There are certain things in life that just don’t make any sense. Why do we yell at the television when an umpire blows a call? Why does the dentist ask us questions when she knows we can’t answer her? And what genius thought it was a good idea to change IHOP to IHOB?

And then you have questions that aren’t any mystery at all — like why the price of gasoline in California is so high.

Which is why it’s so surprising that California Gov. Gavin Newsom is demanding that the California Energy Commission investigate why gas is so expensive and report back to his office by May 15.

Um, somebody should let him know that the study has already been done. Gas prices are high because of tax increases, cap-and-trade legislation and environmental policies Newsom supports.

But, of course, he already knows this. Which is why the first-term governor is looking forward to the results of the study like Michael Moore is looking forward to lab results from his cardiologist.

According to AAA, at $4.10 a gallon, California has the highest gasoline prices in the nation. In contrast, the national average is $2.88 per gallon of regular grade gas. In Texas it’s $2.60, and in Florida it’s $2.76. Inexplicably, petrol is almost a half a buck a gallon cheaper in Hawaii than it is in California, and they have to pay to ship some of their gasoline in from … you guessed it, California!

Here in the Golden State, on every gallon of gas we pay 18 cents in federal excise tax, 42 cents in state excise tax, 28 cents for the state’s cap-and-trade program on greenhouse gases and low carbon fuel standards, around 8 cents of state and local sales taxes (varying by county) and 2 cents is earmarked to clean up old gas station sites. That’s 98 cents per gallon, just in taxes. (All amounts rounded to the nearest penny.)

Also, California requires refineries to produce a special “summer blend” of fuel that causes motorists to pay more at the pump.

But Newsom is ignoring all of that, and blaming a “mystery surcharge” for why gas prices are so high. He’s right about one thing: our higher taxes don’t completely account for the difference between what we pay and what other states pay.

Gas has averaged 24 cents a gallon higher here, even if you don’t count taxes. But taxes are the biggest cost driver, by far. We’ve piled on tax after tax, allegedly to solve every problem under the sun, but have little to show for it besides a crushing burden on commuters.

Plus, I find it hard to believe that all of the oil companies would come together to conspire against one state.

At this rate Newsom will soon be proposing a new gas tax in California to pay for studies about why gas prices are so high.

It goes without saying that Californians up and down the state will be feeling the pain of high gas prices.

Can you imagine how much it’s going to cost rioters to burn Oakland down after the Golden State Warriors win another NBA championship?

Hollywood actresses may no longer be able to afford to bribe their children’s way into USC.

Heck, rising gas prices have even made it more expensive for working families in California to pack up all their stuff and high-tail it to Nevada, Arizona, Texas and other low-tax states.

The list goes on.

And guess what, thanks to the state’s cap-and-trade legislation, gas prices will only go up from here.

According to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office, under cap-and-trade, gas prices could increase by 73 cents per gallon by 2031.

In reality, cap-and-trade is almost six times worse than the most recent gas tax increase, which was 12 cents a gallon.

And here’s the kicker, high gas prices can’t just be blamed on Gavin Newsom and the Democrats. This is a bi-partisan mess.

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Bad policies fuel fires: John Stossel Then-Republican Assembly leader Chad Mayes, R-Yucca Valley, and seven of his Republican colleagues voted with Democrats to stick it to motorists, and sent cap-and-trade legislation to then-Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk.

In many ways, Chad Mayes and his Republican cohorts are more responsible for the high price of gas than even Governor Newsom, because people expect liberal Democrats to reflexively back tax increases, not Republicans.

It’s no mystery why Mayes sold out constituents and California motorists — after doing so he could go straight to the big Sacramento interests, point to his campaign account, and say, “fill ‘er up!”

Think of that the next time you have to raid your kids’ college fund before you can say “fill ‘er up” at the pump.

John Phillips can be heard weekdays at 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. on “The Morning Drive with John Phillips and Jillian Barberie” on KABC/AM 790.