I agree Steve, voting is more important now in this election than it has ever been. Unfortunately I believe the President has become more of a figurehead over the years than anything else. What can one man do? Yes, he or she can surround themselves with good people, but ultimately the next President is going to be unpopular because they need to make some really hard decisions in order to move us forward again. What has always made America great is our ingenuity and ability to create and figure out solutions. I don't believe we do that any more and that saddens me. Everything is about the almighty buck! Hey I am a homeowner, I own 2 vehicles, I like to travel, eat out...blah, blah blah...but as middle America I feel for the first time how badly my hubby and I are getting squeezed.I don't feel it fair for me yto pay any more in taxes than I already am! I personally can only be happy that my kids are done with college, have responsible good jobs and both are married and own their own homes. Thank goodness I don't have the worries of supporting a family along with the high cost of food and gas. I think we need healthcare that is affordable to everyone, and we need to stand up to the insurance companies who make up the law as they see fit. We need a government that works together in a bi partisan manner, I just don't see that happening no matter who is elected. I see all 3 candidates as weak, and I see no strong individual in the wings either. Heck, you have to be an egomaniac to even want to be President today, I certainly wouldn't want the job! It would cause my grey roots to turn white! lol

Amen to that

Bizzemom you are right that the great minds need incentives to come up with a cost efficient idea that will really improve the problem. I was using the examples to show that ideas are being presented, and put forth; but you are right, it is not enough.

The bandaid idea is just that, a bandaid idea. Temporary relief will be welcomed right now, by many. I personally feel that a bandaid is better than leaving the wound open to infection. Meaning that while we are getting temporary relief, off and on, for the next however many years, the innovative minds can develop a plan that will heal the wound, while it is being protected.

A lot of people will more than likely pocket the extra cash for long-term, but at least it will provide the extra cash to pocket for a couple of months at a time. And with having 4-5 months a year being able to pocket extra cash, all the while surviving without the bandaid, it will start showing subtle boosts in the economy, along with helping Americans reduce debt, and any other relief it may provide.

I feel, along with others I have shared the idea with, that it is something seriously worth considering. I have heard it said before that it will be a minimum of 10-12 years before America can start recovering from this recession, and it will only get worse before it gets better.

I think that short-term ideas need to be considered as well as long-term ideas. There is no telling where and when the innovative mind will illuminate with that much needed "light bulb", so we need to take what we can get when we can get it!

Collegemom I agree any real benefits of change regarding energy is going to take at least 10 years. I am still opposed to this bandaid treatment. I would prefer to see the summer gas taxes suspended than using reserves. I worry about the reserves and if something really bad were to happen in the middle east or on the home front that we may be sorry that we used some of our reserve. I kn ow we have a lot, but it is there for our protection. Just today I heard President Bush is not going to be putting anymore gas in the reserve for awhile, hoping to help us at the pumps. He asked the SAudis again today to pump more oil, and for the second time they refused. I agree that in most cases a bandaid is better than to risk infection, but I think it is really important for us as Americans to begin to change driving habits on our own. Some wounds need to air out and not be covered or they fester an infection! Using reserves and keeping gas prices down is just prolonging a hardship lesson for us all. European countries, the middle east and even the orient are beginning to do things to alter there dependency on oil. We in America sit back and do nothing and have no plan. We talk about it, but as long as Americans continue to fill up there tanks an driving, nothing will change. It hurts my wallet as bad as anyones to go to the pump these days, $36 for one quarter tank of gas! Infact, Illinois is one of the states with the higest gas prices. Today is $4.29. Every week it jumps 10-20 cents. This is ridiculous! There is no way that the gas stations have recieved the gas that is rising daily in the stock market.Guarenteed it will go even higher for the coming memorial weekend. We needed to be proactive about oil dependency years ago, but Washington politicans and their chronies reaped the staggering profits. We as Americans sat back and paid the price at the pump. I think if it could be organized one day across the country without putting gas in our cars and trucks may just send the message that we Americans are resilent people and going to fix this problem on our own even if we get no help from Washington.

