Reader comments
Huntsman says state to monitor gas prices

sob | 7:10 a.m. Aug. 14, 2008

big deal,,,, if monitoring only means watch us get ripped off as we now are

Bart | 7:59 a.m. Aug. 14, 2008

Where do I sign up for this job? Good grief--anyone can monitor gas prices by simply watching the posted signs. Way to go Guv!

Carl | 8:12 a.m. Aug. 14, 2008

It's an election year for Huntsman. Releasing a statement like this to the press makes him sound like he is taking action, when in fact all he is doing is "monitoring" the situation. What, really, does that mean?

Comments continue below

Same Stuff | 8:33 a.m. Aug. 14, 2008

BIG DEAL!! State officials have been watching and doing nothing since back to Governor Matheson.
This is just another PR attempt by the governor to make us think he feels and understands our pain.
Every time a governor or attorney general has "threatened" to take action, it comes back the same thing; "Sorry, we can't find anything wrong. No laws have been broken. Just sit back and take the gouging."

Same stuff on a different day from a different governor. I'm looking for Shurtleff to weigh in again like his predecessors and say there is nothing he can do either except put the gas companies on notice he too is "watching." I'm sure the companies are quaking in their boots.

K2 | 8:49 a.m. Aug. 14, 2008

Ho-hum; "business" as usual in Utah. Gasoline prices are artificially set - could we just get that through the heads of our state government "monitors". They are just going to wait until it blows over and then on to the next crisis. Just how dumb do you think people are?

Stop buying gas! | 8:47 a.m. Aug. 14, 2008

If you don't like the price of something, stop buying it!

This seems to be the only product where producers get yelled at for charging what the market will bear. If I had a store, I would charge as much as possible to make as much money as possible. Isn't that the point? If people didn't like it, they wouldn't pay my prices and I would go out of business or be forced to lower prices. Econ 101 stuff here.

Walk, ride your bike, take the bus, stay home, or pay what it costs. Why would someone lower their price if you are willing to pay current prices?

Goodie | 9:37 a.m. Aug. 14, 2008

I'm so relieved that the state is monitoring the situation! My wallet and I feel better already!

Phew....that was a close one!

woody | 9:54 a.m. Aug. 14, 2008

The Gov. needs to think about this an he considers this 'green' position on energy. Utah could have a great economic boost from oil shale and drilling, not to mention nuclear power generation. He needs to stop pandering the a minority opinion and do what is necessary for the people of Utah.

LilHool | 9:57 a.m. Aug. 14, 2008

Go back and check out the past several months and you'll see our prices would increase right along with the crud increases, NOT slightly behind! Then of course we lag behind when it comes to lowering those same prices! Odd.....

To: Stop buying gas! | 10:11 a.m. Aug. 14, 2008

Letï¿½s address Econ 101 issues. The first issue is competition in the market. Competition in fact helps lower prices because a gas station owner would want to illicit more sales with a lower price. Competition is not at work here. What would happen if Chevron went to $3.86 a gallon.

A second issue is ethics. Economists are notorious for not addressing ethics (or the lack thereof) as it pertains to prices. A classic anecdote is the cost of a snow shovel in a blizzard where you are the only store with snow shovels. What would you do with the price? You have already answered the question.

I do agree that the only way to fix the problem is not buy fuel. The governorï¿½s office is going to do anything and most government agencies donï¿½t have the power to. There are some alternatives which you do discuss but for the most part they are neither realistic nor long-term as a whole. I would love the government to cut to the chase and address the true underlying issues. Rather they will continue to adhere to the marketing spin of ï¿½we are monitoring the situation.ï¿½ Yeah, whatever.

Ron | 10:30 a.m. Aug. 14, 2008

Its called price fixing. Which last I checked was illegal. GET OFF YOUR BUTT HUNTSMAN. YOU TALK TO MUCH! Actions speak louder than words.

Collusion | 10:49 a.m. Aug. 14, 2008

n. [L. collusio: cf. F. collusion. See Collude.]
1. A secret agreement and cooperation for a fraudulent or deceitful purpose; a playing into each other's hands; deceit; fraud; cunning.
2. (Law) An agreement between two or more persons to defraud a person of his rights, by the forms of law, or to obtain an object forbidden by law.

Mad-Dog | 10:50 a.m. Aug. 14, 2008

Huntsman and the State are watching the situation. Excuse me while I LOL. Ho, ho, ho. Hee, hee, hee. Ha, ha, ha ...

Ted | 11:17 a.m. Aug. 14, 2008

Mr. Peacok's comments are disingenuous at best. His reasoning smacks of the old saying that if a person stands with one foot in the snow and the other on a bed of hot coals he should be comfortable. Purely and simply, the Utah petroleum industry is gouging consumers. We have to buy some of their gasoline but we don't have to buy the over-price groceries and goodies they peddle from their convenience stores. The stores are huge profit centers. If they are going to gouge us at the pump let's at least stop patronizing their stores.

Anonymous | 12:41 p.m. Aug. 14, 2008

Once being a native of Utah but now a foreigner, I marvel at the price of gas whenever I visit the great state. Back east here where I live (much higher cost of living than in Utah), I just got gas for $3.57 a gallon. Of course, I coud have gone 5 miles farther east on the same road and paid $3.84. Not only is the price of gas artifically high in Utah, it is maintained artifically even with only a few cents difference between stations (except in Utah County where it is extremely rare to see any difference in price between stations).

