I can't, in good faith, say there's a connection BUT...

When Bill Clinton was inaugurated in January 1993 the average price of regular grade gasoline in the US was $1.06/gallon, depending on your source of information.*

When George Bush Jr was inaugurated in January 2001, the average price of gas in the US was $1.38/gallon (a 30% increase over the eight years Clinton was in office). At Bush Jr's second inauguration, gas prices were averaging about $1.80/gallon (another 30%, this time in just four years).

Today, the average price of gas in the US is about $3.35/gallon. That's an 86% increase in just four years, and a 142% increase in his eight years as our fine president.

Somewhere in there (I think) is a 373% increase between a 30% increase in eight years versus a 142% increase in eight years.** Regardless - inflation hasn't gone up that much*** in sixteen years.

Earlier this week, I actually drove around looking for cheaper gas for the first time EVER IN MY LIFE.**** The cheapest I could find was just under $4.00/gallon, but I think the money I spent on gas driving to various gas stations ended up saving me money in the end.

Gas prices also influenced my decision to drive to Big Sur in one day, versus driving down the night before, paying to stay somewhere and driving back the next day. So now I'm one of those fun travel-related statistics you hear about on the 5 o'clock news. Suh-weet!

Figures that this is the year I decide to move myself and, separately, all my crap, 500 miles away via good ol' highway 5. Meh...

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* Mine was the Energy Information Administration... lord knows we probably can't trust THEM for reliable data.

** I think. Math nerds - I failed high school calculus - hook a sister up!

*** Substitute any of the numbers you see above for "that much."

**** On principal alone I tried to save money on gas - not because I'm unemployed and trying to save money. If it were the latter I wouldn't have succumbed to the $22/lb cheddar whiskey cheese yesterday. I only bought $5 worth, but I just ate a few slices on a mere 4 crackers and it's half gone. But those 4 bites were sooooooooooo worth that $2.50.