Here is a good article for thought. I've done more researching on it and find I still agree with it...... Let your legislators and government officials hear from you..if we want to make a change we need to weed out those in government who work for themselves and not for us.

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=072E8C8F-3AD2-48B9-9747-09B47361E672

We just paid $3.95 a gallon here around Southern Puget Sound, WA

Happy Trails!

We need to get ready because the prices will not stop rising until they reach 10.00 a gallon. I know that seems impossible, but alot of people are talking about the end times and what is to happen next, we are to be one country with Canada and Mexico soon. Do research on the NAFTA hwy in Mexico almost to Texas , then on to Canada. The money is made called the Amero and the new Flag. I've talked to alot of my friends and the canadians are mad about all this but most Americans are even aware of it. Yes the end times are coming soon. Just keep your eye on Isarel and you will know. Pray for our country and Isarel, but all is in Gods hands. It's a problem with gas they don't want to solve now, it's taking us to where we must go. Not good news but pray, pray and pray and I will be praying for all my friends here too. love you all. hugs..................

i have a friend who works for a patroleum plant and sent me an email i urge everyone to read
u can find it in my blog on myspace called gas prices urgent :) feel free to leave ure comments there or hit me up for me to send it to u as well
www.myspace.com/troubled27

Well here we are 4 months after the last post to this thread and right now gas in ST PAUL MN (not Minneapolis) is $3.49.9 for regular - Was $3.59.9 yesterday! Heard on the news prices may rise due to the Russian trouble so I filled up yesterdaY! RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRrrr LOL Try to figure this economy out with the Bozos in office we have and it will put you in the funny farm!

I remember the 60's & 70's.

We had gas WARS!

And that was not a fight over gas - IT WAS A FIGHT FOR CUSTOMERS!

The stations actually
WASHED ALL YOUR WINDOWS -
MADE SURE YOUR TIRES WERE PROPERLY INFLATED -
MADE SURE YOUR FLUIDS WERE FULL
and during the gas wars a gallon of gas was btw $0.17.9 to $0.21.9 PER GALLON US!

That's CENTS folks LOL Those were the days!

Most on here will think of me as an old geezer just going Alzhiemer on ya but its true.

Now we will NEVER see prices that low - heck wages back then, you were LUCKY to have a job that paid $0.75 and hour!

So when you think of it in terms of wages VS cost of a Gallon of gas at the normal price without the gas wars cost was about $0.27 gallon.

PLUS CARS ONLY GOT 8-10 MPGS! Now your average car gets double that!

At that time I could squeeze out 3 gallons of gas for my one hour of work ($0.75/$0.25)

So now today gas is say $3.50 a gallon.

3 Gallons X $3.50 would be you need an hourly wage of $10.50 an hour.

Most jobs short of Food industries pay that.

Yes the Oil companies are making profits - but if you have any investments, you more than likely see results of that profit in those investments.

I for one had to empty my nestegg due to disability so I am not able to reap in those dollars.

What we need is leadership in this country that knows what you and I face on a daily basis.
I don't mean the President.
He's just a puppet.
Its you Senators and Congress making the money decisions.
So what you need to do to make this an AMERICA we once were, is vote in people who have your best interests in mind.
We have become to complacent in America.
We want our legislators to me our nannies!
So vote!
Replace every last one of them who do not share your views!

Thanks for taking the time to read my rant - hope it inspires some to help in the cause!

Wow. this post really got people to thinking and getting involved. Maybe we do care. If everyone were to speak out and be involved like this all the time then I know we can fix things. God bless ya'll

Unfortunately Steve the passion was two months ago! I tickled this thread in hopes that folks would come back and get involved. Guess it was not enough!

I believe they raised the prices so high and made us accept the prices so when they lowered them we would be grateful. In reality that is where they wanted them to end up anyway.