Gas giveaway draws crowd

Denverites line up as oil tops $135

By Bill Scanlon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Originally published 09:58 a.m., May 22, 2008
Updated 08:13 p.m., May 22, 2008

Barry Gutierrez / The Rocky

Rudy Rollerson Jr. waits for his chance at getting $40 worth of free gas Thursday in a giveaway at the King Soopers gas station on Quebec Street in Denver.

Barry Gutierrez / The Rocky

Kayla Gordon, 23 months, waits with her twin sister and her mother Thursday for free gas at a Denver King Soopers.

As oil prices roared to another record high Thursday before falling a bit in late trading, hundreds of Denver motorists lined up for hours for a free gasoline giveaway - grateful for the fuel but bitter about prices.

Experts say the price for unleaded gas could soar past $4 in Colorado by next week. And that specter wasn't lost on the 200 motorists who got $40 gas certificates or the hundreds of others who were too late for the windfall.

"We are broke because of gas prices," said Marquis Dee, 19, who barely snuck in as customer 200 at the Verizon Yellow Pages and Superpages.com gas giveaway at the King Soopers gas station on Quebec Street in Denver.

It was one of 24 stations nationwide where Verizon gave free gas cards to the first 200 customers.

Dee waited an hour and a half in line and finally pumped the gasoline into his 1996 Ford Taurus about 1 p.m.

"I don't buy clothes like I used to," he said. "We don't go out to dinner anymore."

Oil prices set a record of $135.09 per barrel Wednesday before falling about $2.50 a barrel later Thursday. The price at the pump rose another 21/2 cents on average, to $3.83, according to a survey by AAA. Prices nationwide are 61 cents higher than they were a year ago.

"We're going to blast past $4," said James Cordier, president of Tampa, Fla.-based trading firms Liberty Trading Group and OptionSellers.com.

As the giveaway in Denver neared, a Conoco station at South Santa Fe Drive and West Union Avenue was selling regular unleaded for $3.99 a gallon. Another station near DIA was already above $4.

The Denver drivers who lined up for the free gasoline Thursday mostly drove old cars and said things are getting so bad that waiting several hours in line was well worth it for the savings.

First in line at the King Soopers station in northeast Denver was a homeless man, Ronald Shields, 49, who drove a 22-year-old Ford Econoline van with furniture piled on top and cardboard squashed in the rear.

"I need this gas, man," Shields said. "I recycle junk, and I need this gas so I can get places to pick up more junk."

D'Adrian Hill, 31, of Denver, said his wife told him about the free gas early Thursday. "And I told my whole family. My cousins are here. Everybody."

Hill, who drives a 1999 Denali, said, "I'm going to check the Internet every day," for more companies that might want to follow the free gas promotion.

Tammy Julin, 48, of Denver, was 13th in line for the gas, but she said she felt lucky.

She arrived at the gas station at 7:30 a.m. and had to take a day off from work.

"But I only make $8 an hour and I work four hours a day," she said. "I'm making more money sitting here."

She said she usually only has enough money to put $20 worth of fuel into her 1999 VW Passat.

"That's about half a tank. This is going to be a shock to my car, a full tank."

She thought about who was to blame for the soaring gasoline prices.

"You keep hearing about oil companies making record profits. It just doesn't seem right."

Sheena Gordon, 25, is a single mom who waited two hours with her 23-month-old twin girls for her free gas.

"When you have to make a decision if you want to buy milk or you want to buy gas . . . it's getting very hard to get through the month," Gordon said.

"When I started driving, gas was $1.50," she said. "I hope it's back to $1.50 by the time my twins are driving."

The trends aren't going in that direction, experts say.

Concerns about falling supplies and rising demand are expected to keep propelling prices higher, they say.

Prices may rise as high as $3.90 on a national basis by this weekend. Prices are already above $4 a gallon at many stations around the country and are averaging more than $4 in California, New York and Illinois.

The daily rise in prices is blamed in part on surging demand for oil by China.

Still, many analysts argue that oil prices have risen far beyond levels that can be justified by supply and demand. They say speculators have turned away from the weak dollar and toward oil and other commodities, artificially inflating prices.

