I'm with you James, pushing a heavy political slant probably won't elevate the discussion.

A good solution might be to eliminate the multiple blends that each state mandates. This would free up the ability to provide supply to all geographic areas of the country relative to demand. I believe that eliminating the governments ability to artificially restrict supply will have a direct effect on the cost of the product.

When left to the 'free market', the laws of supply and demand work wonderfully.