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Calif. Gov. Scrambles to Address Gas Crisis — See How

Oct. 8, 2012 10:26am Becket Adams

Gov. Jerry Brown is taking action in an effort to drive down the cost of gasoline as California drivers cope with record-breaking prices at the pump.

For the third straight day Monday, the statewide average price for a gallon of regular rose to an all-time high, hitting $4.668, according to AAA, up 86¢ (or 22 percent) in a year and 12 percent in a week, as Zero Hedge notes.

Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown Takes Steps to Address State Gas Problem

Courtesy AAA

“It seems yet another weekend of hyperinflating gas prices has pushed the until-now seemingly uncaring-at-the-margin gasoline-’user’ to seek out rationally lowest prices,” the Hedge report adds.

That topped Sunday’s price of $4.655 and Saturday’s price of $4.6140, which broke the previous record high of $4.6096 per gallon set on June 19, 2008.

Due to a temporary reduction in supply, California gas prices in recent days have surpassed those in Hawaii to become the highest in the nation.

Brown on Sunday ordered state smog regulators to allow winter-blend gasoline to be sold in California earlier than usual to bring down prices. Winter-blend gas typically isn’t sold until after October 31. Few refineries outside the state are currently making summer-blend gas, putting the pressure on already-taxed California manufacturers.

In some locations, fuming motorists paid $5 or more per gallon while station owners had to shut down pumps in others.

“Credit card caps at pumps are also causing problems as the typical SUV-driving soccer-mom needs multiple lines to fill up the family people-mover,” the Hedge reports.

A station in Long Beach had California’s priciest gas at $6.65 for a gallon of regular, according to GasBuddy.com. Meanwhile customers at an outlet in San Pablo paid just $3.49, the lowest price in the state.

The average for a gallon of regular was $4.69 in Los Angeles, $4.71 in San Diego and San Francisco, $4.55 in Sacramento and $4.90 in Santa Barbara, according to GasBuddy.com.

The dramatic surge came after a power outage Monday at a Southern California refinery that reduced supply in an already fragile and volatile market. The refinery came back online Friday and state officials are praying prices will soon stabilize.

Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy.com, predicted the average price could peak as high as $4.85 before coming back down.

Courtesy AAA

Final Thought: While California has certainly been hit the hardest, the steady increase in the price of gasoline has affected everyone in the U.S.

In fact, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a combination of tougher laws and high gas prices has actually led to a steep, nationwide decline in teenage drunk driving.

So, hey, at least there’s that, right?

Follow Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) on Twitter

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Front page photo courtesy the AP.

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

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Comments (99)

thibx
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:42am
seeing oboma in 2008 standing by a gas pump saying i will do everything i can to fix it. see media did not ask him how are you going to do it. his idea of fixing gas is shutting down oil wells increasing regulations. he said in 2008 he wants gas prices to go to 7 or 8 dollars a gallon. his way of fixing it is green jobs and electric cars and he is still spouting this nonsense. he is touting more increase of getting gas out the ground than before. wrong this was started under bush. oboma has nothing to do with it.

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- I support God's Israel!
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:52am
  California’s Governor is exactly what Californians DESERVE! They elected him, NOW THEY HAVE TO LIVE WITH HIM, especially now that California must pay tax on anything they purchase from Amazon and other Internet sites! They would never think of reducing their own waste, but have no trouble taxing their own people to death. It is no wonder companies are getting out of California and going to Texas. I have 6 friends who run companies out there and THEY ARE LEAVING. Several were threatened that they would be audited if they tried to leave and they said, “GO AHEAD, MAKE MY DAY!”. Ya gotta love em – no fear of this evil regime.
  
  California SUCKS!
  What is it now, 62% illegal Mexicans and 38% natural American citizens living there?????
  Sorry California, but us northerners would never dream of visiting your state to support you UNTIL you get rid of your Governor and your lame progressive RULERS, along with your high cost of living.
  YOU ARE ALREADY DEAD.
  
  California SUCKS!
  