If that sentiment proves valid, oil prices should fall in the coming months.

The long-term forecast isn't rosy, though, because there is an unprecedented demand for oil, with emerging powers such as China and India showing an insatiable thirst.

scanlon@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2897

They said it

Quotes from the queue at the King Soopers on Quebec Street in Denver, where Verizon gave away $40 gas gift cards to the first 200 drivers who lined up:

"I like big cars. I really don't blame anybody for the high prices. That's just how life is. Of course, now I can only fill up half a tank at a time."

Tashaka Abdual, 50, driving a 1986 Cadillac

"I hear in Saudi Arabia they pay 75 cents a gallon. And we pay $4 a gallon here. I only take her for the most necessary trips, and then I come straight home," he said of his Cherokee. "We used to put super in her, but now it's regular unleaded. Now she's old, she doesn't care."

Terry Boatner, who drives a 2000 Jeep Cherokee that costs $80 to fill up

"It's gotten to where we don't get as much at the store. We don't buy luxuries like we used to. I mean, we're still doing pretty well, but we don't go out to eat like we used to."

Alexis Helmhold, 10, who was waiting at the pump for her parents to get to the front of the line

• May 22, 2008

  10:22 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Ted writes:

  The price of gas keeps going up. Now we see that food prices are also going up because it costs money to produce and haul food to it''s destination. Food staples like wheat, rice and corn are getting expensive and fuel costs are partly to blame for this. It''s a vicious circle. Do the gas companies really think this will not come back to bite them. As public trust of oil companies continues to diminish, they may find they could be facing a strong consumer backlash. It''s true they hold the oil and gas but we hold the dollar and remember, it ain''t called the almighty dollar for nothing.

  Oil companies sell gas and carmakers sell cars that use gas so it's a mutually beneficial situation for both of them. The solution is to stop buying new cars for a year until carmakers start building 100% electric or hydrogen powered cars, not hybrids. This would send a message to both the carmakers and oil companies that they understand. Sorry car makers but you brought this on yourself by not speeding up the conversion. No pain no gain. Problem solved. Visit our website and take our gas price poll at www.nbtv.ca

  The results of the poll on NBTV indicate 76% of the public believe that the gas companies are fixing gas prices. 93% believe they are price gouging. 68% believe the gas companies and carmakers conspired to prolong our dependence on gas powered cars. 53% believe the gas companies and government conspired to keep the price higher than normal and sofar our new trust poll it shows that 100% of respondence DO NOT TRUST the oil companies. These are all the results up till now 12:49 pm Sunday May 18, 2008 You can check out the results yourself on www.nbtv.ca if you like.

  Inflation took a big jump this month thanks mostly to gas prices. A study done for the US energy dept says oil prices will spiral upward some day and they predict when this happens all hell will break loose. You really should read the hirsch report http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirsch_r... . Harper says he can do little to help the consumer so it's up to us.

• May 22, 2008

  10:23 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  kells3girls writes:

  My frustration with the gas prices is huge. It's hard enough to put food on the table and keep a roof over our heads. Now we have to deal with the rich getting richer at the poor people's expense. Just makes me sick and embarrassed for our country.

• May 22, 2008

  10:39 a.m.

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  Squatch writes:

  PAINFUL JUST PAINFUL.

  It wont stop. it just great that we are being gouged by the Saudis and the oil companies. 45 cents a gallon in saudi arabia and huge profits for the oil companies the last 3 years and they have yet to start work on any new refineries but that is their excuse is we dont have enough of them.

• May 22, 2008

  10:42 a.m.

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  Froward69 writes:

  Funny how Republicans aren't defending big Oil much anymore. and starting to embrace alternative sources of energy. Possibly now we can get something done about it. Sadly, 30 years late.

• May 22, 2008

  10:48 a.m.

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  ezekiel777 writes:

  we need to take the limits off of domestic oil and gas exploration, production and distribution NOW!

  we have not increased refinery production in years.

  doing so will drop the prices and make us more secure...

  forget the gimmicks, ....take off the limits.

