The price of oil vs the price of gas

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that the relationship between the price of a barrel of oil and the price of a gallon of gas just doesn't make any logical sense?

Granted, when the price of oil increases, as it did lately to nearly $ 150 a barrel, the price of gas increases immediately, as it did to over $4 a gallon.

However, when the price of oil recently dropped to below $100, a decrease of 33 percent, the price of gas barely budged and in the past week leapt to $4.38 a gallon in anticipation of hurricane Ike.

I find it incredible that the price of gas didn't drop with the price of oil and even more incredible that gas in storage tanks and underground at gas stations magically became more valuable in anticipation of a hurricane in the gulf.

But then, no one has been able to explain to me why we in the Chicago area have the highest gas prices in the nation.

We have known for some time that the OPEC monopoly has been sticking it to us, but considering the recent record oil company profits and the disconnect between the price of oil and gas, I think somebody else is doing a job on us.

The people we elected should be aware of this situation with the price of gas and be doing something about it.

But considering members of Congress didn't consider it important enough to address before they went on vacation, let's put them on a permanent vacation.

We should reward every member of Congress running for re-election this year with a vote for their opponent as a reward for their inaction and ineffectiveness.

For far too long we have seen what happens when we re-elect the same old cronies in Cook County and the state of Illinois. They only have their own self interests in mind and could care less about the interests of the people that elected them.

In this year that all the politicians seem to incorporate the word "Change," we the voters should grant their wish and "change" to someone who will actually care about and do things for the people who elected them. That would be refreshing.

Daryl Pratt

Arlington Heights