  Report this comment
- abbygirl1994
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 12:01pm
  His idea to fix it is to make it even higher! I would almost say California deserves whatever it gets, but it could be here or everywhere soon! If it does.. it will not bode well for Obama. Just one question for CA though… “with gas being so high.. do you still support the worse president this country has ever seen”!
  
  Report this comment
- Ronko
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 2:09pm
  Cali deserves the mess they got, when they made the mistake of relecting Brown.
  
  Report this comment
- Ben__Franklin
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 2:51pm
  Browns an idiot. Its soo simple. Have the Liberals push everyone’s cars around Cali for $0.03 per mile.
  
  Report this comment
- oneshiner
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 4:14pm
  Hey Brown, a hint from obama, just blame Arnold for all the problems and gas prices. That’ll work!
  The deceiver in the W.H. blames everyone for his ineptness.. Look what he blames Bush for:
  
  At a campaign rally, Obama said Romney is “just churning out the same ideas that we saw in the decade before I took office . . . the same tax cuts and deregulation agenda that helped get us into this mess in the first place.”
  
  It’s a standard Obama talking point. But it’s not true. Bush’s tax cuts did not cause the last recession.
  
  In fact, once they were fully in effect in 2003, they sparked stronger growth — generating more than 8 million new jobs over the next four years, and GDP growth averaging close to 3%.
  
  Those tax cuts didn’t explode the deficit, either, as Obama frequently claims. Deficits steadily declined after 2003, until the recession hit.
  
  Read More At IBD: http://news.investors.com/100312-627990-presidents-case-for-re-election-rests-on-five-claims-all-phony.aspx#ixzz28jUP8Kll
  
  Report this comment
- ShyLow
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 4:33pm
  Purpose built street quads are the future if you want to become energy independent. This one made by Cectec is stable as most cars on pavement. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkJXu7xvvzY&feature=related Or you could just ride trains and busses
  
  Report this comment
Gary_K
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:11am
Hey, moonbeam brown can do better than that…all he has to do is make it illegal to drive privately owned vehicles in Kalafornia ….problem solved.

They deserve whatever brown does to them !

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- JohnGalt
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:37am
  Word for those who voted for Brown,be afraid of what you ask for, you actually may get it.
  
  Report this comment
- AvengerK
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:59am
  Here’s the bigger picture GARY….California has regulations that place restictions on out of state fuel coming in. It also has strict requirements on it’s refineries for creating a unique blend of fuel. The green nazis are loving this right now. Don’t forget Obama’s energy secretary Stephen Chu (Berkeley Professor..read: CALIFORNIA) has openly stated he wants fuel prices to double so that less people are using their cars. Barack Obama has voiced the same sentiment only Obama- in typical Obama fashion- said he wants the prices to go up slowly which is of course is so that the frog doesn’t realise the water is boiling.
  Make no mistake..this is all liberal, social engineering.
  
  Report this comment
- Gary_K
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 1:06pm
  @ AvengerK
  
  You are correct. I do not see much changing if romney wins. We are screwed !
  
  Report this comment
- AvengerK
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 2:41pm
  GARY-K..Romney does not support cap and trade. California will be implementing cap and trade in 2015. California is screwed, Romney has done nothing to screw them nor will he, it’s all of their own doing. In fact, he supports state rights over Federal “one size fits all” policies that Obama embraces. California has the right to destroy itself and I respect that.
  
  Report this comment
- Go Glenn
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 3:56pm
  Who would have guessed that legislating “special blands” only required in your state could adversely affect price?
  
  I have no idea why their fuel costs so much (Sarc intended)
  
  MORONS
  
  Report this comment
De minimus
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:09am
It’s just the beginning my friends!

That floppy eared Marxist and his friends have seen to that!

Now, if they can just keep everyone from finding out and remain in office….. But that won’t be a problem because the media doesn’t report the truth anymore, just what they want you to know. Oh and if anything sad happens because of it, it was somebody else’s fault!