• May 22, 2008

  10:49 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  jamesdenver writes:

  uhhh - can we say addicted? Watching horders clamoring for friggen' gasoline is just pathetic.

  Alter your life, move closer to work, become less car-dependent.

  james http://www.futuregringo.com

• May 22, 2008

  10:50 a.m.

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  seeingeyeseesall writes:

  Unfortunately, our society and civilization have been developed entirely on the basis of "free" BTUs. There is no equivalent in energy to petroleum given equal mass, nothing comes close. Renewable energy is intermittent and as we add it to the grid, the grid will become more intermittent. Everything we have done - plowing local farmland into suburbs, exporting our farming and manufacturing to overseas locations which require massive energy use in transportation of finished goods, abandoning trains for trucks - everything we've done is wrong. It will cost dearly to adjust to an economy that depends on energy that isn't guaranteed available or portable. The billionaires know what's coming - the War on Terror is how they are building the infrastructure to keep US under control once the excrement hits the ventilator...

• May 22, 2008

  10:53 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  jacka writes:

  BIG UPS to the Enviro's and their Democrat partners!

  Restrict extraction
  Restrict refining
  Increase fossil fuel taxes
  Subsidize high cost 'renewables'

  Your 'New Energy Economy' = $4 gas

• May 22, 2008

  11 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Shaggy writes:

  When the Senators were pointing their fingers at the Oil Execs and asked how they live with themselves for these high gas prices I wished those Execs would have ask the Senators how they live with themselves for not letting them drill, build refineries and put American gas in our gas pumps thus lowering the prices in the Worlds Oil Market.
  These fricking Senators do not pay a penny for their gas or cars..taxpayers fill their tanks and pay their bills.
  This was just another political stunt to blame everyone else and wash their hands.They wanted it ot be shown on T.V. to make them look like they are really going after these Companies.

  Want lower gas prices, open up drilling and vote out these asses in Congress.

• May 22, 2008

  11 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  bookwerm writes:

  The FUNDAMENTAL reason why things are so "expensive" is the HUGE drop in the value of the US Dollar.

  In Europe and most other countries, Gas and Fuel prices have HARDLY BUDGED!

  And Trust me, the Oil companies etc. are a small part of the world and do NOT control US currency! Their profits are driven by the market NOT by choices they make.. why the HECK would they sell YOU gas for $2.00 / gallon when the English will pay more? It is not greed. Just reality. Stop being a fool.

  So the FIRST Thing you need to do is step back and recognize we will in GLOBAL marketplace.

  Now, the US Dollar is worth about half what it was 7 years ago pre stupidity pre BUSH dollars.. Bush ran a HUGE deficit for years giving money to the rich at ALL of our expenses.. and LOTS of policies to promote export of jobs to make his "friends" rich.

  BUSH is a LIEpublican.. REAL repubs run balanced budgets.. they don't bankrupt countries.. they are like Perot, or Ron Paul.. they tell us stuff we don't like to hear so then we as a nation vote with losers like Bush because we don't want to face up to Realities that we MUST have sufficient taxes to pay our bills and obligations..

  When folks like Gore, Paul etc. tell us cold hard facts about how hosed we are, most of America buries their heads in the sand and pretend we are the greatest nation on Earth.. STill.. well,we were once, we can be again, but we are NOT now! WE pay way too much in taxes, get no benefits, get hosed at every corner by the Rich buying favorable policies, PAC's running things.

  That MUST end.. we are of the people, by the people, for the people, .. NOT of the money, by the money, and FOR the money.

  Choices are made that are NOT to your benefit.. even Ethanol is hurting us.. they don't make the Auto companies make cars that BURN ethanol WELL (needs higher compression), they don't make builders build houses cheap to OWN (just cheap to sell, you pay more EVER YEAR in energy costs, a bit more insulation put in during build is essentially Free, but after market is VERY costly!). and on and on..

  So, it isn't about BIG OIL. it is about NOT having a good fiscal policy, a WEAK dollar caused by WEAK voters taking the easy way out..

