Letter: Gasoline prices and a study in capitalism

The price of gasoline has been erroneously named as the cause of high food prices. Granted, it is an inconvenience that gas prices are still subject to the whims of OPEC. Gas prices were going down until OPEC cut production to make more profits.

The semitrailers and trains that move food around the country and to your grocery stores do not use gasoline. They use diesel fuel. Most farm tractors and equipment that plant and harvest crops use diesel fuel.

Unlike the price of gasoline, which had fallen below $4 a gallon at one point, diesel fuel has consistently been above $5 per gallon since the Ukraine war began. And those trucks, trains, and tractors need a lot of diesel to keep running.

Diesel fuel is cheaper to make than gasoline. Why isn't more of it made? You must look to the petroleum industry for those answers. Companies can make more money exporting diesel than selling within the United States, so that's what they do.

The top three manufacturers of diesel in the U.S. have reaped spectacular gains in their stock prices since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb 24 (Valero 60%, Exxon Mobil 50%, and Phillips 33%) while our grocery bills have skyrocketed. A study in capitalism.

Dave Volkman

Naperville