANTS TO BE MORE HONEST. "

love my pups wrote on Sep 12, 2008 5:40 PM:

" I am in Kansas at this present time and they have not raised their prices. Gas is $3.33 here. The gas station owners cannot tell me that they paid that much to purchase that gas that is in their tanks. That raises another ? How can they raise and lower prices on a daily basis? Arent they supposed to only charge what it cost them? You can't tell me that they get a tanker of gas everyday. Please go to the listed website and complain, it's evident our State Gov. isn't going to help out the hard working Southern Illinois citizen. "

madblogger wrote on Sep 12, 2008 4:53 PM:

" wouldn't hurt to send that link to family and friends via e-mail either:

illinois.gov/gasprices/complaint.ht m

again, remove the space between the "t" and the "m".

Heh, maybe if we get this thing rolling, Southern Illinoisans can be credited for taking on price gouging and saying, "enough is enough".

"The Southern Illinoisan" can also call my message their own if they are willing to get the message out. "

Mommyof3 wrote on Sep 12, 2008 4:39 PM:

" Exactly right madblogger. Thats just what I did. Who knows if anyone actually checks up on the complaints. But, at least I did something, and it makes me feel better. "

madblogger wrote on Sep 12, 2008 4:02 PM:

" illinois.gov/gasprices/complaint.ht m

Remove the space between the "t" and the "m"

This is a state complaint form for gouging. If you want it to stop, you're going to have to start somewhere. Stop the pricing based on speculation. By the way, the wholesale gas prices went up 2 cents today. I'm listing every station that made the 40 cent jump in prices. "

xxx wrote on Sep 12, 2008 3:59 PM:

" Gas prices are a joke. People can't afford to drive, its hard to afford gas to go to work. Our state is crying driving is down , So gas tax revenue is down also. SO now our state is talking about raising gas tax. The united states has electric cars and alternative fuel. The problem is our goverment dont know how to tax wind and solor. Just like they dont know how to tax marijuana and prostitution. "

madblogger wrote on Sep 12, 2008 3:48 PM:

" well, the wholesale price is $2.77, the state & federal tax together is $0.75 (I was mistaken earlier - .58 + 6.25% = ~$0.75/gal) , and the filling station adds $0.10 to the cost per gallon, then we should be looking at $3.52/gallon.

According to CNBC's website, whole sale gas prices rose 2 cents.

There is something we can do about it. There is a state website set up to report gouging. Here is the website (You will need to remove the space between the t and the m in htm):
illinois.gov/gasprices/complaint.ht m "

thetruth wrote on Sep 12, 2008 3:07 PM:

" i just don't understand how if the gas stations buy 4,000 gallons of gas at $4.00 a gallon on say 9-11-2008. But a oil scare hits and they raise the price from $4.00 to $5.00 on 09-12-2008 for the same gas that is already in their tanks. There needs to be some regulation that says you have to sell the gas for the price you paid for it. As for "where is our Gov. Rod" what does he care. He gets free state gas. "

Steve S. wrote on Sep 12, 2008 2:29 PM:

" Ky. and NC. governors got busy and stopped the gouging in those states... Where is our Gov.??? Probably in the barbershop getting his pompadour styled... "

vha15 wrote on Sep 12, 2008 2:05 PM:

" i remmeber desert storm that we were not
getting any gas & it went from $1 a gallon to $1.32 a gallon. now we get gas
and pay $5.00 a gallon vice $1.32.
how come i can't make everyone else pay
me $100 an hour.because it is not your
responsibility. likewise, we shouldn't
have to compesate for somebodys personal
mistake. that person should be mature
enough to do what is right to help others! they should take responsibility
for thier actions! good luck! "

madblogger wrote on Sep 12, 2008 2:03 PM:

" errr, the post just before this one was in response to Sane Voice "

madblogger wrote on Sep 12, 2008 2:02 PM:

" Heh, that's pretty much what I stated in my first post in this thread :P

The government adds a lot of taxes to gas as well. In IL, the federal tax and the state gas taxes add up to about 61 cents per gallon (Missouri and Kentucky are like 45 cents per gallon).

As of this post, crude oil is down 16 cents a barrel to put the cost per barrel at $100.71.

