Why is the price of gas so high?

The Democrats think it’s because the various oil companies are gouging like never before. A bill touted by Pelosi would “punish” so-called “price gouging” by gasoline retailers.

But it isn’t retailers who are to blame.

In my opinion, it is government ITSELF.

George Will in The Washington Post said that consumers are “being gouged by people like Pelosi — by government.”

And old George is correct: the federal government makes more from a gallon of gas — 18.4 cents in taxes — than the oil companies, which earn about 13-cents profit per gallon.

And who else is responsible?

Gas is getting more expensive because supplies are tight. China and India are becoming more massive consumers of available petro stocks.

From 1994 to 2003, refiners spent $47.4 billion dollars “not to build new refineries, but to bring existing ones into compliance with ever new and stringent environmental rules.”

And no new refinery has been constructed in the United States in the last 30 years.

As “The Week” recently wrote: “That’s where ‘those allegedly excessive profits’ really go — though of course politicians score more points when they denounce oil-company ‘greed.’ “

Who’s gouging whom? And to whom or what should one turn one’s vehemence?

I would submit: our GOVERNMENT gouges. On both the federal and state levels.

Back in 2002 there was a 32-cent state tax, and an 18.4-cent federal tax, for a total of 50.4-cents tax per gallon of gas in Fornicalia. And that’s only in 2002. Gas is $3.65 at my closest Tesoro dealer. Subtract 50.4-cents per gallon, and that price would be $3.15 — again, in 2002 taxes.

But what would be politically incorrect to conclude, would it not?