Article: Gas prices surge in St. Joseph ; Some fear increase will affect holiday spending

Retail gas prices in St. Joseph rose 15 cents in the past week, the biggest jump in more than a year, raising fears that consumers could curtail holiday spending just as the recession eases.

The average retail price for regular unleaded gasoline was $2.54 per gallon on Tuesday, passing the peak summertime level of $2.51 per gallon, according to AAA Missouri. The auto club bases its survey on credit card transactions at gas stations.

"This is an anomaly," said Mike Right, a spokesman with AAA Missouri. "Going forward for the rest of this year, we're likely to be paying higher prices for gasoline than what we paid last year."

Economists cite several reasons for the current surge of gasoline ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

 
 
Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!