Tara | 1:26 p.m. Aug. 14, 2008

Didn't the governor already "monitor and analyze" the situation last time we were stuck paying higher gas prices than the national average? It's obvious that he either has no ability to affect pricing or his office isn't really going to do anything about it. It's outrageous that we have our own refineries and a near source of oil. We should have the lowest prices of anyone. I disagree that store are the primary beneficiaries of the profits. Gasoline is probably their lowest margin product. In situations where it is possible, our only option is to move to alternative fuels or cut back on travel.

Anonymous | 2:03 p.m. Aug. 14, 2008

Where was the Gov "monitoring" the situation in May when we had the one of lowest prices in the nation? If you don't like the price of gas - why did you buy that huge truck or SUV that everyone seems to love? If everyone in Utah didn't have one, we wouldn't have high gas prices.

Roger | 2:45 p.m. Aug. 14, 2008

This governor says things like this just for their political appeal. It is an election year.

When he first ran for office four years ago, during a press conference on the hill overlooking the state prison, he "suggested" that the state should consider moving the prison away from Salt Lake County. After the election, a small study was done and revealed what everyone already knew: the move would cost a lot of money. So we haven't heard from him since about this particular suggestion.

Then, after the legislature dismissed in April, he "suggested" that Utah's liquor laws might require review at the next legislature. He didn't suggest this while the legislature was in session, nor did he do so at any time prior to this year. The legislature will not meet again until after the coming election.

Now, again, he makes an empty statement about what many consider the issue of the day: gasoline prices. Again, the suggestion comes without any specifics.

There is a pattern here.

Red | 3:09 p.m. Aug. 14, 2008

It's nice that the Guv is watching the situations now. Gas prices will finally start going down in Utah and he will take the credit for taking action by "watching" the prices.

This is why | 3:09 p.m. Aug. 14, 2008

I moved 3 blocks away from my work, and now only fill up my corolla once a month. 45 buck a month on gas. this is my way of STICKING it to the gas companies.

Dang! | 4:18 p.m. Aug. 14, 2008

If Mr. Huntsman had his way, we'd all be walking! He's as crooked as all other politician, and is totally in bed with the liberals. Why do we keep electing a liberal in this conservative state? I don't get it!

Uintah Basin prices high | 4:39 p.m. Aug. 14, 2008

Out here in Vernal the gas prices seems to range from about $4.11 to close to $4.30 a gallon, depending on where you buy it. I know at least some of the crude oil going to the refineries in Salt Lake come from here, because our son hauls it out there in his tanker truck. Seems kinda weird that some of the highest gas prices are in the area of the largest concentration of petroleum in the state. Public transportation is not an option here, so we have to drive everywhere we go. People my age don't have the option of riding a bike to work, either. We can't do it! I remember when gas was about 20 cents a gallon, and that was in about 1968. Not that long ago. I lived in Texas at the time, and gas prices ranged from 19 cents to 23 cents a gallon. Of course, you could buy a brand new home for $15,000 too. Times change, and not always for the better.

monitoring | 4:46 p.m. Aug. 14, 2008

Maybe Huntsman should have someone monitor how much energy is being saved by having government offices open an extra 2 hours for four days (open 44 hours) rather than for a regular 9 hour day for five days (open 45 hours). I'm sure there is just a truckload of savings going on there nevermind the inconvenience to the taxpayers.

Derrek Draper | 4:53 p.m. Aug. 14, 2008

I will be amazed if we can elect someone who isnt a polititian. One must consider the fact that out elected officials get paid to stay in office. How can we be certain that they do anything besides make press releases and look after thier own best interests?

supply and demand | 5:07 p.m. Aug. 14, 2008

Well, if the other article is correct and Utahns have driven far fewer miles this summer than in previous years, the price of gas should have dropped as dramatically. It hasn't. What? I cry foul. Huntsman's solution is to monitor? That's giving the green light to the gougers to keep gouging.

Question.... | 8:47 p.m. Aug. 14, 2008

How do you monitor greed?

very ticked-off | 12:22 p.m. Aug. 15, 2008

I am a former Utahn with lots of famaily in the state but now live in the mountains in colorado - about 90 miles west of Denven on I-70.

Two weeks ago I was in North Carolina and I bought gas there for $3.86 for regular. I flew that day into the Denver airport and bought gas for $3.89 before driving home.

I got home to the Breckenridge area and gas was $4.03 and still is $3.97.

In Denver you can now buy it for $3.74 - why is there a 25 cent per gallon difference.

Now to make all from Utah & Colorado really P.Oed - yesterday my son drove to Colorado and in St. Louis he paid $3.43 for regular.

It is crazy......

AC | 2:27 p.m. Aug. 15, 2008

Oooooooooooooo...the state is watching! We want you to know the State is watching this gasoline crisis. We're monitoring youuuuuu.

What a joke. A real governor would take immediate action. Instead he sits on the sidelines chatting with his buddies...at the game so it looks like he is engaged, but not paying any attention at all.

Take some action smilin' jon for once.

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