Why the Spike In Gas Prices?

The facts are indisputable.

According to AAA of Southern New England, the average price for a gallon of gasoline in Rhode Island is presently $3.995. That's a whopping 12 cents higher than it was just a week ago and abut 25 cents higher than a year ago.

Ask 10 different people to explain the cause of the off-season spike and you might get 10 different answers. Some have blamed OPEC, while others have blamed big oil companies.

A recent rash of severe weather has been seen as a cause by some people, as have the energy polices and proposals of one political party or another. Still other people have blamed oil speculators on Wall Street.

But we want to know what YOU think. What do you believe is the cause for the recent spike in the cost of gasoline and do you think it has topped out or do you expect it to climb even higher over the next several weeks?