I asked the station manager about it, and he told me their wholesale supplier has hiked prices *four times* this week. I don’t know if there is a refinery down somewhere, but California’s unique gasoline requirements (California can’t import gasoline used in any other state—we insist on having our own bespoke gasoline blend for no good reason) is a prime culprit in the matter.

I recall once asking Arthur Laffer why California is governed so badly. His response: “That’s like asking why pretty girls are mean: because they can.” Of course, a lot of mean pretty girls age badly and become fat, ugly, and unmarried. Sort of like California government these days.