• May 22, 2008

  11:02 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  vudumom writes:

  I saw on the local Fox news channel last night that people are trying to downsize but are running into roadblocks. One is used car prices for small economical cars have doubled in price. A car that would have sold for $3,000 a few months ago is now selling for $6,000. Dealers cannot keep them on the lot and they won't take any SUV's in for trade. So the SUV's are losing there value and people can't get rid of them. So who do we blame for the price gouging of used economical cars?

• May 22, 2008

  11:04 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  nicktaste writes:

  "The solution is to stop buying new cars for a year until carmakers start building 100% electric or hydrogen powered cars, not hybrids"

  Ted

  I agree with you 100%

  I believe as a species we already have solved many of our energy problems, but due to the motive of profit, many of these technologies & ideas have been shelved or suppressed

  We all can change the world, it is by setting our own example, not by following the world's

  much knowledge is suppressed, because of profit

• May 22, 2008

  11:05 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  SASQUATCH writes:

  80% choose handgun!

  A new and used car dealer in Butler, Missouri, Max Motors, is offering his customers a choice between two sales incentives with their vehicle purchase: $250 in gasoline or a free semi-automatic handgun.

  "We got high gas prices, theft, carjackings, innocent people getting hurt," Walter Moore, from Max Motors, told KMBC-TV. It seems the resourceful dealer is offering car buyers a solution for it all -- and the gun is proving to be the popular choice with 80 percent of his customers choosing the firearm over free fuel.

• May 22, 2008

  11:06 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Coltgm writes:

  This is crazy!!! When will it end? We are making the Oil exporting countries rich. I think it is about time we started charging them $10.00 for a loaf of bread and $1,000.00 per dose for the medicine we send them. We should also send Iraq a bill for our services. We need to play hard ball with these governments it is the only thing that will stop this!!!

• May 22, 2008

  11:09 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  nicktaste writes:

  "BIG UPS to the Enviro's and their Democrat partners!

  Restrict extraction
  Restrict refining
  Increase fossil fuel taxes
  Subsidize high cost 'renewables'

  Your 'New Energy Economy' = $4 gas"

  seriously deluded drivel, your republican president has done much damage to this country

  the reason gas = 4$ a gallon? (i'll give u a hint, IT NOT BECAUSE OF THE SUPPLY)

  Its mainly because of inflation, the dollar is losing its value making the price of all commodities rise

  obviously the global market for oil is priced in us dollars, so just like gold, because the dollar is losing its value, it takes more dollars to buy the oil, or gold, etc

  it is not mainly due to the supply, wise up, also our #1 gas importer is canada (bet u didn't know that) and its all tax free (nafta)

• May 22, 2008

  11:16 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Froward69 writes:

  nicktaste, might I add cheneys closed door, energy policy making summit with Big Oil comps, had a hand in creating this mess also.

• May 22, 2008

  11:19 a.m.

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  bthye writes:

  If demand for small, economical cars is skyrocketing and demand for SUV's is plummeting, of course the value of small cars is going to go up and that of SUV's will do down. It's not price gouging, it's just supply and demand economics. There's nobody to blame but ourselves - the US consumer has been demanding bigger and bigger vehicles for years, and the manufacturers have responded. Things are finally beginning to turn around, but it will take a while before production of small cars really ramps up.

• May 22, 2008

  11:36 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  ML writes:

  Are we really supposed to feel sorry for poor Diane Lesnansky who spends $100 to fill up her gas-guzzling F-250? Gee Diane, maybe you should have thought about that BEFORE buying a POS that only gets 10mpg!

• May 22, 2008

  11:40 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  vudumom writes:

  bthye, exactly my point! If a company can make a profit why are Congress and people complaining? When is all the griping about gas prices going to stop? It is what it is. Profit, supply and demand, and the American way.

• May 22, 2008

  11:43 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  violinga1 writes:

  bookwerm - thanks for posting, finally some is getting it right about the oil companies. Stop blaming them!

• May 22, 2008

  11:48 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Dick_Tater writes:

  Such hysteria. I don't know if it is the RMN or those interviewed, but I get the feeling that the collective IQ of all these people is lower than the temprature outside.