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FaithfulFriend
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:06am
At least California’s race to the bottom hasn’t affected the living standard of their gay, immigrant or atheist populations.

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- Evileye
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:41am
  Obumler the great prevaricator. Said that energy prices would skyrocket.He claimed if gas were high enough less people would use it, and we would have a greener planet.(driving Volts fired by coal plants?) Coal plants that he would bankrupt?
  What greater Tax on the Middle class than the cost to get to work. Rising food coast,Loss of disposable income.This nation is on the road to a Communist society like Cuba.Where the annotated one decrees your every move.What to eat,How much income the government confiscates. So they can redistribute it.An unarmed populace where only the bad guy is armed.A place like Detroit or Chicago where mobs of Armed hooligans rule the streets.
  But you can not talk about them because that would be hurtful and racist and not political correct.
  VOTE VOTE and hope they don’t steal the election.
  
  Report this comment
Detroit paperboy
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:57am
I hope it reaches 25 $ a gallon the day before the election………….

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- NeoFan
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:10am
  Wouldn’t be surprised to see the people of California vote for a new 10 dollar a gallon tax to fund game consoles for prisons in Bangladesh. Dumbest voting block on the planet.
  
  Report this comment
- QuincySmith
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 1:08pm
  Detroit;
  
  I’d settle for $20.12.
  
  Report this comment
- Dr Vel
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 1:44pm
  California should investigate itself, the liberals and their policies, if they want to know why the cost of gas is out of control and shortages abound. You get what you ask for you idiot leftists.
  
  Report this comment
woodyee
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:56am
Hugo Chavez ENVIES Moonbeam Brown. Whereas Hugo has to spike the numbers to win re-election (amazing how they counted those votes within hours), all Moonbeam has to do is have a “D” placed after his name on the ballot, because IT’S a lot easier for them to read a member of the alphabet than a paragraph describing a proposition or a bill. Also, Moonbeams voters REALLY believe him…

Breaking news on the Blaze – TWITTER is reporting a growing amount of death threats to Romney, and thankfully letting the Secret Service know about it.

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- TSUNAMI_22
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:02am
  In reality, it’s Obama fearing an assassination attempt by his own democratic / liberal faction. At this point he’s worth more to the progressive cause dead than alive.
  
  Not my words. This is what I’m reading on other web sites.
  
  Report this comment
- DDD
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:06am
  Tsunami, unless you site an actual quote, they are YOUR words.
  
  Report this comment
- TSUNAMI_22
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:35am
  @ DDD
  
  Read “Truly Scary”, and “7.8 percent” (scroll down) http://barnhardt.biz/index.cfm
  
  Trust me, when I say “my words would be much more harsh and to the point”. Obama should have been arrested for treason a long, long time ago – as with Holder, Bernanke…and the rest.
  
  Report this comment
Snaker
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:55am
Why not “Governor-Moonbeam” just magically touch your gas tank with his
finger (otherwise known as “giving you the finger,”) and then your tank
will be “full-of-it.” ???
Californians, I’m sorry, but YOU ALL DESERVE just what you’re getting…
YOU elected these air-heads into office, and now your “Kalifornia-Karma”
is coming back to bite you. Fill-er-up, please, and gimme some of Obama’s stash
while you’re at it….

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- focusonquality
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:26am
  Not all of us deserve it. we didnt all vote for these turds! and alot more of us then you think are locked loaded , stocked and praying for God to help us. pound sand snake.
  
  Report this comment
biohazard23
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:53am
Liberal tree huggers built that.

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- cessna152
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:03am
  It’s scary to think that if a few “tree huggers” take down a “few” refineries, we’ll all be screwed. Remember, when you stock up on food, water and ammo…make sure gasoline is in that mix as well. The more I think about it, I really see no way out of this fiscal disaster. These people (evil) is he!! bent on taking this country down. They can taste victory and will not let up… be ready,
  
  Report this comment
- crusaderx9
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:08am
  Oh, so now it’s OK to “harm” the environment without all the environmentalist whack-jobs protesting…
  
  democrats = hypocrites
  
  Report this comment
RightUnite
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:52am
You reap what you sow!! Honestly couldn’t happen to a better state.

