Los Angeles drivers are fed up with sky-high gas prices — and their patience is running on empty

California drivers are being forced to spend more at the gas pump than residents in sun-splashed Hawaii – despite the Golden State pumping out millions of barrels of its own precious oil per year.

Residents in the Aloha State often have it easier at the gas pump – despite no oil being drilled on the paradise islands.

On Tuesday, AAA listed the average price of a gallon of gas in Hawaii as $5.63 and, incredibly, California as $6.14.

The same day, a gas station in bustling Honolulu was charging $5.39 for regular gas. Mid-grade and premium were $5.64 and 5.94.

At a Shell station on the corner of Pico and Sepulveda Boulevards in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Csaba Mester, 48, decried the fact the Hawaii gas prices are lower and criticized state local energy policies for motorists feeling the pinch.  

While calling inflated prices “inevitable” because of the Iran War, he told the Post: “California has been known for higher gas prices than the rest of the nation and unfortunately people voted for it.”

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The commercial kitchen designer blamed years of misplaced Democrat policies for high pump prices – and praised gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton for comiting to slash prices. 

“Hopefully Steve, God bless him, could make it work,” added Mester, after filling up his gleaming black Dodge Durango. 

“We need people that have something to say that’s useful, not just the same old thing thats’ been happening fo the last 16 years.

“I’m all for some change and we’ve got to rethink all these taxes and our fuel blends as cars today are much more efficient than then were back in the day,

California produced about 105 million barrels of crude oil in 2025 – roughly 288,000 barrels a day, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, down about 7% from 113 million barrels in 2024. 

Although Hawaii ships all its oil across the Pacific, California’s taxes, fuel rules and supply constraints can leave drivers paying more at the pump. Also, Hawaii does not require California’s strict gasoline blend. Those differences outweigh Hawaii’s shipping costs.

Mester, of El Segundo, is paying 30% more to fill up – he used to pay $100 for a full tank and now forks out an eye-watering $130.

He said of drivers fed-up with watching their money disappear into the tank: “Everybody has been impacted. We need some different thinking in California.

“We’ve tried the same thing over the last 16 years and where has it gotten us?

“Steve has some good thoughts on how to bring down prices for everyday people so we need to vote appropriately.” 

Hilton has promised to bring California gas prices down to $3 a gallon through tax cuts, deregulation and increased oil production.

His proposals include eliminating the state gas tax, repealing the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, increasing oil production within California and changing cap-and-trade costs and rolling back some refinery regulations.

Pipefitter Nestor Luna, 51, of Beaumont, 80 miles east of the LA, commutes to the city daily and is “shocked” by crippling gas price in California. His weekly gas bill to get to work reaches a staggering $500.

He told the Post he has been forced to drastically change his shopping habits, including the amount of groceries he buys.

“It is very hard,” revealed Luna of the impact on his wallet, saying it was “crazy” that fuel was cheaper in Hawaii. 

“California has all the oil it needs. We don’t need to be relying on anyone else for our gas. It’s ridiculous. 

“We need different gas policies in California,” he added. 

He said Gov. Gavin Newsom has spent years too focused on electricity and solar consumption rather than making life easier for drivers at the pump. 

“We can drill and get our own oil. We have more oil here than we do in Dubai. We don’t need to buy stuff from other countries but this guy (Newsom) is hell bent on buying s**t from somewhere else. We could put people to work her and drill more.”

Meanwhile, contractor Oscar Montes, 73, told the Post he is burning through $300 a week on gas for business and private use.

The Marine combat veteran, who drives a 2026 Mercedes, blasted gas prices as  “too much.”

He has been forced to reduce the amount of food buys in order to pay for gas. “Everything so expensive. The electric bill has also gone up sky high.” 

Asa Gallagher, 43, a marketing professional, spent $139.15 to top up the tank in his black gas-guzzling 2024 Range Rover.

He described current gas prices as “crazy. It’s gone up astronomically. It would be nice to see them drop. Everybody is right now is cutting out their unnecessary extra expenses.”

Meanwhile, personal driver Nader Jahanshir, 44, who was born in Iran told the Post he was happy to pay extra at the pump if it means President Donald Trump was able to put down the regime in his homeland.

When the war ends, I know gas prices will drop so I’d rather hold on tight and not complain until the war is over.

“I’m sure there are a lot of people who are on a tight budget and it’s hard for them.”

Ross Allen, spokesperson for oil giant Chevron, told the Post: “California does have significant energy production – but it also has huge demand.

“So while prices are generally set by supply and demand together, taxes and fees are also a big part of the question and particularly in California.

“California taxes and fees are the highest in the country. State excise taxes in California are 63 cents/gallon, more than three times the 18.5 cents/gallon Hawaiian motorists are charged. California’s gas tax also ratchets up, climbing every year by law.

“California also charges environmental fees of 51 cents/gallon on top of the highest taxes in the country.

“Both states also have local or county sales taxes.

“Meanwhile, both states are heavily reliant on fuel imports from international refineries. Hawaii has a single refinery and California has shuttered nearly 18% of its capacity in just the last year.

“Hawaii is an island archipelago, but California is also an island for energy – both are isolated from production elsewhere in the United States.

“No gasoline pipeline moves from the US Gulf Coast to California, for example.

“Both states prove how important local production of energy really is for affordable energy.

“But California proves how expensive taxes and fees are to the state’s consumers.”

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