The Gas Embarrassments
New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele (I, D, Working Families–Sag Harbor) is unhappy about what he considers high gas prices on the East End, and he is planning to send a weekly listing of the worst offenders to Dan’s Papers to print.
Thiele has been fighting against zone pricing by national fuel companies and irregular practices by local suppliers with many bills in Albany over the years, but somehow those concerned seem to slip by the letter of the law and we are stuck with the higher costs. With prices once again on the rise nationally and even higher here on the East End, we must all applaud his efforts.
Thiele will provide the State Attorney General with a monthly survey of gasoline prices in the Hamptons, as compared to other locations in New York State, as a follow-up to charges of gasoline price gouging on the South Fork that he made over Memorial Day weekend. The American Automobile Association (AAA) provides for a regional survey on New York State gasoline prices. However, there is no survey that looks solely at the South Fork. Thiele’s reports will look at the prices on Montauk Highway, the main thoroughfare for the South Fork. There may be prices that are higher or lower in the region, but the survey will reflect the average. [expand]
In Thiele’s July 13 survey, the price seen most often was $3.99 per gallon at nearly a half-dozen stations. This was 3 cents more than the average for all of Long Island, 10 cents more than the New York State average and 2 cents less than the price in New York City. “Gasoline prices are still too high,” Thiele said, “nearly a dollar higher than a year ago. However, since I contacted Attorney General Schneiderman, the differential between the South Fork and the rest of the State has narrowed considerably. I appreciate his work on behalf of our motorists. On Memorial Day, gasoline prices across Long Island were 17 cents lower than on the South Fork. Today that differential has narrowed to 3 cents. Even the differential with the North Fork, which was around 35 cents on Memorial Day, had narrowed to 10 to 15 cents.”
Let’s all hope his watchful eye will keep the average price lower and save us all some gas money. [/expand]