Outraged About Gasoline!

No, it's not what you think. I am not outraged by the prices; not even the $6 print in Atlanta. Anybody who wishes to pay $6 per gallon for gasoline has every right to do so. And the government has no obligation in protecting people from their own stupidity.

What I am outraged about is the commentary and the whining by consumers. No government is telling you that you must drive. Further, no government is telling you to buy an automobile that gets less than 25 miles per gallon. We as individuals freely make choices, and one of those choices is to pay for gasoline.

While I am not thrilled by paying $3 per gallon for gasoline, the prices have risen so dramatically for two reasons: demand is outstripping supply, and frankly, prices should rise to whatever level sellers can make a profit, even an outsized profit.

Let me put it this way. Gasoline is no different than a home, except that shelter is a requirement of life. If I wanted to try to sell my 1050 square foot home for $1 million, would I be accused of "price gouging?" Probably not, because nobody would be stupid enough to buy my little home, as cute as it is, for $1 million. In fact, I'd be lucky to get an agent who would waste his time trying to market my house for $1 million. But I have every right to try to list it at this price, even though it would be nearly 8 times my purchase price.

If housing prices had gotten so hot that somebody was actually willing to buy my home for $1 million, should I go to jail for price gouging? Of course not. The counter party has every right to purchase any house they want (or rent for that matter), and they should attempt to bargain for the best price. That is what makes the system work.

If you willingly choose to pay $6 for gas, you are solely to blame for telling the market that $6 is an appropriate price. I don't fault gas stations for raising their prices. They should. In fact, they should raise prices enough to make a sufficient profit (in their eyes, not the governments) and still be competitive with other stations, so long as they are not colluding with other stations, which probably should be against the law.

So if you don't like the high prices for gasoline, I have a tip: Don't buy gas! If someone is charging what is too much in your eyes, don't buy from them ever again. And tell them. It is your choice to pay higher prices for gasoline.