For those of you keeping score, the price of a barrel of oil is down $2.55 as of 4:15 p.m. today, a little more than half of yesterday’s nearly $5-a-barrel hike that produced an almost instant 17-cent run-up at the pumps in Wichita.
UPDATE: No downward movement last night in the price of unleaded. And this morning, oil suddenly shot up $4 a barrel. What’s the moral? Time to fill up.
Cue the “price hike had nothing to do with the day’s trading” excuses in 3, 2, 1 …
So, if my math follows, a gallon of unleaded should be trading at around $3.56 tomorrow morning in Wichita, right?
Tune in tomorrow for further details.
13 Comments
And, of course, the simultaneous price hike of 16 cents is only coincidence.
The gasoline filling station companies probably think like the Wichita’s Water Department. If Wichita water consumers use more water … up goes the price. If Wichita water users conserve and USE LESS WATER, UP GOES THE PRICE EVEN MORE!
JW – there is a difference. In the case of water there is a great deal of infrastructure that needs to be maintained and improved. Also there is the forward-thinking recharge project. It all costs money but believe me – ‘tomorrow’ we will all be glad we made the investments.
Thank you Ben. For setting the record straight on the water issue. You are absolutely right.
It would be interesting, wouldn’t it, if gasoline was regulated as a necessary utility like electricity?
At one time, the price of oil was regulated; as I recall, the maximum price allowed per barrel was $25, and, the price of gasoline reflected this regulation.
I don’t think so VT – however it was that thrugh the market. You may be remembering $35 gold.
A comment about water – look at what people pay for fancy bottled water. Rediculous. Carry a cooler or Thermos full of Dave Warren’s bast.
BTH: I had to think what “Dave Warren’s best” refered to. Then I remembered that David Warren is head of the Wichita’s Water Department. I happened to talk with David Warren recently at Wichita’s city hall.
I mentioned the city of Phoenix tries to save water by using treated sewage treatment effluent for some purposes. I presume those uses include watering golf courses, parks, etc. Frankly I don’t recall the uses but it seems to save a substantial amount of water.
I also don’t remember price of oil being regulated. However I do remember the airlines being regulated although don’t know how that worked out in practice. I do believe the glory days of TWA, Braniff, Frontier, etc. during the 1960’s and 70’s were during those days of airline regulation.
I wonder if anyone has noticed that there are TWO water pipes across the ditch at Zoo Blvd. The larger one is blue; the smaller one is red. They added the smaller one several years ago … so West Wichita now has hot water!
If you don’t believe me ask Dave Warren – he confirmed it for me.
BTH: When I was driving on Zoo Boulevard across the Big Ditch, I looked but didn’t see the red hot water pipe. I also looked for the red pipe next to the big blue pipe at K-96 and Halstead Road that brings part of Wichita’s drinking water in from the Equus Beds, but again didn’t see it.
As you probably know, Pratt has it’s world famous twin water towers on north Main Street marked HOT and COLD … so most of Pratt has hot water as far as I know.
As evidence it works, the water in the Pratt municipal swimming pool is currently up in the eighties. And the McDonald’s Restaurant on east First Street (Highway 54) uses the water to make its steaming hot coffee in the mornings.
BTH: Of course, each house and restaurant does have to have a water heater to make this hot water system work.
Maybe they repainted the second one. I’ll have to drive up that way and look.