Drivers slam Democratic policies over soaring California gas prices

Even as the Golden State extracts millions of barrels of precious oil every year, California drivers are forced to spend more at the pump than residents of sunny Hawaii.

Although no oil is drilled on Paradise Island, gas stations are generally more accessible to Aloha State residents.

On Tuesday, AAA listed the average price per gallon of gasoline in Hawaii at $5.63, and incredibly, the average price per gallon in California was $6.14.

On the same day, a gas station in bustling Honolulu charged $5.39 for regular gas. Mid-range and high-end are $5.64 and $5.94 respectively.

At a Shell gas station on the corner of Pico and Sepulveda avenues in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Csaba Mester, 48, decried low gas prices in Hawaii and criticized state and local energy policies for stressing out drivers.

He said rising oil prices were “inevitable” because of the Iran war, but told the Washington Post: “It’s no secret that gas prices are higher in California than in the rest of the country, and it’s unfortunate that people voted for that.”

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The commercial kitchen designer blamed high gas prices on years of misguided Democratic policies and praised gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton for promising to slash prices.

“Hopefully Steve, God bless him, can make it work,” Meester added after gassing up his gleaming black Dodge Durango.

“We need people who have something useful to say, not just the same old stuff that’s happened over the past 16 years.

“I’m all for some changes, we have to rethink all these taxes and our fuel mixtures because today’s cars are much more efficient than they were before,

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, California crude oil production will be about 105 million barrels in 2025, or about 288,000 barrels per day, down about 7% from 113 million barrels in 2024.

Although all of Hawaii’s oil travels across the Pacific, California’s taxes, fuel rules and supply restrictions could leave motorists paying more at the pump. Additionally, Hawaii does not require California’s strict gasoline blending requirements. These differences exceed shipping costs to Hawaii.

Mester, of El Segundo, pays 30 percent more — a tank of gas that used to cost him $100 now costs an eye-popping $130.

“Everyone is affected,” he said of drivers who are tired of watching their money disappear into the tank. “We need some different thinking in California.”

“We’ve been trying the same thing for the past 16 years, but what’s the result?

“Steve has some good ideas on how to lower prices for ordinary people, so we need to vote appropriately.”

Hilton pledged to lower California gas prices to $3 a gallon through tax cuts, deregulation and increased oil production.

His proposals include eliminating the state gas tax, repealing the low-carbon fuel standard, increasing oil production in California, changing cap-and-trade costs and rolling back some refinery regulations.

Nestor Luna, a 51-year-old plumber who lives in Beaumont, 80 miles east of Los Angeles and commutes into the city every day, is “shocked” by the collapse in gas prices in California. His gas bill for going to work each week amounts to a staggering $500.

He told The Washington Post that he was forced to completely change his shopping habits, including the amount of groceries he purchased.

“It’s been very difficult,” Luna revealed of the impact on his wallet, saying fuel is “crazy” cheap in Hawaii.

“California has all the oil we need. We don’t need to rely on anyone else for natural gas. That’s ridiculous.

“We need a different natural gas policy in California,” he added.

He said Gov. Gavin Newsom has been too focused on electricity and solar consumption for years instead of making life easier for gas station drivers.

“We can drill and get our own oil. We have more oil here than Dubai. We don’t need to buy stuff from other countries, but this guy (Newsom) wants to buy stuff from other places. We can have people working for her to drill more oil.”

Meanwhile, 73-year-old contractor Oscar Montes told The Washington Post that he consumes $300 a week in natural gas for business and personal use.

The Marine Corps veteran, who drives a 2026 Mercedes, blasted gas prices as “too high.”

To pay for gas, he was forced to cut back on food purchases. “Everything is so expensive, and the electricity bill has gone up to sky-high prices.”

Asa Gallagher, a 43-year-old marketing professional, spent $139.15 to fill up his black 2024 Range Rover.

He described current gas prices as “crazy. They’ve gone up to astronomical amounts. It’s great to see them coming down. Everyone is cutting back on unnecessary extra expenses now.”

Meanwhile, Nader Jahanshir, a 44-year-old private driver who was born in Iran, told The Washington Post that he would be happy to pay extra at the pump if it meant President Donald Trump could overthrow the regime in his home country.

When the war is over, I know gas prices will go down, so I’d rather hold on tight and not complain until the war is over.

“I’m sure there are a lot of people who are on a tight budget and this is difficult for them.”

“California does have a lot of energy production, but it also has a huge demand,” Ross Allen, a spokesman for oil giant Chevron, told the Washington Post.

“So while prices are typically determined by a combination of supply and demand, taxes and fees are also a big part of the problem, especially in California.

“California’s taxes and fees are among the highest in the nation. California’s excise tax is 63 cents per gallon, more than three times the 18.5 cents per gallon charged to drivers in Hawaii. California’s gas tax is also gradually increasing, and it increases annually by law.

“In addition to having the highest taxes in the country, California charges an environmental fee of 51 cents per gallon.

“Both states also have local or county sales taxes.

“At the same time, both states rely heavily on imported fuel from international refineries. Hawaii has only one refinery, and California shut down nearly 18% of its capacity last year alone.

“Hawaii is an archipelago, but California is also an energy island—both are isolated from production elsewhere in the United States.

“For example, there are no gasoline pipelines running from the U.S. Gulf Coast to California.

“Both states are proving that local energy production is really important to affordable energy.

“But California has proven how expensive taxes and fees are for the state’s consumers.”

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