The economy continues to continue a very slow recovery from the Great Recession. People are suffering. Oil companies are making record profits. You would THINK this would be a time to balance things out, and move to help people in general, rather than continuing to provide tax breaks and incentives for oil companies.
But no, politicians continue to cave to the power of Big Oil. In South Dakota, our governor Dennis Daugard is simply choosing not to enforce laws regarding gasoline quality, as he bows to oil interests. Oil suppliers in the state have been intentionally mislabeling gasoline as E-87 (octane) or higher, when in fact some has been as low as E-83. The low-grade gasoline is much cheaper to produce, so a company that produces E-85 but sells it as E-87 makes a larger profit. Which is JUST what oil companies need right now, right?
In the story above, you have oil companies officials ADMITTING the practice is rampant. But South Dakota is refusing to actually enforce laws regarding gasoline quality. This despite all newer cars requiring the use of E-87 or higher fuels, with the lower-grade gasoline being passed off as E-87 in the state harmful to car engines in the long run.
But this is America, where politicians are in the back pockets of Big Oil and other corporations. Laws? Harming consumers? Unimportant!! At least to politicians who seem hell-bent on doing ANYTHING to protect the profits of their oil industry friends.
