"That's a damned lie.
I just checked with some locals here in northern California, where
petrol is higher than most other locations, and the average is 50
cents per gallon blue sky (profit). Therefore the margin is more on
the order of 70 or 80 cents per gallon. There are some honest
dealers here who admit to making at least 40 cents on the gallon.
Then there are the liars. "

Gasoline retailers making 50 cents a gallon profit? LOL There have
been lots of reports showing the breakdown of the cost of gasoline at
the pump. I've never seeen any with retailers earning margins of 80
cents and profits of 50 cents. A typical margin is 10-15 cents. Over
half the cost is now reflected in the price of crude. Follow that
with in decreasing order, refining cost, taxes, and transportation, and
there isn't a lot left for the retailer. In fact, that's why many of
them earn more profit from having a convenience store as part of the
operation.