When demand rises, especially for nations like India and China, prices rise. When supply is fractured by government forcing some 30+ different "blends" of gasoline, prices rise. When supply is stifled by several government regulations and government refusal to develop oil resources, prices rise. When taxes are imposed at the federal, state, and local level on every sale, prices rise. (I believe it is about $.83/gallon here in Illinois.) When revolution, war, and other unrest threatens world oil resources, prices rise. When taxes and fees are forced on oil companies, prices rise. When decades go by without the construction of refineries because of government regulation, prices rise.
"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it." - Ronald Reagan
