State Sen. Steve Livingston (R-Scottsboro) is familiar with fuel prices and how they can impact a community's economic standing.
Livingston, the owner of The Fuel Center, Inc., a distributor of Chevron Gasoline and Lubricants in Jackson County, blames the Biden administration's energy policies for the precipitous increase in prices at the pump.
During an appearance on Mobile radio FM Talk 106.5's "The Jeff Poor Show," Livingston explained how gas prices will create headwinds for the economy.
"It's awful high, isn't it?" Livingston said. "That'd be the first thing I think we could say. Obviously, Jeff, this is related to what's happening out of Washington. They've turned their back on fossil fuels with the cancelation of the pipeline back when President Biden first came out, killing some 13,000-14,000 union jobs immediately, then has gotten us from a net exporter of fuels to a net importer of fuels. And, of course, we're getting hit with what's going on in Ukraine right now."
Livingston said it was his experience that station operators had to be keenly aware of the market for the sake of business.
"You are at the whim of the market, absolutely," Livingston said. "You get stuck with what your competitors do. If you're above them, you're not going to sell anything. If you're below them, you may have a run on your business. But they're not going to let you be below them too long. They're going to be pretty close. It is part of the way the market swings."
Ultimately, the Jackson County Republican lawmaker said the higher energy prices will deprive consumers of discretionary income and that will have an economic impact.
"I think people will adapt and adjust," Livingston said. "The one thing this will impact, obviously, is [discretionary] income that folks have. We've been in pretty good shape the last few years. People have had money to spend on other things and this may impact that significantly."
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email jeff.poor@1819News.com.