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- woodyee
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:56am
  Better than what?
  
  Report this comment
- RightUnite
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:21am
  C’mon… Get with the program…. Gotta spell it out for ya Woodyee??
  
  Report this comment
- RIGHTHOOK
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 12:40pm
  1) Orange County and Orange County Register http://www.ocregister.com enormously conservative
  (apparently a little known fact the rest of the USA not aware of)
  2) Collectively NE is as far left and in the tank for Obummer or possibly more so than CA
  3) The media got Moonbeam elected and trashed Meg Whitman (sound familiar?). He is a jackass!
  
  Report this comment
Oneirishman
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:51am
I have noticed a sharp rise in DHBR, Drunk HorseBack Riding, how weird is that!

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kung
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:48am
Boo hoo! The pain! The suffering!

“Credit card caps at pumps are also causing problems as the typical SUV-driving soccer-mom needs multiple lines to fill up the family people-mover,”

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IMCHRISTIAN
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:47am
If California makes ridiculous laws that also hurts California and the whole USA then it is time to vote Republican to get us back on track. You reap what you sow.

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- RightUnite
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:52am
  Amen!
  
  Report this comment
KidCharlemagne
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:44am
Is this the next shoe to drop for California (and maybe for everyone else too)?:

Photo: “Line at a gas station, June 15, 1979″

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- woodyee
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:57am
  KID, that photo could have been taken at the local Costco this morning.
  
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13th Imam
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:43am
” Energy prices will necessarily skyrocket”

Barry Barack Hussein Obama Soetoro Mmmmmm,Mmmm, Mmmmm

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- TSUNAMI_22
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:49am
  California politicians won’t be satisfied until they can turn California into a living museum.
  
  California – A nice place to look at, but non-functional in any reasonable capacity.
  
  Report this comment
- woodyee
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:58am
  TSUNAMI, you’ve said it. Brevity is the soul of wit – Rushbo
  
  Report this comment
- 13th Imam
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:00am
  California is only the tip of the spear. All Americans, especially the poor will be affected by Barry’s spiking the energy prices. Wait until you hear the whines from the cold climate livers , when the weather turns frigid.
  
  Report this comment
- TSUNAMI_22
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:46am
  @ 13th Imam
  
  Obama’s problem is that the poor haven’t suffered fast enough to require the government to step in to save everybody.
  
  QE 1 and QE 2 didn’t cause enough of a crisis rate increase…therefore we now have “QE 3 infinity”. Obama knows he’s running out of time.
  
  Report this comment
- 13th Imam
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 1:04pm
  TSu
  America is hard on the heels of the Golden State. Everyone is saying Cali sucks, but Cali is a beautiful state, it’s just the DEMOCRAT voting morons that make it what it is.
  
  Report this comment
floridareader
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:40am
I really hope the rest of the country see the result of having too many regulations over gasoline. This morning Fox had some news about this nightmare at the pumps: it’s the result of very specific regulations about the kind of gas used in the state to reduce pollutants. And also they announced that in a couple of months California’s very own cap and trade will get into effect…. Only in California.

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BehindBlueEyes
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:40am
Welcome to the Obama Nation. These California liberals are clueless. They voted in a progressive governor and will vote for the commie in chief again. Stupidity beyond imagination.

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Gonzo
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:38am
Have a nice time California.

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- woodyee
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:59am
  Gee ,thanks pal! (Lol!)
  
  Report this comment
- Ben__Franklin
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:04am
  Whats the problem, didn’t everyone in California purchase one of Der Fuhrers “People’s Car” the Volt? Those ignorant Libs need to learn all they have to do is plug those cars in and stop trying to fill the glove box with $5 gas.
  
  For those that violated Der Fuhers mandate to purchase a Government Motors Volt, its time you start siphoning gas from Nancy Piglosi’s fleet of limousines to offset what she has stolen from you hipsters.
  
