Gas Prices

I often wonder why the price of gas is marketed so differently than almost anything else we buy in North America, it is puzzling to me.

If you pick up a flyer, read a store sign or look at any product on the shelf the price you see is not what you pay it is the price before any tax, fees or levy is applied. Buy your jeans and the price tagged on them has tax added at the cash register, buy that computer and it has the recycling fee and tax added at the cash register, go to park your vehicle in the city and the parking price on the board has a city levy and then tax added to it, when you pay. So why then when we drive by a gas station do they display the price of the gas including all the taxes fees and levies?

Some will say it's so people know exactly how much it will cost them to fill up, but doesn't the same logic apply when we are buying anything? Could it be collusion between the oil companies and the government? Is it possible that they have a back room deal so that the government will continue to give them tax breaks even though they make billions in profits, that the government will not fully investigate the wild fluctuations in the price per liter of gas even though the price of crude is changing in small amounts and for that to happen they have to hide the price without the governments fees, taxes and levies?

Is it possible that to keep these perks the oil companies agreed to display the price including fees, taxes and levy's otherwise the general public when reminded time after time after time of the fact the price of gas was at least 32% less than when the government adds their portion would be in uproar and go after the government to cut back the fees, levies and taxes?

In Canada the price per liter of gas that we pay at the pump is made up of over 32% of taxes (2007 figure does not include the new Carbon Tax), fees and levies by various levels of government so wouldn't it  be in the oil companies best interest to show us exactly what they are charging for the liter of gas and how much the government are charging? That way when they put up gas buy a penny we see the penny increase not the 3 cents it becomes when percentage based taxes are applied to it?

To me displaying the actual price on the large sign without any taxes, levies or fees would be the best option, then they could display the full price on the pump to assist the consumer when purchasing if they wished. It's something that has always made me wonder, especially given the actual amount we are paying for the  product is so small compared to the taxes, fees and levies....