Wow! Look at those numbers!
Gas prices at the pump rose by about 50 cents a gallon overnight in our area. One local station was selling regular unleaded for $2.779 yesterday (Tuesday) morning. This morning at 8 a.m. their price was $3.219 per gallon. Tonight at 7 p.m. the same station was asking $3.379 per gallon. I shudder to think what tomorrow will bring. They changed the price twice yesterday and twice today. Did they get new deliveries — at the higher prices — twice yesterday and twice today? They wouldn't answer that question when asked by a reporter. But I doubt it.
The owner of OK Petroleum on East Main Street didn't jack his prices up today, unlike just about every other station. He told our reporter he still had "gas in the ground" and wouldn't rip off his customers. A man of integrity— we ought to all buy our gas from him from now on.
People on the road today were ripping mad. I , too, was kicking myself for not gassing up yesterday, when my needle was hovering at a little less than a quarter-tank. No, I waited till this morning, when I had to pay almost 50 cents a gallon more for the privilege. A whopping $59 later, I was not a happy customer, either.
It amazes me how willing so many people were to take it out on the gas station attendants, though. Some customers had really nasty things to say to the attendants — things that had to do with their Middle Eastern heritage — and hearing their comments repeated by our reporter made me feel ashamed.
This could be the beginning of a gas crisis, reminiscent of the 70s. With world demand up and supplies not increasing, having Gulf refineries knocked off line by the hurricane, perhaps indefinitely, could trigger a shortage in the U.S. Are you old enough to remember those days in 1973, when gas was rationed due to the Arab oil embargo? We may see them again.
But we have to keep our troubles in perspective, after all. Looking at the photos and watching the videos of the devastation in New Orleans and coastal Mississippi snaps it all into focus for us. What a horror.
Your heart has to go out to the mayor of New Orleans. Imagine being the person responsible for figuring out how to clean up and put that city back together after a catastrophe like this. My God.
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7 comments:
Hurricane Katrina's devastation is growing worse moment by moment. This is truly the worst national disaster to strike the United States. Not only are we faced with the consequences a catastrophe of this magnitude brings, we are faced with looting. For shame!
Yet, here we are on the North Fork and around the country being looted by the oil companies. Really now, how can gasoline prices rise over fifty cents a gallon in one day? Have all the gas stations run out of gas simultaneously? Lets face it, this is price gouging at its finest.
For shame again using ethnic slurs and blaming people of
Midde Eastern heritage. Lets put the resoponsibility where it belongs. The big fat oil companies are getting richer as we go to the pumps.
A disaster of this dimension should bring people together. Sadly instead, we are witnessing oil companies, gas stations and I am sure others who will take advantage of this tragedy for their own profit. For shame again!
Celia l. Iannelli Jamesport
With the potential devasatation if a similar hurricane hits Long Island, Cardinale's decision to Bulldoze the Grumman Runways is CRIMINAL
GET THIS DOPE OUT ASAP
Good Point!!!
Nit Wit Cardinale is risking our security to Build $800,000 Golf Cottages.
How Short Sighted.
But with enough notice we can all leave by boat - what other choices do we have? Head east on the LIE with 3 million people? Swim? Raft? A military cargo plane sure sounds better, which means we all go to Gabreski!
Why doesn't the town give the runways to the county? We might have half a chance to escape!
Did Everyone see this letter in the News Review! This guy makes more sense than any government official.
Riverhead
To the Editor:
It has been sad watching New Orleans and Mississippi trying to evacuate by car for the past several days. It was taking hours just to go a few miles. You cannot help but wonder how we sit on the East End of a heavily populated island and have no evacuation plan in the case of either a natural or a biological terrorist disaster.
The only way Long Island could be evacuated is by air. EPCAL presently has the ability to have fully loaded military cargo aircraft land and take off any time in any conditions. Even MacArthur Airport does not have this. The fact that there are two major runways facing two different directions gives us this ability.
So what are Supervisor Cardinale, Barbara Blass, Rose Sanders and George Bartunek going to do about an evacuation plan? Take one of the multimillion dollar runways that could save lives in case of any type of disaster and put homes and golf courses on it.
What could these public servants be thinking?
Call and let them know what you think.
EPCAL is our only savior from disasters and high taxes.
Mark Houraney
I am not, nor have I ever been, a "cost conscious" consumer. If you want it you buy it. If the gas tank is empty you fill it.
I have now, because of the gulf coast destruction, started to observe gas prices. Two days ago, on my way in from the city, it was under $ 3.50 and today we went to get gas and it was $ 3.79.
I can't imagine what heating oil will cost this winter and what effect it will have on the homeowners out here, especially if we have a winter like last year. Do you heat the house or pay the mortgage? A young neighbor told me that they are "stocking up" on sweat suits!
It makes me feel bad for the young kids who have struggled to buy homes and who are both working with kids in daycare. How do they fit these increased costs into their budgets, which are already tight in alot of cases.
I am getting scared. Will our $ 500.00 a month fuel oil bills become $ 1,500.00 this year?
How many bankruptcies will be filed?
The Feds need to step in to regulate costs before it is too late.
Iraq, do you owe the U.S. some oil?
How about the elderly on fixed incomes? Will they be able to afford gas to get groceries or go to doctor's appointments?
We all need to make sure that we reach out to help those that we can. Offer to bring an elderly neighbor to the store if you are going!
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