Oil markets don’t respond to speeches; they respond to risk. And right now, the world’s most critical oil corridor — the Strait of Hormuz — operates under the shadow of ongoing tension with Iran. That alone builds a persistent premium into every barrel. Add elevated shipping insurance, disrupted tanker routes and the constant threat of escalation, you get prices that stay stubbornly high no matter what the messaging.
Refineries aren’t riding to the rescue. America’s system is aging, stretched and already running near capacity. Summer fuel blends tighten it further. Meanwhile, meaningful global supply growth from the U.S., Brazil and Gulf producers doesn’t arrive at scale until next year.
Markets see this clearly. Futures pricing points to relief in late 2026 and into 2027, not this summer.
Politicians can promise cheaper gas. The market is signaling something else. Until geopolitical risk eases and supply truly expands, “normal” is deferred. The sooner we level with voters, the better prepared they’ll be for what’s ahead.
Ronald B. Smith, Montgomery
Regarding “Stop complaining about the Houston Rodeo and just have fun,” (March 20): I have to respond to P.J. Bailey’s viewpoint on Commissioner Tom Ramsey calling for Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s resignation. While she makes a good point about Gov. Greg Abbott not calling for Attorney General Ken Paxton’s resignation, I disagree completely with these women who say we need to support one another because we are women.
First of all, it might have been a “minor dustup” at the Rodeo, but Hidalgo herself was the one who made it public, not only that night, but coming back again. It could have remained very quiet, if not for her wanting to make it known to everyone.
Secondly, we should not be supporting or voting for someone just because they are a woman. I vote for and against people because of their views and values — not because of their gender. I feel the same way about voting for a political party. The only time I know that I am going to vote only for those in one party is during the primaries. I have not and will never support or vote for someone just because they are a woman. Nor will I do so because of their political party. As citizens and voters, we need to start listening and studying who we want to represent us and that may just help this country to survive and remain the most influential and best country in the world.
Regarding “TSA lines at Houston’s airports stretch to four hours. Blame Trump.” (March 23): We want the SAVE America Act passed. We want voter ID. We want proof of citizenship for voter registration. We do not want non-citizens to vote in our election. Those of us who have doubts about election integrity in the past election cycles want this required documentation to prove that voters are who they say they are. It is a small effort to ensure that our elections are safe. Why would we not want voters to prove who they say they are?
Regarding “Dan Crenshaw was the future of Republicans. What went wrong? | Opinion,” (March 4): While reading the article, it dawned on me that we could save hundreds of millions of dollars on the November elections. The Texas Legislature has gerrymandered all the districts to be safe for either party, with as many Republican districts as they can get away with of course. If either party’s primary voter count is 10% higher than the other party’s, why hold the November at all? Just give it to whoever won the primary, and save the cost of another election. For the very few districts with close numbers, go ahead and hold them to see if that district is leaning one way or the other. Save us all from the hassle and costs, and give the T.V. airtime back to the car dealers and beer companies. If voters really cared, they would be there in the primary.
Joe Williams, League City