Californians aren’t paying sky-high gas prices because of global oil markets; they’re paying for political arrogance and regulatory failure. That was the hard truth laid out by Rock Zierman, CEO of the California Independent Petroleum Association, in a recent interview with KFBK Radio.

While the rest of the country is increasing domestic production and becoming energy independent, California is doing the exact opposite. Oil production in-state has cratered, not because the resources aren’t there, but because the state refuses to approve the permits sitting idle on regulators’ desks. Meanwhile, imported oil continues to flood our ports, costing Californians an extra $5 to $7 per barrel. That’s billions of dollars we’re shipping overseas to countries that don’t share our values or our interests.

“We’re exporting $25 billion of our wealth every year instead of creating jobs and producing energy right here in California,” Zierman said. “And it’s not just bad economics, it’s bad national security.”

The consequences are piling up. Refineries are shutting down. Jobs are disappearing. Gas prices are climbing toward $8 to $10 a gallon, according to a recent USC study. And the people in charge? Still talking about affordability while doing everything in their power to make energy more expensive.

Here’s the kicker: California has the oil. It has the workers. It has the environmental standards to do this responsibly. What it doesn’t have is political leadership willing to get out of the way. Governor Newsom hasn’t met with California’s oil producers or workers, not even once. This is the first time this has happened since the association was formed in 1976.

Californians are being punished at the pump because Sacramento would rather chase ideology than face reality. The solution isn’t complicated: let California produce its own energy. Anything less is just political theater, paid for by working families every time they fill up their tank.

You can listen to the interview HERE