Why do they constantly change gasoline prices and who claims to do it?
87968
The price of gas changes because the price of oil changes, due to OPEC basically setting the price. Gas companies raise their prices accordingly, based on what they estimate gas will cost in the future (6 months or so), so they have the cash on hand when they need to buy oil to refine into gasoline.
491113
There is none, if inflation had followed suit with everything else clothes, food, building supplies etc.It would be over 3 dollars a gallon.The problem is people actually give idiots like micheal moore and al fraken credibility, its uncanny!!!!They have both been proven to be liars.One of the biggest reasons gas prices increase is simply speculative theory!! we went to war for humanitarian reasons, those people want us there they were under dictatorship. clinton sent soliders into Bosnia in 98 and knowone had a problem with that, it was for humanitarian reasons or so we thought.The real problem a lot of people have with this is the time its taking but you cant put a time frame on something like this.
436434
Actually, gas prices in the US are artificially low.  We pay about 1/2 to 1/3 of Europe's prices.  Prices here fluctuate almost arbirarily, but also in accordance with supply and demand, and, of course, the price of oil.  It's precisely because we're in this war over oil that prices has gone up. War makes production and distribution a pain, to say the least.  Other oil producing nations, like Venzuela and Nigeria have also had political distruptions.
517644
I don't want to create a conspiracy theory here - that the gas companies haven't built refineries, so that the supply has remained steady whereas demand skyrocketed, driving up the price...as the companies have seen quarterly profits that are unheard of.  I won't try and say that this was a carefully constructed plot on their behalf, ahem.  Well, ok, I don't think it is but I do think that they've been cheap and that their current plans to expand existing refineries won't solve our problems.\n\nDemand for energy will continue to grow (disproportionately here in the U.S...) and I really believe STRONGLY in seeking alternative sources of energy so that we can not only reduce costs for Americans (costs for living...crude oil costs affect EVERYTHING...prodution, shipping...driving up prices...costs to commute, etc.) but will reduce our dependence on foreign oil - doesn't get much better than THAT!!
373951
http://www.energy.ca.gov/gasoline/statistics/gasoline_cpi_adjusted.html\n\nLove Mama Giggles
949639
If pols could control gas prices, it would always be cheap.\nIf oil cos could control prices it would always be expensive.\nWhat can we conclude from this?
346330
These "plans" are so stupid.  If you really want to do something that reduces the price of gasoline... you have to signifantly decrease the demand for oil.  That means not driving your car... at all.  Don't buy plastics or Rubber products ever.  Not just a few thousand people... it has to be 100's of millions of people.... then maybe... but\n\nNot going to happen... so forget it.
480529
The oil companies are greedy
531627
I really dislike George W. as president but the fact is HE doesn't control the gas prices. It is a common misconception, the president is blamed for everything. Ever heard of a concept called "price gouging?" Price gouging occurs when companies quit compeating to undercut each other's prices and simply rise them. i.e., Lets say one oil company raises the price of oil per gallon, usally other companies would try to make a better deal and undercut them. But durring a price gouging conspricy the competition simply raises their prices to. Hence they all make massive amounts of money. Unfortunitly we cant do anything at all about it, considering 80 percent of america's oil comes from forengn contries.. and price gouging is only illegal in america
825130
gas and oil prices are determined by supply and demand on the world market.  Neither oil companies nor republicans control prices. Only thing they could do is build more refineries, which would result in greater supplies of gasoline, which would reduce prices further.  Liberals don't like refineries, because they think they cause pollution  and are beholden to the environmental lobbyists.  Oil companies don't build refineries, because they can't with govt approval and they're making big profits as things are, so there's no incentive to build them.
932764
They are exploiting the human psychological weakness GREED. \n\n(incidently, we ninja use this tactic quite often)  \n\nPeople are easily tricked when they don't critically examine things.  Monty Hall would do this to people all the time on Lets Make A Deal.  Basically, the act of pricing one cent below is both an appeal to the greed, and an insult to the intelligence (or lack thereof), of the average person.  Pricing five cents below is perhaps even more obnoxious, as it implies, "I know you won't fall for the $9.99, but maybe you'll fall for the $9.95." \n\nGasoline pricing is even worse as they go to the hundredth decimal place in order to not breach the psychological barrier of spending "another penny."  A can of beans selling for $2.99 is truly one cent less than $3.00.  A gallon of gas that sells for $2.99 is actually $2.99 and 9/10 of a cent, which is $2.999.  For all practical purposes, the gas is $3.00.  If you bought 100 gallons, it would cost you $299.90, whereas a 100 cans of beans would be $299.00, almost a dollar less.  When you're selling millions of gallons a day, those tenths of a penny add up to a lot of extra profit!  Gasoline is the only product sold like this, because honestly, nobody pays attention.\n\nHigh end pricing is not consistently rounded off, but in cases where it is, it's probably because the vendors are less inclined to try "hoodwinking" people who generally have more than enough money to afford their products.  In other words, they don't need to trick them into buying, because their products are so sought after.  Also, a lot of wealthy people are often (though not always) less concerned with price than prestige.  Ever hear the expression, "if you have to ask, you can't afford it."?
333182
It's all about supply and demand, and right now Americans demand a lot of gas.  If we stopped filling our cars up and driving so much, the price of gas would (eventually) go down.  Think of it like this:  if you sell grapes at a farmers' market where grapes are normally 69 cents a pound, then suddenly everyone wants your grapes, you can raise the price of grapes until the point where people say that your grapes are too expensive (say, $2 a pound), and then they will stop buying them.  Now, economics and human behavior determine the point at which supply equals demand, and where those two lines cross is the top price people will normally pay for something - grapes, gas, etc.  \n\nGas prices won't go down until people reach the point where they say enough is enough.  Then they have to physically stop buying the gas.  Complaining about the price alone will not affect anything.
471334
Gas prices are determined by supply and demand...\n\nAs gas prices rise......this causes consumers to drive less.....which stops consumers from using so much gas\nThe price will start to go back down....\n\nGasoline is very cheap......the same people who complain about the cost of gasoline....$3 a gallon....are the same people who spend $1.99 for a bottle of water, $4 for a pack of cigs, and $5 for lottery tickets.
1165074
Well with the look at gas prices rising every year...   Yeah I know sad..  I would say yes\n\nExxon Mobil  these money grabbing corporation is not going anywhere. Even if we change to a differnt kind of fuel... They will still be using oil... for the next couple of hundered years...\n\nI pray that judgment comes before... that happens..
1149237
Government does not raise the price of gas.  A thing called supply and demand controls the gas prices and the price of everything else in our society.
368718
Some of the prices are artificially inflated. \n\nHowever, gas prices in the US are still lower than in most countries. Go to Germany or England and pay the equivilant we pay per gallon for a liter. \n\nI do think that many of the companies are taking advantage of teh recoupment of defense oil reserves and the war against terror in order to boost their profits.\n\nOn a final note, though, the war in Iraq was not about oil. If it were, we would be getting oil from Iraq. We are not, yet at least. Much of what excess Iraq is producing is going towards paying their reparations to many countries.
122255
The gas companies practice what is known as zone pricing. They look at how much money people in a certain area make and then set the price from there. It allows them to charge people who will pay more a top dollar price while still selling to the poor at a price they can afford. That is why some independent gas stations will have prices that are much lower then the big corporations, they don't have zone pricing.