Who's to blame for high gasoline prices?

Brian P. Simpson, an assistant professor of economics at National University in San Diego, opines:

Gasoline prices are at record highs again. Many think oil companies are to blame. A Field Poll from May 2004 showed that 77 percent of Californians believed this to be true. But this just shows that people are misinformed about who's causing high gas prices. Investigating a few clues can help find out who's responsible.