Sorry about that, ww

[hotwine]

From an article in the San Antonio Express-News today, reported by the AP: "There are no gasoline refineries in Arizona, so fuel must be delivered through two pipelines operated by Kinder-Morgan - the closed one, which runs from Texas, and a second from California, which still is working." And elsewhere, "... in a move aimed at easing the shortage, the Federal Environmental Protection Agency granted Gov. Janet Napolitano's request that the metropolitan area (of Phoenix) be allowed to use conventional rather than cleaner-burning fuel until the gas supply stabilizes."

So there are no refineries in the state; supplies are delivered by pipeline; and the EPA determines the type of commodity to be consumed.

Elsewhere: "Price spikes are a result of logged overtime and logistics, since truckers are working around-the-clock and station managers have been working for 10 days straight..."

Sounds to me like the industry is doing the best it can, under the circumstances.

You want to fix the problem? Work on the "supply side" of the equation: Encourage oil companies to build and operate refineries in the state. Offer them cheap land and labor, tax abatements, road networks, and maybe even good old-fashioned bribes to set up shop in Arizona. And get control of the bureaucrats who feel it's their job to impede commerce.

Big demand + small supply..... sounds like a business opportunity.