Gas stations are evil. I’m convinced that they immediately take advantage of any national news involving crude oil pricing or shortages. One filling station in Ann Arbor (15 miles away) was selling Regular for $3.19. I went up to the local Clark station to fill a 5 gallon can and Regular was $3.39. When gas stations normally compete to-the-penney, I have to believe I was taken for that 20 cent differential. It’s only going to get worse. Some reports say prices may jump 15 to 40 cents within the next 5-10 days. I have a feeling we will never see the same pre-hurricane prices for gas. They will eventually come down, but oil companies will prey on our relief when gas drops back to $3.00 – soley because we’ve been paying $3.50+ for so long. We will all say, “Phew! That’s great that prices have fallen 50 cents!” – all the while forgetting that we were paying $2.65 per gallon before Katrina hit.
Why will this hurricane impact this nation’s economy like no other? New Orleans is a major shipping port. Yes, if gas prices weren’t enough for you, watch the price of sugar, lumber and COFFEE go up. Nawlins is the second largest port for coffee in the nation. The Mississippi river has also been interrupted as a major water way for transporting goods to Southern ports. Farmers in Wisconsin have corn on hold that can’t currently be shipped into Louisianna.
But the big player is Oil. Oil runs this country. No other hurricane has put a hurtin’ on refineries like this one. Our neighbor filled up his van and a 5 gallon can yesterday and spent just under $90.00!
My advice: Get a LOCKING gas cap. I predict a strong spike in gas syphoning…much like during the oil embargo of the 70′s.
Gas is now a commodity like gold. Public transportation prices will go up (watch cab fares rise). There are school Districts now shortening their routes – making some children walk to other bus stops. It’s growing like a cancer.
On another note: Harry Connick Jr. has been on the network news (as he is a home-grown, Crescent City boy) and is now touring the aftermath with a camera crew. Now, I like Harry. He keeps things real and I like his music and singing. Anybody who saw him this morning on the news will know how he was struggling to talk because his voice was shot from – most likely – talking so much. He’s supposed to SING for a benefit concert tonight on NBC (including Wynton Marsalis) for hurricane relief. This will be interesting since he sounds like the Cookie Monster. Even the correspondant was saying, “…you need to go rest your voice.” I guess Wynton will be carrying the show tonight.
