S8 Ep546: ### Segment 5 Headline: Rising Fuel Prices in Lancaster County and Local Revolutionary War History Summary: Jim McTague reports on spiking gasoline costs in Pennsylvania due to Middle East conflict and explores Lancaster’s brief tenure as the United State

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I'm John Batchler. I welcome Jim McTay, former Washington editor of Berenst Magazine,

now a novelist in Lancaster County, the best county in the Keystone state,

and we begin with the war news from Iran and the price of everything including gasoline.

Jim, the skies are not clear yet. Spring is in the air, at least it is here in the Southern New

England and I'm not going to hear dissent from Pennsylvania. But in any event, we've gotten through

the worst of the winter, so it's time to look at the price of gasoline affected dramatically

by the events in the Middle East. The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg say that

Brent Crude, that's the European version and West Texas, that's our version, are both above

$90 in barrel. Not only wouldn't change for West Texas, moving all the time, natural gas is also

climbed. And that means that gasoline will climb in these coming days. You often get gasoline at

Costco and you also watch the gasoline totepords in Lancaster County. Have you seen movement? Good

day to you Jim. Good day, John. I'd be also mentioned in Lancaster County, we're not a walkable

place except for Lancaster City. You need the car to get everywhere. And it's a big agricultural

county that tractors are ready to hit the fields. Gasoline and Lancaster has been up 40.3 cents

in the last week to an average of about $3.48. So that's quite a hit at Costco. I topped my tank on

Thursday at $2.89. It's $3.15 now. In Pennsylvania, this eight has a 57.6 cents tax on gasoline,

which is pretty steep. And with the federal tax, that's a combined tax of 76 cents. So gasoline is

more expensive here than, say, Indiana, but you know, 40 cents in one week. You're

timed that by 10 or 20 gallons. You're talking about a real hit the people's wallets right now.

Well, you were wise to go to Costco before it went to $3.15, although $3.15 still is attractive.

You tell me that there's a secret somewhere in the area around you where the cheapest gasoline

is available. Where is that? Well, if you go out to Gap, which is an unincorporated town on

Route 30 headed towards Philadelphia in one direction and the Delaware seashore in another direction,

you can get gasoline today for about $2.85. But it's 18 miles back and forth. And it's at least

a 30 minute drive because the truck traffic on Route 30 can be interminable. So, you know, there is

an outlet in Gap, but I think there will be a few people taking advantage of it. Yeah, recommending

tanking up for the weekend and out to Gap, Pennsylvania. A gem several days ago, you reported that there

was a sudden turn to energy and likes to county after a difficult winter. Do you still see that on

the roads? Yes, we're talking about, I'm talking about the kind of energy enthusiasm, a rebound in

the retail animal spirit. I noticed a sudden reversal when I do my shopping cart surveys.

I was in Wegmans, which is a supermarket chain, very popular in Lancaster, Costco. I was at the

mall. The people are buying their shopping baskets are much fuller than they have been in the past.

So they're less selective. And I just felt like a confidence here in the economic environment.

We have had no headlines with layoffs. I've seen help wanted ads to help wanted are for very

specialized leadership positions at various companies. But nonetheless, there are good jobs

available. Now, having said that, we've talked about the K-shaped economy. I've talked to people

at the lower end of the K level health care workers. They're having trouble finding full-time

positions. And that's put a strain on people. I talked to immigrants from Africa. And they're

essentially getting peace work. And it's very stressful for them. We turn that to, and Lancaster

kind of the tourist hasn't won't come yet till springtime. I appreciate that. But the shopping

in Costco, you say that that is more intense than it has been. That's a good sign, Jim.

Yeah, it's a very good sign, but it has happened right before the war. So the war lifts spending.

It also lifts inflation. It lifts the national debt, requiring possibly higher taxes. So it's a

mixed bag, I think. But fortunately, before the war, things had picked up substantially here

in my view, in my, you know, what I was seeing. Right. And if we get a ceasefire, they'll pick up

again. I note that you don't have to say more than $91 and change for a barrel of West Texas oil

to get everybody's attention that things are not going well. Let's go to a piece of history, however.

I learned from a new book that I'm reading. I'm going to talk to the author Ed Larson.

The book isn't out of declaring independence. It's about the year 1776. And during that year,

the British forces commanded by General Howe made a decision to move from New York

that they'd easily conquered, although half the city had been burned by

accident or orders of the retreating Hutton on the troops. They conquered New York easily.

So they decided that they'd take Philadelphia for the winter of it. And that man in 1776,

the Congress was sitting in Philadelphia and had to run for their lives. And they spent one day

at Lancaster County. And that was the capital of the United of the Confederate States of the colonies

for one day in 1776. Mr. McTeg, you've never mentioned, is there a statue of the one

signatory of the Declaration of Independence that would be George Ross from Lancaster?

Is there a plaque on the wall anywhere where Congress set for a day?

Now remember, I moved up here in 2020. So I continue to feel like a tourist. And I've been to

downtown Lancaster multiple times. I've never seen any kind of a plaque like that.

It's almost like we have no memory of the revolutionary war. I mean, you know,

Lancaster during the Civil War, prior to the Civil War, we were a big stop on the underground railroad.

And so most of the history looking backwards seems to stop at the Civil War.

Yes, you have a big soldiers and sailors monument in the middle of town. That's the Civil War.

Yeah. And Gap, which I mentioned, which out near the air, there was a famous incident about 10

years before the Civil War, where a southerner from Earl and came to reclaim his runaway slaves.

And they killed him. They shot him. And the perpetrators fled to Canada. And some quakers were

arrested by the US government and tried for treason and acquitted. So it's sort of a civil war

mine set up here, as opposed to anything earlier. Well, you're in the capital of the United States

for one day. And that's not a insignificant achievement. Lancaster, Pennsylvania, George Ross is

the name of the man who signed the declaration. And he turns out to have been the uncle of another

Ross. We know immediately when I say our first name was Betsy. Jim McTay, I'm John Batchler.

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