California drivers are being forced to spend more at the gas pump than residents in sun-splashed Hawaii – despite the Golden State pumping out millions of barrels of its own precious oil per year.
asserted
State → force → year
Residents in the Aloha State often have it easier at the gas pump – despite no oil being drilled on the paradise islands.
asserted
oil → have → islands
The same day, a gas station in bustling Honolulu was charging $5.39 for regular gas.
asserted
station → bustle → gas
At a Shell station on the corner of Pico and Sepulveda Boulevards in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Csaba Mester, 48, decried the fact the Hawaii gas prices are lower and criticized state local energy policies for motorists feeling the pinch.
asserted
prices → decry → pinch
While calling inflated prices “inevitable” because of the Iran War, he told the Post: “California has been known for higher gas prices than the rest of the nation and unfortunately people voted for it.”
asserted
people → call → it
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The commercial kitchen designer blamed years of misplaced Democrat policies for high pump prices – and praised gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton for comiting to slash prices.
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designer → download → prices
“Hopefully Steve, God bless him, could make it work,” added Mester, after filling up his gleaming black Dodge Durango.
uncertain
Mester → bless → Durango
“We need people that have something to say that’s useful, not just the same old thing thats’ been happening fo the last 16 years.
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that → need → years
“I’m all for some change and we’ve got to rethink all these taxes and our fuel blends as cars today are much more efficient than then were back in the day,
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cars → ’m → day
California produced about 105 million barrels of crude oil in 2025 – roughly 288,000 barrels a day, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, down about 7% from 113 million barrels in 2024.
uncertain
California → produce → 2024
Although Hawaii ships all its oil across the Pacific, California’s taxes, fuel rules and supply constraints can leave drivers paying more at the pump.
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taxes → ship → pump
Also, Hawaii does not require California’s strict gasoline blend.
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Hawaii → require → blend
Those differences outweigh Hawaii’s shipping costs.
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differences → outweigh → costs
Mester, of El Segundo, is paying 30% more to fill up – he used to pay $100 for a full tank and now forks out an eye-watering $130.
He said of drivers fed-up with watching their money disappear into the tank: “Everybody has been impacted.
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Everybody → pay → tank
We need some different thinking in California.
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We → need → California
“We’ve tried the same thing over the last 16 years and where has it gotten us?
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it → try → us
“Steve has some good thoughts on how to bring down prices for everyday people so we need to vote appropriately.”
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we → have → people
Hilton has promised to bring California gas prices down to $3 a gallon through tax cuts, deregulation and increased oil production.
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Hilton → promise → cuts
His proposals include eliminating the state gas tax, repealing the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, increasing oil production within California and changing cap-and-trade costs and rolling back some refinery regulations.
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proposals → include → regulations
Pipefitter Nestor Luna, 51, of Beaumont, 80 miles east of the LA, commutes to the city daily and is “shocked” by crippling gas price in California.
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Luna → commute → California
His weekly gas bill to get to work reaches a staggering $500.
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bill → get → 500
He told the Post he has been forced to drastically change his shopping habits, including the amount of groceries he buys.
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he → tell → groceries
“It is very hard,” revealed Luna of the impact on his wallet, saying it was “crazy” that fuel was cheaper in Hawaii.
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fuel → reveal → Hawaii
“California has all the oil it needs.
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it → have → oil
We don’t need to be relying on anyone else for our gas.
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We → need → gas
It’s ridiculous.
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It → ’ → ?
“We need different gas policies in California,” he added.
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he → need → California
He said Gov. Gavin Newsom has spent years too focused on electricity and solar consumption rather than making life easier for drivers at the pump.
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life → say → pump
“We can drill and get our own oil.
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We → drill → oil
We have more oil here than we do in Dubai.
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we → have → Dubai
We don’t need to buy stuff from other countries but this guy (Newsom) is hell bent on buying s**t from somewhere else.
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guy → need → s**t
We could put people to work her and drill more.”
uncertain
We → put → her
Meanwhile, contractor Oscar Montes, 73, told the Post he is burning through $300 a week on gas for business and private use.
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he → tell → business
The Marine combat veteran, who drives a 2026 Mercedes, blasted gas prices as “too much.”
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who → drive → prices
He has been forced to reduce the amount of food buys in order to pay for gas.
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He → force → gas
The electric bill has also gone up sky high.”
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bill → go → ?
Asa Gallagher, 43, a marketing professional, spent $139.15 to top up the tank in his black gas-guzzling 2024 Range Rover.
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Gallagher → spend → Rover
He described current gas prices as “crazy.
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He → describe → prices
It’s gone up astronomically.
asserted
It → go → ?
It would be nice to see them drop.
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them → see → ?
…and 15 more, not listed.
The Aporia