The part that angers me the most is that it seems to be localized (Southern IL, Western Kentucky, and Southeast Missouri). For instance, gas prices in Springfield, MO is down to $3.29 /gal in some areas.

I think the TV stations may have set off a chain reaction. "

vha15 wrote on Sep 12, 2008 1:55 PM:

" price gouging of gas should be a seriously punishable federal offense.
firt it is like terrorism and fraud.
then it is like theft. i'm sorry, but it is also like treason! can i go to the
lottery and tell them that i think i won
the lottery and they give me the jackpot
even though i don't play the lottery?
do you think that would work? even if
i took the money against their will that
they would say oh! well! and let me keep it? it seems today that the system
says the more you steal the less we punish you & we don't care about people
who try to do the right thing!they are a
problem! "

A Sane Voice wrote on Sep 12, 2008 1:27 PM:

" To give you all some more food for thought on gas gouging, CNBC had a brief story yesterday on gas prices. When oil first went over $100 a barrel the price of a gallon of gas was $3.04 a gallon on the way down it's $3.67. Oil is down 30% but the price of gas is ONLY down 11%. They also said the wholesale price of gas was about $2-2.50 a gallon, yet dealers claim that they only make about a dime($0.10) a gallon, sorry but those numbers don't add up too well. Somebody is pulling ALL of our chains. "

chums08 wrote on Sep 12, 2008 12:48 PM:

" I meant gas gouging by the way. I think after 9/11 Casey's got popped again after Katrina. "

chums08 wrote on Sep 12, 2008 12:42 PM:

" If anyone noticed the Casey's General Stores in the area didn't cash in on the gas hoopla(I'm sure they wanted to!). They're prices didn't change much. If anyone can remember they got popped pretty good for cash gouging after 9/11. "

Steve S. wrote on Sep 12, 2008 12:03 PM:

" What irks me is that gas prices go up on nothing more than anticipation not in what really happens. Ike hasn't hit anything YET and IF it does, it should take a week to assess the damage. Gas prices rose slightly with Gustav and it didn't do any damage to drilling, refineries or storage. Gouging pure and simple. "

madblogger wrote on Sep 12, 2008 11:06 AM:

" ummmm, missouri prices were at $3.41 a gallon. "

edots wrote on Sep 12, 2008 10:56 AM:

" If our country is so dependent on foreign oil then why is a hurricane in the US effecting gas prices the way it is? The national average is only 3.71 today. In Houston where Hurricane Ike is getting ready to hit, gas only went up 20 cents. What does this tell you about out neck of the woods? "

SI Resident wrote on Sep 12, 2008 10:35 AM:

" I couldn't watch the WPSD video, but i did read the article. Chums08 is right, the story sums it up. People listening to rumors and making a run on gas stations. "

chums08 wrote on Sep 12, 2008 10:16 AM:

" The video on the top story section of the wpsdtv webite sums it up pretty well. Shows the kind people that started the rumor. "

chums08 wrote on Sep 12, 2008 10:03 AM:

" The gas panic was isolated to our region. It's amazing how fast a rumor can spread. Oil prices have been steadily falling and it was a shame to see gas station owners jack up the prices to take advantage of the situation. "

crazyworld wrote on Sep 12, 2008 9:27 AM:

" This gas run is absolutely crazy!!! It is total price gouging. STOP supporting the higher priced gas stations!!!!!! At 9am this morning Casey's in Marion was still at $3.69, while Citgo and Hucks were at $4.09. So don't support Citgo and Hucks, maybe they will realize we aren't stupid. "

Yeah, Sure wrote on Sep 12, 2008 9:25 AM:

" Mommy of 3, not to hijack this, but the BBB will do nothing. They are NOT a government agency but simply a business like anyone else. They CHARGE businesses high fees to be a member, then they pretend to take the side of the consumer, which is a conflict of interest. So, the honest business who pays in gets screwdrivered, and so does the consumer who complains about a business. They have a long record of covering up complaints about huge companies who pay them large amounts of money. They called my business and basically told me they could do nothing to help me and would have to tell people they did NOT recommend my business unless I joined them. I told them to take a hike. The BBB is a legal scam, plain and simple. "

ED wrote on Sep 12, 2008 9:19 AM:

" And the Democrats politicans says we don't need to drill in Alaska. Have you ever heard of a hurricane in Alaska? Right now america needs oil until something else is done. Our goverment should cut some gas tax off they make more money price per gallon than big oil. "

