It’s a gas.
At least for now. It appears that gas prices are a little more reasonable these days; a lot of gas stations are selling gas at $1.75 a gallon.
Some at Bakersfield College are pessimistic and don’t believe this will last.
BC economics professor Stephen Smith said these gas prices could be both a blessing and a curse.
Of course, the lower prices of gas mean that consumers can spend more money on other items such as food.
But in the wake of a worldwide recession and a drop in the demand for oil, there is a problem; oil companies may refrain from seeking out new sources of oil supplies.
Michael Harvath, also a BC economics professor, said one good thing about high prices for oil is that it encourages the search for alternative fuels.
Some BC students are happy about the gas prices, and others believe the low prices are a trick the oil companies are playing on consumers.
“It’ll flip back up, and then we’ll be back where we were before,” said Conrad Nieto, 48, psychology major.
“It’ll slowly get worse. Whoever’s in control of gas prices is giving us a break, that’s all,” Nieto said.
Patrick Turner, 18, biology major, agrees that the prices are probably going to go back up, but for now, he said he is enjoying the cheaper price.
“It’s $1.75 at Fastrip. That’s pretty cool,” Turner said.
Psychology major Henry Garcia, 28, suspects a scheme by the oil and gas companies.
“They (companies) could have gas cost $1.50, and people would throw a fit. Then they might raise the prices to $1.75, and people might throw a hissy fit. Then they could bring it back to where it was before at $1.50, and people would be happy,” he said.
“Leave it at the low prices for a year, then you’ll really be saving some money for people.”