For votes? Yup. But also an attempt at market manipulation. It is more the perception than the actual product. Which of course still has to be transported, refined to get the 20% that is gasoline, then transported again. That’s the real bottleneck.

Gas prices are whatever the market will bear. Gas companies like to test this economic theory in times of stress. Until they run out of storage space.

And about the leases thing. Fine with me to free them up. But just because land is leased does not mean there is oil and gas down there. You have to lease to explore. It’s a gamble. All earth extraction business is a gamble. Or a con. Gets hard to tell sometimes. Companies will hold leases that they know have nothing because it looks good in the glossy shareholder annual report brochure.

Now, as far as stategic materials are concerned… that’s another rant that I have not polished. Yet.

But it doesn’t really matter, though. I would really prefer to see that oil available if our foreign sources were suddenly cut off, of if our allies were suddenly facing ruin because of a shortfall.

I realize folks have to get to work, and trucks full of goods must roll, but I don’t think this resource should be handed over so people can drive their gas hogs to Vegas or Disneyworld. And all that fracked dirty shale fuel we’re pumping in N America now, that oft-mentioned “energy independence” that’s been constantly pounded down our throats, should not be used just to buy votes. A lot of jackasses in this country went out and bought gas hogs, which the car companies marketed very profitably, when they all knew it was only a matter of time before oil became expensive again. Its a vital, finite resource. It must be treated that way.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m really steamed about this.

I don’t know.