Thursday, Aug. 11, 2005 | 9:06 a.m.
In signing the Transportation Equity Act, better known as the highway bill, President Bush on Wednesday boasted of what it would do for America's roads. He talked of how the bill's allocation of $286 billion over the next six years will bring the country's transportation system "into the 21st Century." "This bill is going to help modernize the highway system ..." Bush said.
The new and improved roads will be nice, all right, but will people be able to afford to drive them?
Once again gas prices are rapidly going up all over the country and this time many people are actually feeling the pain. Price spikes are especially being felt here in Nevada. Only two states in the country have prices that are, on average, higher than here, according to AAA Nevada. This week the automobile club announced record-breaking high prices for the state, with an average of $2.58 a gallon for regular, unleaded gasoline. "Statewide average gas prices are up 54 cents compared to last year," Sean Comey, a spokesman for AAA Nevada, told the Sun.
Las Vegas Sun reporter Mary Manning talked to a woman Monday who was buying gas on Las Vegas Boulevard South near Warm Springs Road. The woman, a hair stylist for the past 28 years and a single mom, asked, "How do people pay for food for their children, pay for car insurance and put gas in their cars? When is it going to stop?"
Sadly, increases in gas prices show no sign of stopping. World demand for sweet crude oil, from which gasoline is made, is beginning to exceed worldwide production capacity. according to analysts. This is driving the price of crude to record highs nearly every day. Nevada's prices are higher than most everywhere else in the country because all of our gas comes from one source, old refineries in California susceptible to production glitches. We have no pipelines that can bring gas in from elsewhere, which would increase the supply and lower the cost. Also, federal, state and county taxes, which aren't going away, add 50 cents to the cost of each gallon.
We would not be surprised to see prices here reach $3 a gallon or more by the end of the year. Car pooling and use of public transit is certainly in the near future for many people used to jumping in their cars and driving alone to work. It would be wise if they would start getting used to their new style of commuting right away. We hope as this necessary adjustment takes place that employers will do whatever they can to support it.
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