By: Todd Wheatley
(c) IQ-2k   07-28-15

I started tracking gas prices starting in February 2013 after a very steep climb in prices. Oddly oil prices had been dropping. News reports claimed refiners were undergoing maintenance to switch to summer gas blends ... IN FEBRUARY!!

Later in 2013 as oil prices rose above $108-per-barrel gas prices fell from the February high ($3.69). Very odd. Since that time more regular patterns emerged and some of them are disturbing.

(See my posts in the dow-oil-gold)

Note oil prices closed at $80-per-barrel on 10-27-14 while the price for gasoline was $2.69. Now compare the beginning of July 2015 where oil never rose above $60-per-barrel and the price of gasoline remained near $2.69 for about three weeks. Today (07-27-15) gas prices (Dallas,Tx) are all over board while oil has dropped below $50-per-barrel. Yet given the very wide range of prices a pattern has emerged ... COMPETITION!

Gas stations (of the same brand) jack up the price as much as $0.25 and more in areas where there is little or no competition on the same corner. Fortunately those willing to drive and search can save plenty. Unfortunately price collusion seems to part of the pattern.

I say welcome to the United States of price gouging where Corporate America and their greedy politicians are sucking the nation dry. Yesterday, for example, three major airlines were said to be under investigation for price fixing following the Amtrak derailment in the Northeast.

Clearly such allegations, if true, erode confidence in the American business model the same as strange price spikes in gasoline. Nevertheless rising healthcare costs and insurance premiums that lead to the Affordable Care Act (ACA ... Aka Obamacare) have the potential to create an even worse financial crisis than the Great Recession. All due to price gouging up and down the healthcare industry.


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