The price of gas. Go figure.

Here’s what I don’t understand.The United States gets essentially 0% of its oil from Iran, and our domestic supply hasn’t changed. Oil is supposed to be a supply-and-demand game, right? So why are gas prices still so high in the USA?People say oil is priced on the global market. Why are we still tied to that system?The United States is the world’s largest oil producer and a net exporter of petroleum overall. I’m not an expert on this, but it almost feels like the USA is somehow carrying or subsidizing other nations that rely on oil from different parts of the world.Can someone explain why global events (like those involving Iran) still drive up prices at the pump here, even though our own production and supply situation hasn’t changed?

 

We have friends in the Netherlands which makes me never complain about US gas prices. There is a reason why there are more bikes then cars where they live. Almost 10 dollars a gallon. It is rare you see an SUV where they live. Only cars are teeny tiny ones. And the bike riders are Aholes IMO. Cocky little pricks were lucky I wasn't a younger man.

 

I remember back in the 1970's during the Iran oil embargo and the price of US gas shot up from 35 cents a gallon to $1 a gallon and the stations started posting prices by the liter (about a quart) and setting their pumps the same way and it made ignorant people happy again.

 

I agree totally. Gas is pushing $6/gal in much of California. Last weekend I went into Nevada and gas was about $1.70 a gallon less. Calif sucks on the cost of living Could having 1/3 of the nation's welfare folks but with 12% of the US population be a contributor?

 

Its 3.80 a gallon here as of yesterday.

 

I had so much trouble with the metric system over there. I remember seeing a price I thought was great and was informed it was for a liter.

I think it was Jimmy Carter who thought we should switch to metric but of course we be stubborn.

 

California. The land of earthquakes, wildfires, and politicians who make the state unaffordable. They tax gas extremely high.

 

So many people who have the ability to get out of that state are leaving en masse for places like TN with lower housing costs, no income tax, and state government that runs in the black. They love it because their dollar goes so much further here than in CA. Unfortunately it is causing costs to rise at an insane rate, pricing out locals as income rates are not going up equally. Big downside is how people come here but refuse to adapt to their new home and biatch about roads, schools, politics, fewer social programs, etc. Those things cost money that we as taxpayers must foot the bill for. It blows my mind how transplants don't recognize that they are doing the exact same thing that ruined the place they came from. We have a saying here in East Tennessee: don't California my Tennessee.

 

I have a nephew who has an expensive electric car. It is a bad ass ride but I just can't see them ever taking over, at least in my lifetime. I watch people get out a book and start reading while they wait at the "pump" for their car to charge up.

 

Dude thats the whole south.

 

A very good post. From a tax and budget perspective, California is what’s wrong with the USA. The state is broke. California faces several well-documented, persistent challenges particularly around affordability, housing, homelessness, and related economic pressures even as it remains a global leader in technology, innovation, and overall economic size.High taxes, energy prices, and regulatory costs are frequently cited as competitive disadvantages for businesses. Residents who do not earn say $150,000 + a year are going backwards. Many companies, both big and small, are moving out of the state.Most people can’t afford to buy a new home. In California, median home values are more than double the national median (around $776,000 vs. $370,000), and rents run about 40% higher. Housing costs are roughly 88% higher than in the median U.S. state; utilities are also elevated (about 58% higher). Qualifying for a typical mortgage often requires a household income well over $200,000 — more than twice the state median in some analyses.The state can thank its lucky stars that 56 Fortune 500 headquarters are still in California.... for now. Without them, its tax and budget situation would suffer an earthquake, tsunami, and wildfire all at the same time.

Meanwhile it governor is a clown, and the big city mayors are borderline socialist or are socialists , hungry to tax anyone who pays taxes more.

Now the state has many treasures for the top 15%. It the rest of the population who suffers. I think they are very close to economic breaking point. Once the credit card companies limt people ability to borrow ( I suspect personal debt is high within the state ) , the &#^t will hit the fan.

 

Thank you Steve Hilton. I voted for you in the primary. Good luck in November.

 

I live close to the Ohio border and when I come back I fill up at the last station in Ohio

Ohio is flat and Pennsylvania has rivers and bridges which cost tax dollars to maintain

Edit: and tunnels

 

WAAAH
you forgot
TUNNELS!!!


just sayin

 

About 40% of the crude oil used to make gasoline in the us is imported

All of the oil domestic and imported is priced accordingly to the world oil markets

The price of oil on the world market is up not just because of Iran but Russia as well

Supply and demand

 

We get none of our crude oil from Iran not before the war and not during it. So our supply from that source has not changed. Some states still charge an excessive amount for gas. Why? Greedy tax politicians. If they actually cared about affordability for the average person, states like these wouldn’t look like this:

California: $5.63
Hawaii: $5.42
Washington: $5.28

They don’t care about that. They care about keeping taxes high. Learning something?

 

I realize you may not be able to understand any of this

A lot of other countries got oil from Iran and now must get it elsewhere

A lot of oil has stopped going through the Strait of Hormuz

I repeat About 40% of the crude oil used to make gasoline in the us is imported

Now on your own go look up “supply and demand “

 

Listen up and understand.

That is is you're capable of doing so.

The United States gets essentially none of its crude oil from Iran.Direct U.S. crude imports from Iran have been near zero for years because of sanctions. . EIA weekly crude-import rankings list Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, and others. Iran is not among them.

So our supply remains virtually unchanged. Got it now? Oil and crude oil.

Sometimes I think you are pulling my leg as you can not be that stupid. Other times...


PS: What is the price of gas in CA? I bet is is a $1.00 higher than what other Americans pay. Ah, well you chose to live there. Pay your state tax and be thankful.

 

Joel

It is very difficult to teach you anything

I spell it out as simple as I can and you either ignore the lesson or can’t comprehend

I wasn’t sure if you were just a middle school kid or truly challenged

You have cleared this up

 

@Joel Buchsbaum lesson for the day

Global oil prices rose on Monday, August 31, 2026, with Brent crude climbing above $90 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude trading near $85.75 a barrel after new military clashes between the United States and Iran.

Global prices go up so according do US prices

Gas goes up

 

Let’s try a different approach.The U.S. gets essentially none of its oil from Iran. 0%. Direct commercial imports of Iranian crude have been banned for decades, so that part of our supply hasn’t changed. That’s a fact. If you don’t buy it, look it up yourself.What we’re seeing looks more like price gouging. Washington DC s playing favorites with certain countries, and greedy state-tax politicians are using the moment to squeeze taxpayers. That’s the straight story. If oil is a supply-and-demand game, our supply has not gone down. In fact, it has gone up a bit because of the new Venezuela partnership IE, more favorable oil contracts.

Shifting gears: Iran is starting to buckle under severe economic strain. The mullahs might not give a rat’s @ss about their own people, but they do care about their money. They are broke and having trouble paying their own army and funding their proxies. Inflation alone is a powerful weapon, and it is ruining the Islamic Republic of Iran. It is up 86 % since 2026. Iran's people are getting angry, and there are fewer public executions in the streets. The Kurds, an ethnic group that numbers around 10 million people at odds with Iran, are fighting back. The United States might decide to arm them both and let them fight, forcing Iran to wage several wars at once: an economic war, a war with the Kurds, and a war with its own people.