We Talk to the Owner of the St. Louis Gas Station Set to Offer $1.83 Gas in Protest on Fri.

The day was January 20, 2009: Barack Obama was inaugurated President of the United States, the nation’s capital was overrun by millions of well-wishers eager to witness the historic event, and the average cost of all types of gasoline was $1.84 per gallon.

Today, Barack Obama is still president, many of those well-wishers are a lot less enthusiastic, and the average price of gas has risen to $3.90 per gallon.

Now, to be fair, the president does not control the price of gas. To say he is ultimately or solely responsible for increases/decreases in the cost of gas is incorrect. It wasn’t true when George W. Bush was president and it’s not true now. There are many factors that need to be considered when discussing price increases (such as the fluctuating cost of oil) and some of these are clearly outside of the president's sphere of influence.

However -- and this is where an argument can be made -- by developing a robust energy plan and by encouraging exploration and investment in all types of energy, the president can offset said outside factors and help keep fuel prices low.

But rather than unleashing America's energy potential, the Obama administration's record on energy has been largely defined by multiple "green" energy failures and an almost inexplicable belligerence towards the oil and coal industries.

In other words, the president's approach to energy has done nothing to offset the rising cost of gas.

And this is precisely why Americans for Prosperity, a conservative group dedicated to promoting the principles of economic freedom, is teaming up with the Alcorn Citgo & Food Mart in St. Louis on Friday to offer Missourians pre-Obama gas prices.

“It’s a pretty simple idea,” Patrick Werner, State Director for AFP’s Missouri chapter, told TheBlaze in a phone interview. “Four years ago, the president talked about high gas prices and the last four years they’ve risen. Where’s the energy policy? What the president has pursued, we think, is a failed policy and the best way to show that is to highlight what the price of gas was when he took office.”

From 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. this Friday, the Alcorn Citgo will sell gas for $1.83 per gallon to the first 150 vehicles (with each car being limited to 10 gallons).

How will the service station be able to afford this? Simple: AFP is picking up the tab. For them, the important thing is illustrating the failures of the president’s energy policies.

“We need a comprehensive energy policy and this [promotion] is just a away to showcase that the president’s policies aren’t working,” Werner added.

TheBlaze also spoke with Harold Alcorn, the manager of the service station, to ask him about the promotion.

“I’m 78 years of age,” the independent retailer told TheBlaze in a phone interview. “I have probably two-and-a-half employees. We are very small and we’re competing against all the larger companies in the St. Louis area. My being a part of this represents a small retailer trying to make it all work.”

Alcorn was excited for the AFP promotion and predicted a large turnout.

“I think it’ll be huge,” he said. “I anticipate a line of cars well in advance of the 8:00 a.m. starting time.”

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Front page photo courtesy shutterstock.com. This story and its headline have been updated for clarity.