  Driving gas guzzlers and skipping work, people are waiting in line hours for $40 in gas...sad.

• May 22, 2008

  11:55 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Heidi writes:

  They are probably waiting in line with engines running, A/C's cranked up....

• May 22, 2008

  12:18 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  ai3d writes:

  What, did the news ppl look for the most hopless cases to comment on the free gas. "Work 4 hours a day" phffff. "Homeless guy" Jeez.
  I work 9-12 hours a day.
  Fuel is pointless to argue about. I don't like the high prices, but the reason is that other countries are on the up and up and our dollar is so week because so many have debt!
  If ppl would only spend what they make and save money, the future will be bright. I saved money the last few years, and unless this goes on an extrodinary long time, I should be alright. If I can do that, anyone can. It's just about giving up bad habits, and extravagant spending. You can't have it all, and eat your cake too.
  The ppl hurting the most all have links to their position. Never went to school, drug/alcohol addiction, too many kids but no marriages, etc. I am not trying to offend ppl, some ppl had no choice of the position they ended up in, others made, or are making bad decisions, I could never understand because I am not in their shoes.
  In a few years this will pass, hopefully everyone will learn from their mistakes, and save for the future. Then again, time is a wheel, mistakes are meant to be repeated.

• May 22, 2008

  12:46 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  hlucki writes:

  UIt's just not the gas. A a whole this country is very expoensive to live in. I am ery close to retirement, and am very seriously thinking about retiring in a country cuch as Costa Rica. Cost of liveing is much cheaper. Who need to pay all the high prices when I am on a fixed income. There is no end in site, once this stuff starts it's a domino effect. Look at the price of cars, food, just about everything. I limit my driving, and only go out when necessary. I do all my errands on my way home from work. Long drive in the country are a thing of the past. It's only gpoong to get worse before it gets better. ..and the stimulus package, and the $1,00 dolar tax break..give me a break, that only makes things worse. This country needs to stop tking care of the others, and start taking care of it's own, then , ond only then will it begin to get better. Bend over U.S.A.

• May 22, 2008

  12:52 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Squatch writes:

  people like to say "they pay more in europe" well most of that is taxes which include their healthcare.

• May 22, 2008

  12:55 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  jamesdenver writes:

  Anyone else find "gas giveaways" curiously hilarious?

  Today 200 people get free gas in Denver.

  Chrysler is promising you $2.99 gas when purchasing a new car.

  At my work gas cards are being given to salespeople who meet certain goals and what not.

  Prizes and contest giveaways are supposed to be plasma TVs, concert tickets, and trips to Mexico. But gasoline?

• May 22, 2008

  12:58 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Dude writes:

  Thanks G.W. Bush!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

• May 22, 2008

  1:15 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  smith writes:

  The ignorance of those in the gas line is stunning

• May 22, 2008

  1:37 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  huffdiver writes:

  It is ONLY the speculators and the falling dollar that is causing the prices to go up for oil. There is no conspiracy etc... so quit blowing smoke out your arse if you don't know the facts.

  On a similar note, sure am glad I invested heavily in Exxon stock a few years ago! It makes buying gas enjoyable and is like putting money back in my pocket LOL!!!!!

• May 22, 2008

  1:39 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  huffdiver writes:

  hlucki: It may be beneficial for you to get an education first.

  Did you go to public "skool"?

• May 22, 2008

  2:18 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  MissSio writes:

  yanno Huff I got the impression from their post that they are nearing retirement, which means they're old. That means a computer isn't second nature, much less the keyboard. Don't pick on old people. One day you'll be old and some kid will be picking on you for having problems properly aligning your neural interface matrix.

  And ML, Exactly! What the hell right does she have to complain when she's driving a POS 250. It's people like her that will bring this great country to it's knees and never even realize it.

• May 22, 2008

  2:36 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  FloydHill writes:

  I hope we see $5 gasoline soon. There are still a lot of idiots who idle unnecessarily and take un-needed trips. They still don't get it. We need higher prices, and I hope we see 'em soon!

