Then the gas prices went up. Anyone's guess is good at this point, but if gas keeps going up it probably won't be good.
Speaking of gas prices...news from "down south"
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http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080229/BUSINESS/802290663
As area gas prices crept up to yet another all-time record for Southwest Florida, analysts are having a tough time deciding whether prices will drop as it would seem they should with inventories swelling.
Any decline would be welcome news for area drivers struggling with rising prices in a down economy.
"It's affecting everything," said Jules Van Landuyt, owner of Victory Lane Sunoco in Sarasota. "People are bringing in change to pay, and I mean pennies. I've had more denied credit cards in the last six months than in the last 27 years."
"People are just broke," he said.
A gallon of regular was selling for an average of $3.262 in the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice market on Thursday, AAA reported. That is about 34 percent higher than this time last year.
Some drivers said that the soaring prices mean they do less: fewer meals out, fewer movies, fewer trips to the mall. Fears are that, come the summer driving season and the usual spike in prices, a gallon of regular may top $4.
"There is a very strong season when prices go higher during March through May," Beutel said. "We have the Fed cutting interest rates and that's not good for inflation -- the price of commodities go higher. Those combine to give us a very good chance of higher prices come Memorial Day."
A recession would help at least in terms of gas prices because it would lower the price of commodities across the board, he said. Short of that, Beutel thinks $4 per gallon gallon gas is on the way -- at least for some of the wealthier areas of the Sunshine State like Southwest Florida.
"It doesn't seem like we are going to come out ahead one way or the other," he said.
Lonnie Mazon feels like he already is way behind. Gassing up at an Exxon station on U.S. 41 in Sarasota, his $20 barely got him six gallons.
"It takes a lot out of my life," said Mazon, who is a telephone directory delivery driver. "It takes away the funding for my kids, for our vacations."
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