Mark F

Hello @TomSteyer, California gas prices are “outrageous” — we agree. It is unfortunate that our customers are not only paying high prices for gasoline but even more to just to feed the voracious appetite of a bloated state bureaucracy. But let’s stick to the data instead of the usual Sacramento script. As of April 2026: • CA average: ~$5.89/gallon • National average: ~$4.08/gallon • Difference: +$1.81 that has ZERO to do with any war or “Big Oil.” That premium has existed for decades — long before this conflict began. Highest gas taxes & fees in America (~71¢ excise + sales + cap-and-trade + LCFS credits = nearly $1.80/gal in total state burden). CARB’s boutique “California-only” fuel blend that no other state can supply. Decades of refinery closures, low-carbon mandates, and permitting hell that slashed in-state capacity while CA imported more crude from foreign sources. Nevada imports 85-90% of its fuel from those same strangled California refineries. Arizona gets ~33%. Green ideology isn’t just screwing Californians — it’s pricing out your neighbors too. (Sound familiar, @AaronDFordNV?) You and Governor Newsom keep blaming Trump and producers for the mess Sacramento engineered. Meanwhile, the same CARB regs you cheered are now a national security issue for DoD bases on the West Coast. Trump’s Defense Production Act moves to fix what ideology broke. That’s not “Big Oil” — that’s basic energy security. And while we’re on the topic of who really benefits: It is our understanding that you built your ~$2 billion fortune running Farallon Capital, a hedge fund that delivered big returns in part through investments in fossil fuels — including coal mines and power plants abroad. Then your fund pivoted to climate investing via Galvanize Climate Solutions, raising hundreds of millions for “decarbonization” plays and profitinh handsomely from the subsidies, mandates, and regulations. In political science terms this would be called rent-seeking. Energy security isn’t optional. American oil & gas delivers it — when Sacramento gets out of the way. But it sounds like if elected you're not prepared to get out of the way. At any rate, thank you for sharing your views on this important issue.