If you wonder why everything costs more, just look up next time you're stopped at a red light on any corner where there's a gas station in New Jersey. According to New Jersey 101.5's Eric Scott, NJ gas prices are up more than $2 a gallon in two years.

This is not about how much more it costs you to commute to work every day or taking a ride on the weekend. This affects the prices of everything we buy, from food to household supplies and everything else.

Less than two years ago we as a country were energy independent for the first time in decades. We were a major exporter of energy and we did it in a clean, environmentally responsible way.

Now we find ourselves doing business with, and in some cases begging, for other countries who hate us to buy their oil.

Two years ago, we took this shot at a local Mercer County gas station when the price was $2.09 if you paid cash. Exactly two years later it is almost double that price at $4.15. Was it the pandemic, the supply chain, Vladimir Putin or more regulations that restrict and discourage exploration for energy in the United States?

Photos provided by Dennis Malloy
Photos provided by Dennis Malloy
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Pick whichever reason makes you more comfortable. In the meantime, we're paying more for gas and everything else we need to purchase.

We also happen to be in a very high tax state which makes monthly budgets challenging or all but the 1%, so don't expect any help from the state, not that they have any way of making things like this any better. Their job is to increase their power and make your life harder. So far they're doing a great job in 2022.

Happy motoring!

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.

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