Griping about gas

My wife commutes, I do work outside of Madison County, and we are both wondering what we are going to do as prices go up. Today's Muncie Star-Press has an article,'No rationale' for gas increase, AAA says on the rising gas prices. I found these paragraphs interesting:

MUNCIE -- Local gasoline prices jumped Thursday to $3.19 a gallon at some stations.

Motorists were frustrated by the increase and flocked to stations -- including Swifty on South Madison Street -- that offered gas for anything less than $3.19, even for a short period of time.

Gas price observers said the price increase -- nationally and locally -- was puzzling.

"It's not unusual to see gas prices increase in the spring," said Greg Seiter, public affairs manager for AAA Hoosier Motor Club. "Refineries are switching to the reformulated gas for the summer.

"But there's no clear-cut rationale why gas prices have jumped as much as they have," Seiter added. "We've had no hurricane, no refinery fire, no terrorist activity."

An industry spokesman said increased gas prices are the result of retailers passing along their costs -- reluctantly in many cases, because of concerns about driving customers to competitors.

"Wholesale prices have been going up steadily for five to six weeks," said Scott Imus of the Indiana Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association.

Imus noted that gas costs, taxes and even transportation costs -- amounting to two cents a gallon alone -- resulted in a cost to retailers of $3.12 a gallon. Add another seven to eight cents for the cost of a credit card or debit card transaction, Imus said, and retailers are merely breaking even by selling for $3.19.

I should mention that the Bill authorizing the study of light rail from Muncie through Anderson to Indianapolis passed the General Assembly. Anyone still think we do not need this?