• May 22, 2008

  2:47 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  SASQUATCH writes:

  DEMS PLAN TO SUE OPEC:

  Dems will sue and thereby force OPEC to pump more and increase supplies (aka lower prices). Dems also plan to windfall tax-hike Conoco and Exxon, discourage their oil activity, while also preventing them from increasing supplies by disallowing domestic exploring, drilling, pumping, piping and refining (aka higher prices). Tax hikes on domestic companies are needed because OPEC doesn't pay any US taxes. More Arab oil is good; more American oil is bad. And the Dems plan to back up that strategy with your MONEY, you get to support Osama bin Laden!

  All very logical. How does that GRAB you?

• May 22, 2008

  2:49 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  EastVail writes:

  It's the gas company's fault for charging $4 a gallon; not the consumer's fault for PAYING $4 a gallon?!

• May 22, 2008

  3:27 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Froward69 writes:

  "plan to windfall tax-hike Conoco and Exxon," um no, SASQ. how about we end their welfare. each gets a tax break of about 18 Billion. while racking up record profits of around 40 Billion.
  40-18= 22 Billion, even george bush jr could find oil in Texas with that...um probably not. never mind.
  even so Big Oil could squeak by on 22 Bilion? don't ya think?
  End corporate welfare NOW!!!

• May 22, 2008

  3:39 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  SeaBass writes:

  Reading about these people who lined up just makes me dislike poor people even more.

• May 22, 2008

  4:08 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  bob_roberts writes:

  I know what you mean SeaBass. I'm stuck here at work paying taxes so that these people get free education, free health care, free housing, and a check from the government at the end of the day and now they get free gas too. When do the working middle class get a break?

• May 22, 2008

  4:53 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  FloydHill writes:

  I hope gas hits $5 per gallon. I LOVE seeing the idiots with the SUVs (Stupid Ugly Vehicles) at the gas pump!

  Even funnier, I hear that some dealerships are not accepting them in trade! I love it!!!!

  People are so stupid. Always have been and always will be. Most drive like there's no tomorrow, idle unnecessarily, and haven't yet gotten the message.

  Fools.

• May 22, 2008

  9:14 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  HollyGoLightly writes:

  James-Quite a few of us would move closer to work but oh wait....we can't sell our houses. Unless of course we want to sell it for less than what we owe on it.
  The only other option is to carpool.

• May 22, 2008

  9:48 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  rj1967 writes:

  Americans need to quit complaining about gas prices and quit being so wasteful. I make less than $1,000/mo. I have NO debt and no credit cards. I don't live in public housing, I don't get food stamps or LEAP. I cut costs everywhere possible. I cut my own hair. I walk or bike everywhere within 3 miles of home. Everything in my house is unplugged - unless I'm using it. I turn the washer, dryer, dishwasher, disposal, and stove off at the circuit breaker. The water heater is on low. Cable tv went away over a year ago.

  Not everybody needs to go to the extremes that I go to, but EVERYBODY has things they can trim.

  How much intrest would you save if you paid off credit cards? What about paying off one car? Then you can reduce the full coverage insurance to the basic and save more. Its not that hard.

• May 23, 2008

  9:46 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  trepidation writes:

  The real lesson here is understanding how poor the US transportation and energy policies have been in the last five decades. Our property, income, and sales taxes all go in part to fund roads, highways, bridges, & roadway maintenance - the true cost of car freedom we have is not covered by our gas taxes.

  For 50+ years (since the end of WWII really) the US has favored and subsidized the use of the automobile. This lead to development of suburbs that mandate the use of the automobile over walking - ie, strip malls, single-use neighborhoods, culs-de-sacs.

  Low global-energy demand around the world for 40 years (compared to supply) has kept the gas prices low, but now the Indo-China powers want our standard of living too. Energy demand is now high globally (shift in the old supply/demand curve, and our country is heavily invested in car freedom.

  If the supply/demand curve stay the same, and the US continues to lose it's dominance in the world economically, perhaps we need to revisit how we build our cities and our suburbs. Or just drive a whole lot less and lower your standard of living...vote with your time and your pocketbook!