First Government Owned Gas Station

Somerset's city-owned gas station opens to public

A southern Kentucky city is venturing into the retail gas business by opening a municipal-run filling station.

SOMERSET, Ky. — Somerset’s City Hall ventured into the retail gas business Saturday, opening a municipal-run filling station that supporters call a benefit for motorists and critics denounce as a taxpayer-supported swipe at the free market.

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The Somerset Fuel Center opened to the public selling regular unleaded gas for $3.36 a gallon, a bit lower than some nearby competitors. In the first three hours, about 75 customers fueled up at the no-frills stations, where there are no snacks, no repairs, and only regular unleaded gas.

The mayor says the station was created in response to years of grumbling by residents about stubbornly high gas prices in Somerset, a city of about 11,000 near Lake Cumberland, a popular fishing and boating haven.

The venture got a thumbs-up from customers who let their vehicles reach near-empty in anticipation of the city-run station’s opening.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2014/07/19/city-owned-filling-station-kentucky-has-lower-prices/IIrJUIUJZeqxqHsOGVVYWP/story.html

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  • the thing about it is, the public will fall for this just to save 3 cent on the gal. and they are. if this works for the city , it will be expanding to other areas , it will put the little mom and pop owned business out and the government will be taking over, next they can ration gas, there will not be any price control at all . another thing they are using tax payer money to set up a business, you the tax payer are paying for the gas and they are selling it to you the tax payer at a profit which in return they are  expanding their tax income

  • If there is such a big demand for this then the free ( formerly free ) market can step in and put the government out of business. Why are we ( government ) in free enterprise?
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