Editorials

Some politicians talk about bringing change, but that is something a lot of Americans might feel they have had plenty of recently, with gasoline prices exhibit A.

People who put up those "today's gasoline price" signs at various stations have been working overtime as prices change almost daily, going upward before peaking a few days ago and taking a moderate dip.

Through it all, however, there has been something motorists could count on as being consistent, and that might be one thing many would like to see change. It is the 9/10 of a cent that comes at the end of whatever the price of a gallon of gasoline happens to be for the hour or day.

If ever any logical justification could be made for adding 9/10 of a cent to the price of a gallon of gasoline there surely is none at today's prices, even after they dropped back a few cents from the $4 range.

It defies the imagination to think the 9/10 of a cent's worth of a $3.869 gallon of gasoline could be accurately measured and delivered. That makes it look like a totally senseless exercise.

Even at lower prices it is hard to see this practice as anything other than an annoying gimmick. Yet it has been going on as long as most of today's drivers can remember even though it likely is an irritant to more people than anything else.

Considering some bad raps oil companies have been getting lately as they report healthy profits there might be a big opportunity to improve their public image by declaring an end to the practice of keeping 9/10 of a cent as a part of every gallon price.

Exxon has been a particular target of criticism so this could be a chance to gain some popularity points by taking the lead in getting rid of this practice once and for all. That action might even help still some of the talk about windfall profits.

It would eliminate any perception of a deceptive pricing practice on a gallon of gasoline and make the service station gasoline price posting job simpler.

Customers finally seeing a clear cut per gallon cost without the fraction of a cent added would have something to talk about other than the high price.

Eliminating the gasoline price fraction factor might not be national energy plan material but it would bring instant satisfaction to drivers who have endured it so long, perhaps with varying levels of resentment.

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