You pay a hidden premium every time they fill up your gas tank. The prices are high at the gas station, but part of the price you pay is directly caused by commodity speculators. And you can thank lobbyists for why the government has been unable to do anything to solve the problem.

Over the years, Wall Street speculators have taken advantage of significant loopholes in commodity trading law — loopholes often written by industry lobbyists — to buy up oil delivery contracts and boost the price of oil. While excessive speculation results in lots of money for investors, it also means that Americans are forced to pay more at the pump.