Price of Gas - Political Backlash?

Last year on the California ballot, there was an initiative to encourage alternative energy sources that would not allow the oil companies to raise the price of gas in retaliation. It was defeated, to my chagrin.

I predicted at the time that we would be made to "pay" for the temerity of even putting it on the ballot by extremely high gas prices in this state after the elections.

And, lo and behold, the highest I've ever seen gas in Oakland (it's usually worse in San Francisco, but I am not about to drive across the bridge just to take a picture of it, not in the traffic fiasco the tanker explosion left behind). Here it is:



Does anyone else think that the gas companies would stoop so low as to gouge because they feel threatened? Or do more people think it has to do with the turmoil in the Middle East? Or are there other theories?

Post your high gas price pix here. Who can top mine?

Note: Other parts of the world need not apply unless they feel like chiming in. I've lived overseas and I know how expensive gas is in the rest of the world. We still have it good compared to a lot of places, even at these prices.