Mommyof3 wrote on Sep 12, 2008 9:14 AM:

" Forgot to mention this was in DuQuoin "

Mommyof3 wrote on Sep 12, 2008 9:12 AM:

" I was just stopping for a regular fill-up yesterday. Not thinking of Hurricane Ike. I stopped to fill up, as my tank was nearing empty. I had already passed a Caseys station with gas for $3.69. I stop at MotoMart which is less 1/4 mile from Caseys on South Washington street. As I choose my gasoline, I see the $3.99/gallon price. I look around, and had already started pumping. I started to think maybe I had read the Caseys sign wrong. But, after I filled up, I went back and checked Caseys again. Sure enough, $3.69/gallon. I went back down hwy. 51 south to pick up my children and a Shell gas station(usually the more expensive brand) regular unleaded there was $3.89. TEN cents cheaper than MotoMart. When I phoned MotoMart to let them know of my unhappiness, they said they had just got the call to raise it. Fast forward to today 9/12/08 and Caseys is STILL at $3.69/gallon and Motomart is STILL at $3.99. SOMETHING Is wrong!!! I did report them to the Illinois Gas S.W.A.T team, and also to the BBB. I will NEVER buy from Motomart again. I think oil companies have been using hurricanes as an excuse the past few years. Does any one ever remember being reamed at the pump during hurricanes past Hurrican Katrina? I know I don't. "

madblogger wrote on Sep 12, 2008 9:09 AM:

" @franklincountycitizen:

The reason for the price increases is the fact that 16% of our nations refineries, which are in Texas, being closed for Hurricane Ike. "

madblogger wrote on Sep 12, 2008 9:06 AM:

" a day or two to go down? Price per barrel of oil has dropped 30%, but the price at the pump only went down 10%. Now, it's going back up that 10% and possibly 20% more (I've heard that gas may reach $5.03/Gallon).

You can pretty much guarantee that they're going to say refinery's were damaged, whether operationally they were or not.

Something needs to be done with the way they price gas at the pump, that's for sure. Taxing the oil companies isn't going to fix these problems. "

franklincountycitizen wrote on Sep 12, 2008 9:04 AM:

" The thing is, nothing about raising gas prices appeared on any sort of news until after everyone rushed to the pumps. My theory is, some guy sent a forward about this, and then his friends sent out this forward. After that, the rumor mill began. This sent everyone into a tizzy running for the gas stations, thus gas stations running out of gas. Thus, gas prices having to go up. Because if anyone paid attention, barrel prices are down to $101 per barrel. "

ukfan wrote on Sep 12, 2008 8:53 AM:

" Anyone notice how when oil prices drop the gas prices take a day or so to follow.. but when oil is expected to go up the gas goes up ASAP.. Of course! "

Yeah, Sure wrote on Sep 12, 2008 8:22 AM:

" My feeling here is that Brenda is probably right. Remember during Katrina, the Casey's chain got nailed by the state, along with some other area stations, for gouging. "

Brenda wrote on Sep 12, 2008 7:38 AM:

" The Hardin county example is exactly what is wrong with the entire mess! The attorney general needs to come in and kick their behind. The Russell station, just like other small "convience" locations, use any excuse to jack prices up and take advantage of others.

This is not the oil company folks, this is your neighbor who runs that station stealing from you! "

redickulous wrote on Sep 12, 2008 7:27 AM:

" In hardin county last night gas at the Russell oil gas station was $4.75. When people were buying gass that let the ones with nozzels in car get gas at 3.75 then they stop the pumps put bags over them changed the price at the pumps to $4.75 then let people continue to gas up. Most left and there were lines in Elizabethtown for $3.88 until 10:15pm "

lilmissopinion wrote on Sep 12, 2008 12:50 AM:

" I wish someone could explain to me how a station can raise the price on the gas they already have in the underground tank? If they bought that gas at the lower price, then aren't they price-gouging as they anticipate what their next truck will cost per gallon? Like tonight, Kroger ran out of 87 & 89 but were charging the higher $4.09 price...how does that work when they were waiting for the truck they ANTICIPATED was going to cost them over $4.00 per gallon!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Someone please explain it to me so I won't get so P-Oed about it week in and week out! "

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