By: Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), Special to BlackAmericaWeb.com
In recent weeks, prices at the pump have hit an all-time high. The average price for a gallon of gas in the United States is currently $3.036, just two cents short of the record high reached in September 2005 after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the Gulf Coast.
Paradoxically, this year, rising gas prices are not being driven by increases in the cost of oil. In fact, a barrel of oil is actually $7 cheaper than it was this time last year. How is it possible for gas prices to reach record highs while the price of oil remains relatively stable?