Gas prices / where the cheapest gas is

[AaronM]

voting smarter as a precursor to this mess

Politicians don't actually control the price of gas, unless you're expecting the US military to "stabilize" Ukraine; irony there being that you're still paying for it, out of a different pocket where you can't see how much it costs.

Now, if you extend the idea of "voting" to include "personal choices", then yes, you could choose to live in a place that doesn't require so much driving.

Yes, I agree 100%

Lucky we don't live California. 

" A Chevron station in the coastal village of Mendocino about 175 miles north of San Francisco was charging $9.60 a gallon for regular on Friday afternoon.

That’s more than $3 a gallon above the state average of $6.30, and $4.78 higher than the national average of $4.82"

Having lived in the Mendocino/Fort Bragg/Comptche area, the "about 175 miles north of San Francisco" part doesn't tell the whole story.

The Mendocino Coast is one of the more secluded and sparsely populated areas of Northern California.  Fuel and grocery costs have always been higher than normal in that area.  As a trucker, your choices are either to drive 70 miles up Highway 128(which is very beautiful but is also quite a crawl in a tractor trailer), or the 40 mile trip across Highway 20 which takes you through steep mountain canyons.  

Living off the beaten path is priceless until you need goods and services as everyone living in Puna is well aware...