  Report this comment
nbarendt
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:37am
California deserves everything it gets. They asked for this when they voted for Brown and their state goes democratic. I don’t care if it was an electric outage or what California, New York, Mass, will always be hit the hardest on anything and they ask for it I don’t feel sorry for them if you don’t like it leave then they will be forced to do something, leave in droves they have strickest emissions in the country so blahhh blahhh you asked for it.

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- Cavallo
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:22am
  Just as long as the rest of us don’t have to bail them out.
  
  Report this comment
woodyee
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:37am
My fellow Californinans NEED a heavy-cold-dead-fish-slap-in-the-face to wake their arses up to what their votes are doing to our states.

Unfortunately, it’s much easier for them to believe Bush and Romney have something to do with the price of gas, than to have to process a cogent thought.

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SREGN
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:35am
As California goes, so goes the nation.

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Escapee1
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:35am
California is finding out that having several different blends of gas DOES NOT work! Hopefully the people of California will elect a REAL GOVERNOR who understands that having seasonal blends of gas is CRAZY!

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grimmster
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:35am
Couple of dollars more at the pump, and its show time in cali.,can you say mass rioting?! Now wheres my popcorn………

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JRook
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:34am
When you consider this situation and before you jump to the moronic comments about the PRESIDENT and governor of CA. Take the time to research how the US could be exporting crude oil and gasoline. Then tell me what great citizens the oil companies are.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2012/02/us-exported-more-gasoline-than-imported-last-year/1#.UHLj-66ADag

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- Gonzo
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:41am
  I bet you went apeshit when gas went to $3.00/gallon for a short time under Bush. Now of course the POTUS has absolutely no controol over gas prices… or the economy, debt and deficits for that matter.
  
  Report this comment
- woodyee
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:44am
  And the gobblement has nothing to do with exports? WE (I live in this decrepit State) have to deal with local (Moonbeam) and federal (Gaybama and EPA) restrictions and regulations, having to produce several types of seasonal gasoline, sell those gasolines within certain time parameters which have to meet ever increasing preposterous regulations and restrictions, and keep that flow going despite a growing population ,growing demand, WITHOUT HAVING BEEN ALLOWED to build new refineries in decades. We have MANY refineries which are currently inoperable, one do to fire and the rest to regulations.
  
  YOU are spouting nonsense.
  
  Report this comment
- TSUNAMI_22
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:46am
  The oil companies didn’t invent ‘smog control’ and ‘emissions requirements’. They also didn’t put restrictions on themselves to prohibit construction of refineries and impose ‘cap & trade’ on California.
  
  California is suffering because Californian’s that run it are stupid.
  
  Report this comment
- matamoros
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:52am
  @ JROOK, you’re absolutely right about us exporting our own oil that we desperately need here. However, what the heck does that have to do with Californians? Those progressive commies want nothing to do with oil anyway. GREEN ENERGY BABY!!!
  
  … yeah right
  
  Report this comment
- SREGN
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:10am
  Jrook – Maybe you could put a windmill on top of your car. No seriously. I think I remember seeing that on a cartoon somewhere when I was a kid. Maybe it was Beany and Cecil, or Gumby. Ask Jerry. I’m sure he still sits around on Saturday morning smoking a fattie and watching the cartoon channel. That’s where he formulates policy. Same with Obama. All other explanations defy logic.
  
  Report this comment
- dblaess
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:23am
  Just say what you want to say, that you said in 2005-2008. It is all Bush’s fault and the president has all the power over gas prices. I hope you have been able to get a new contract for more than 5 cents per post. You will need it to pay for gas under the wonderful controlled economy of dear leader.
  
  Report this comment
TSUNAMI_22
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:34am
In the mean time we should all vote for Feinstein again. Idiots.

We had the chance to vote Meg Whitman into office, but NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

God forbid an actual entrepreneur with some sense actually makes it into Californicationexico.

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razhunter100
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:33am
govt created bs…enjoy

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