Letter to the Editor: Why the high prices?

By Sun Advocate

Editor:
I just had to write about our local extremely high gas prices, along with the several others we have noticed coming forth in the newspaper in the past while. I’ve noticed that something truly does seem to “be amiss” here.
My wife and I have traveled extensively throughout the surrounding states this past summer, including Colorado, Wyoming,. Nevada, and all throughout Utah. It has just amazed and angered us to discover that our county was among the very highest in over 3,000 miles covered in that time in regards to their gas prices. These prices are higher on the average of 15 to 20 cents per gallon than any other towns we passed through.
In Greeley, Colo. especially, the comments we received from the locals there indicated that nobody even knew there had been a gas increase of any kind all summer. We were shocked by this, and it made us feel the need to speak out.
When we inquire locally about this subject, we, like many others who have written about this local issue, were also told “it takes more to truck the gas in here than other places”. I’m sorry, but I think not! No more than anywhere else, perhaps even less.We even made these comments to our local government in a recent survey they sent us regarding our satisfaction level about living in Carbon County. They were inquiring about what could be done to better serve local residents in order to keep them here in the county shopping locally and feeling good about their community. That was weeks ago, and there is still no change in prices.
We have to wonder, is this “price gouging” at its finest, plain and simple? Others have been asking the same. If not, how can those selling gas in the county here explain why they all seem to consistently be within a penny or two of each other at best, all the time.
Isn’t it about time our local gas providers “come clean” and adjust their prices to the rest of the surrounding states? We didn’t all just fall off a turnip truck yesterday and we do not appreciate having our intelligence insulted by keeping prices so high. Maybe if more people would express their concerns about this issue as well, something would get done about this travesty.
Local gas providers, “let’s be fair!” It makes it look so bad for the entire community and county when we keep those prices so high that nobody wants to stay in Price or Carbon County long enough to do any business with us locally.