Gasoline falls below $2 in some spots ($2.269 nationwide average)

[sabra]

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2006-02-16-gas-prices-usat_x.htm

Gasoline falls below $2 in some spots

Gasoline prices have slipped lower than $2 in a few places in a harbinger of lower prices nationwide.

The nationwide average has dropped to $2.269, down half a penny overnight, travel organization AAA said Thursday. Scattered stations already have posted prices starting with "1" rather than "2." Users of a fuel-price website Thursday reported $1.96 gasoline near Minneapolis, for instance.

Averages in a number of metropolitan areas are likely to fall to less than $2, perhaps as soon as today. Corpus Christi, Texas, averaged $2.006, and several other metro areas were just a few cents more.

"We are seeing a smattering of sub-$2 prices surfacing like premature crocuses across the country, and we may see a flirtation with $2 or less in a broad swath of the country this month," says Tom Kloza, analyst at the Oil Price Information Service. He warns it won't last, and prices will rebound this spring.

[liberal N proud]

1. $2.03 this AM here

[sabra]

2. which is where?

$2.38/regular unleaded in north burbs of Chicago.

[wordpix]

7. same in CT--I saw the Saudi ambassador on C. Rose last week & he said

that oil prices would go down in order to maintain a robust economy worldwide. Price has gone down, just as he said.

My take after seeing the interview and watching price decrease over past week is the Saudis and Bushies have made a pact: Saudis keep price of oil low and in return Saudi emirs get U.S. armed forces protection in ME. This way, repukes are kept in power ("We acted to keep oil prices low!")and Saudis will keep Dems from getting elected. After all, Dems have a goal of rehabbing the US oil addiction and going to biofuels and renewable resource energy, while Saudis want to keep us addicted.

The Saudi emirs DO have a problem with radical Islamists threatening their government and are walking a fine line between appeasing them and more modern forces for change in SA. I'm not an expert in Saudi A. but I've gleaned this from a SA'n student of mine and some reading.

[liberal N proud]

9. Western suburbs of Cleveland

[sabra]

11. thanks.

[napi21]

3. If USAT is bragging about "under $2 gas" they need to start

investigating the other end of this issue! I don't mean to say that lower gas prices aren't a good thing, but a much better story would be the results of an investigation of WHY gas prices are even CLOSE to $2 while every oil co has been reporting record breaking profits for several qtrs, and what the public can do to change that!

[Castilleja]

21. That's the Q and A I want to see, too. N/T

[fed-up]

4. Don't ya love it when *'s poll numbers stay low-gas is $2.39 Chico,CA n/t

[Skink]

12. The operant conditioning has taken hold.

[Norquist Nemesis]

5. $2.16 level one far western sub of Chicago

I noticed it Tuesday or Wednesday.

[electron_blue]

6. you all have me to thank for this

Two weeks ago I just locked in gas prices for me at a local "fuel bank" for the next 3 years. I KNEW gas prices had to fall right after I did that. C'est la vie!

[customerserviceguy]

18. We salute you.

I did the same thing for housing prices when I bought a home back in 1979. Not gonna do it again, sorry.

By the way, if I use a "one dollar off eight gallons" coupon issued on the back of supermarket receipts around here, I can get it for just under two bucks a gallon at two stations in my area. Nice to have, good thing I only live ten minutes from work if it does go back up again...

[Maeve]

8. It was that low here--for a couple of days (central Ohio)

Then shot up from $1.98 to $2.17 or more overnight.

Drop the prices until folks quiet down...

[coffeenap]

10. Just gettin' ready for the upcoming political season--we are to

conveniently forget how high the prices were until "they" are finished keeping political control in the next round.

[Sal316]

13. $2.35 here in Phoenix.

Under $2? hah!

[bigwillq]

14. I paid $2.22/gal here in CT

that's the cheapest it's been in awhile.

[leftyladyfrommo]

15. Ours is down to $1.889 -

And what is wierd is that seems like a good deal.

Boy have we been raped by the oil industry.

[LostinVA]

16. It went up 5 cents overnight -- $2.29, Central VA

[Javaman]

17. It appears as if the oil industry is getting a little worried about...

their inflating of the prices. Notice it was only a few weeks after they "testified" that the prices are suddenly coming down.

cause and effect, funny how that works.

fucking pigs.

[RebelOne]

19. It was $1.98 to $2.05 this morning here in No. Georgia

Just northwest of Atlanta. It's probably more in Atlanta, since the prices are lower the farther north you go.

[Castilleja]

20. Well, it was $1.97 in NW Corpus Christi, just a couple days ago.

Don't ask why, I have given up trying to figure out gas price fluctuations anymore...:shrug:

[NickB79]

22. Correction: It was below $2/gallon in Minneapolis

Thursday it shot back up to $2.25/gallon. Today it's around $2.20/gallon.

At least the article got this right:

"He warns it won't last, and prices will rebound this spring."

Why are people always so amazed when gas prices drop in winter? They do this every year! But no one seems to remember that last year at this time the prices were ~$1.75/gallon, and shot up to $3/gallon last summer. Personally, I'm predicting that we will go over $3/gallon this summer.

[mitchtv]

23. whata joke $2.69 here in

Coachella Valley .