Getting pumped by gamblers

Just filled up the Honda today and paid $3.60 a gallon, which is a bit extreme but not when compared to other parts of the country.

Here's a link to a short list of states with the highest gas prices in the country.

Spoiler alert: Oregon is not among them. Not even close.

No, as usual, Hawaii leads the list with an average of $4.28 per gallon.

California, which probably has 100 million vehicles in the Golden State, is No. 2 at $4.17 per gallon.

And, this always has to be mentioned, Oregon's gas prices are significantly cheaper than states where you have to pump your own gas. If you opt for someone to pump your gas in California, you can pay up to 50 cents more per gallon.

So, all those people who claim Oregon's gas prices would be so much cheaper if we didn't employ thousands throughout the state to pump product into our SUVs, the facts don't back them up.

Here's a link to Gas Buddy's nationwide map showing gas price "hot spots."

Naturally, those places where more people are most dependent upon, or addicted to, gasoline, have the highest prices. These areas include large metro areas around the country.

Also, more affluent areas pay more. It's what the market will bear.

Speaking of markets, the main reason we're seeing such high prices so early in the year, given the facts that production is up and consumption is down, can be blamed on "speculators," or, basically, gamblers.

It's like we've turned over the main component of our economy to the types who run Atlantic City and Las Vegas casinos.

It doesn't take x-ray goggles to see that this is no way to turn an economy around.

Anyway, it's all another reason to buy high-mileage vehicles like hybrids and electric cars. That's our only weapon against the oil gamblers.

Or, work from home.