Low prices could extend energy woes

The cost of a barrel of oil is dropping faster than the balance of my bank account last summer when oil was hitting peak prices. But the price of a gallon of gasoline has gone down just a few cents.

Turns out that oil is falling faster than we can use up the expensive fuel still around. As of Friday, consumers were being told that we won’t see real relief at the pump until all the expensive fuel is sold and the cheaper gasoline works its way to gas stations.

By the time that starts to happen, however, the cost of a barrel of oil could be shooting up again.

So it is in the new world we live in.

An oil-worker strike in some distant country, or a change in weather patterns from one day to the next, or some political speech by a crazy person who controls oil supplies can lead us all into thinking we are destined for the poor house, only to feel rich the next week and spend money at the holidays like it was 1999.

Patriot-News (Pennsylvania)