Gas prices kept artificially high in Moses Lake

On July 18, 2017, a very nice article was presented by your reporter, Mr. Featherstone,

Unfortunately, like a very big secret, he was unable to get “behind the screen” to determine why our gas prices are so high, compared to surrounding areas, in Moses Lake.

Many years ago, I was told by an official of the Moses Lake city administration that to get the pipeline from Montana there would be an extra charge on each gallon of gas just in the area of Moses Lake, which would never be taken away.

This has been proven by a search of the cities surrounding our town.

Mr. Featherstone states the highest price of gas is $2.759 (credit) at Safeway, $2.899 elsewhere. I have the fortune to be able to purchase gas out of town because of travel, and all around our area, gas goes for $2.329 (Ellensburg), $2.529 (Pasco), even $2.729 at Coulee City.

When the price of gas goes down in Moses Lake, the margin goes down the same all around the outer areas also. Between Pasco and here the gas lines have a capacity to “flood” all of Washington with product. In talking with the employees of the Moses Lake terminal, “we ship gas all over the state: Seattle, Spokane, Vancouver, Pasco, et cetera.” Also was stated, “even as an employee, we receive no discount for ourselves.”

I realize there is nothing that can be done but to “yell at the wall” but it is the right of people to know that we are being taken to the cleaners again, in this case. When Safeway can blackmail people to buy their food products to get a 40 cent-per-gallon discount on gas, you wonder if that only brings it to their cost.

Dick McNeese

Moses Lake