June 9, 2022 |
With the average price of gasoline averaging around $5 per gallon this week and the White House not taking action to stem the surge, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon is stepping in to provide relief for consumers in the Cowboy State.
Governor Gordon Wednesday announced the formation of a Gas and Diesel Price Working Group to look for ways to lower the cost of filling up.
Pictured above: Gas station in Rawlins on May 11, 2022. Photo by Cali O’Hare/Bigfoot 99.
The average price of unleaded regular shot past $5 a gallon in much of the nation this week. As of Thursday morning, drivers in at least 20 states and the District of Columbia are paying $5.00 or more a gallon for regular unleaded that much. In Wyoming, only gas stations in Teton County are above the $5 mark. Statewide, the average price is $4.69.
Governor Gordon said in a statement that everything is on the table as the working group looks into the issue, including tax reductions to provide quick relief.
While the price to fill up your car is painful enough, the cost of diesel is an even bigger threat to the economy. You can drive an electric car, ride a bicycle or walk to the store. It doesn’t matter. The cost of diesel is driving up the price of everything you buy or eat. Diesel is the fuel that powers the trucks and locomotives that gets goods from farm and factory to market.
Governor Gordon told Bigfoot 99 this week that the state’s ag producers are being hit hard by the cost of diesel.
The price of diesel nationwide spiked 16 cents on Monday, pushing the average price to $5.70 a gallon. The average price of diesel in Wyoming is $5.55 a gallon. In 13 states along the east and west coasts of the U.S., diesel is averaging over $6.00 a gallon.
The cost to fill up a big rig has more than doubled over the last year—from $600 when Biden took office to $1,400 and more today. Published reports, like one out of Fox 31 Denver this week, indicate truck drivers are refusing loads because of the cost, adding to the supply chain shortages that the White House still blames on COVID.
In the Denver television report filed by Fox 31’s Nicole Fierro, truck drivers said they need relief before they are driven out of the industry. In some parts of the country, especially the east coast, some operators are even struggling to get diesel. Rationing could be next, industry insiders say.
Governor Gordon put the blame for the cascading set of fuel-related problems squarely at the front step of the White House.
The governor’s working group includes members of the governor’s cabinet, representatives of the transportation and agricultural sectors, citizens and legislators.
