The upper midwest does have the highest prices in the country. I was surprised to learn that last year when I spent some time in San Diego and San Francisco and found the gas prices lower than in Michigan and Chicago.

Bob, you need to get up north and see how much more efficient we are at extracting taxes from citizens. We have "I-Pass" and "EZ-Pass" transponders attached to our windshields and "Open Road Tolling". As we drive past sensors at 60 miles per hour the toll is automatically deducted from our account. When the account drops below $10 it is automatically replenished from our credit cards. It's all hidden behind the curtain and you hardly even know you've been victimized.