through the lens Who’s to blame? - Thu, Sep, 18, 2008
With oil barrel prices closing at $94.92 Monday night, Farragut residents experienced a weekend of no fuel available or a limited supply priced at $4.99 per gallon.
Gasoline retailers indicated the high price, reportedly the highest in the nation, was due to turmoil created by Hurricane Gustav, which made landfall in Louisiana as a Category 2 Hurricane Sept. 1, and Hurricane Ike, which made landfall at Galveston, Texas, Sept. 13, also as a Category 2 storm.
The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday, “The big fear was that Ike’s storm surges would lead to serious flooding damage to area refineries that provide about a quarter of U.S. gasoline supplies. That didn’t happen, apparently — most area refineries came through the storm unscathed.”
So, in your opinion, why did Farragut run out of gas? Who dropped the ball? Why were gas prices raised nearly a dollar per gallon when the fuel was limited? Do you think retailers gouged consumers? The Florida State Attorney General has allegedly launched an investigation into gas pricing in Florida; should Tennessee follow suit? Let us know. Call or write presstalk at 671-TALK (8255) or presstalk@farragutpress.com
