I am not sure I understand, whether this is a blog for everyone to post to talk about the impact of high gas prices, or just about the impact on ones business. So, let me comment for now and say, it a a travesty of the highest degree, and the Governor, our local Representatives, our National Representatives, and the President, all should be doing something about this. We are forced, to need fuel, be it in the form of natural gas, or fuel for vehicles. It is a commodity, and it is like a public utility, and should be regulated as such.
Shame, on our government, for allowing the people to be raped by the oil companies, and thier minions, that have been placed in our government.
I am embarassed for our country. Get off your asses before the people knock you off them!

Sorry for any confusion. By all means I'd love for people to comment about how gas prices affect them personally.

Business to us here at the YDR is more than just how XYZ company runs. It's about how you and I spend and save our hard-earned dollars.

Feel free to check back often and sound off on whatever the topic of the day is!

I'm a single mom of 2 little girls, I work full time plus any overtime I can get so I can make my bills!! With the rising cost of gas, it's becoming really hard to do anything extra with my kids. If they need clothes or shoes, I have to put money back each week till I have enough to get what they need. Every summer we enjoy taking trips the mountains to get away and that is going to be really hard this year and I don't think the people should have to suffer for the goverments mistakes!!!! Something needs to be done!!!

Me, I now know all the blades of grass in my backyard by name. Why? Because I can't just hop in the car for any old trip anymore. All I have left to do is sit on the porch and stare at the yard on nice days.

It costs me $40 a week (before the latest prices) just to go to work and back. And that's in a car that gets 23MPG highway. As warmer weather approaches, I'll take the motorcycle more often. I'll just learn to dress warmer for the still chilly mornings and get a rain suit for inclement days.

Now, more people will probably get motorcycles and scooters due to gas prices. I welcome it myself. All the motorcycle naysayers can just get over it, so KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN AND HANDS OFF YOUR PHONE when driving.

Anyhow, so how can the government help? Well, until we all take steps to reduce our consumption, we're still going to pay for that consumption (supply and demand). As much as I hate having to do so, I've reduced my discretionary travel, or reduced my consumption (by taking the motorcycle). I consider myself an early adopter of those ideas, based on making my decision by choice and not by necessity (yet).

If the government can't reduce prices, they should at least help alter habits that sustain our consumption. I'm sure people can come up with many ideas. One idea I have, whose time has come years ago, is to push for more telecommuting. Stop giving the tax breaks to the oil companies. Give them to businesses that enable workers to telecommute. It's a two fold benefit. Less fuel consumption and less greenhouse gases, including those caused by traffic congestion.

Tax breaks can also go to companies who contract their own shuttle service. Independent bus service for employees. It may not help everyone at a company, but larger companies may have the ability to bus a lot of their workforce to/from home, or at least to the nearest school or municipal bus stop. Make it a benefit. Have a driver for a staff car on call for emergencies.

Let's face it. We need to change things here. I doubt Bush will do anything. A short timer president like him has nothing to lose now by dragging his feet on public issues. The tax breaks I mentioned can work at the state level, too. Just push all your lawmakers into at least thinking about it.

As a parent of two and a full-time job, I am getting hit at the grocery store, but thankfully I can earn "gas points" at Giant so I can get a little break at the pump.

We have to pay for gas and nothing immediate is going to relieve it. It is absolutely NUTS!! The rebate checks will help temporarily, but then what happens after that?

Let's see, we have a president whose family is full of oil money from way back. Is it really any surprise he is doing nothing to help us with rising gas prices? I agree with the first commentor, the industry needs to be regulated.

As for me, I commute to Baltimore every day in a ~26mpg car so I'm spending about $270/mo @ current prices. I find that I tend to upshift alot sooner to try to keep RPM down. I also try not to splurge anymore, I have to keep myself away from places like Best Buy or Circuit City heh. I try to buy my home supplies in bulk at Sam's Club and online to keep the cost/unit cheaper. I'm going to pick up an old Honda 550 (motorcycle) to commute with in the summer. Way better fuel economy, but have to be careful for all the nuts out there. I echo Jeff's sentiment.. get off your darned phones and DRIVE.

Alas, there's not much we can do until the government steps in and puts the brakes on this crazy industry. I'm scared to think what the cost will be mid summer.

I feel the government needs to go after NYMEX. These are the crooks that are controling the price of fuel. If the SEC would wake up they would nail ALL the traders. All the traders are doing is illegaly jacking the price up by making excuses.

I also drive to Baltimore every day from Southern York Co. and at $3.35 a/gal it's getting very expensive. I can't believe our government has let it get this bad. We have oil in our backyards, why won't they use it instead of depending on other countries.

Another York to MD driver here. I spend about $300/month in gas just to go to work. I have stopped making "fun runs", because the gas is too high. We consolidate all our trips to get the best mileage. I'm disgusted by the thought of summer gas prices. I'm looking for a position somewhere closer, even if I have to take a pay cut. I'm a computer tech, and unfortunately, York's not a booming tech area. We won't be taking our monthly trips to Philly to shop anymore. By the time we pay for gas, there's nothing left to shop with!

We're all hurting because of the high fuel prices, there's no doubt about it. My major sacrifices are to skip driving from my home in Lewisberry to the YW's gym in York one day per week instead of the three I usually drive. Another few increases in gas prices and I'll beforced to skip yet another day. The other sacrifice I've made--and it's a major one--is to cease all driving to various venues to photograph. I'm an amateur photographer and have been spending the first few years of my retirement at all sorts of places and locations. This activity stopped a year ago. Having said all that-- we are at times our worst enemy. Driving on I83 most everywhere I travel because of where I live I can state unequivically that close to 95% of vehicles, including the big rigs, on that highway are travelling at speeds far in excess of the speed limit of 65 MPH, and at what would seem 85-95 MPH! And many, if not most, of these vehicles are monster trucks and SUVs that get less than 15-20 MPH. So when I hear people complain about the high cost of gasoline and diesel fuel I want to ask them "But what are you doing to minimize the effect on YOU!"

Thank you for clearing this up. I too drive to Fort Indiantown Gap from Dover, a 53 mile one way commute, and my car is ten yrs old with a 180 k on it, but it costs me $65 a wk to drive to work. The others are right, groceries go up. We have cut back eating out, cut back the sunday drives in the countryside.
I am so, disgusted that no one is coming forward and introducing anything to relieve this, but then again, we got no property tax relief from them either, ( and I am talking to you, Bev Mackereth) and your comrades, I will remember this on Tuesday.
I am also, making an effort to slow down, an admitted bad habit. But still there is no reason for the price to be this high for something that we have to have. If I could put water in my car I would, or corn, or whatever powers it, it is not my choice, I just need to get to where I need to get to so I can do my part in the economy, isnt that what we are supposed to do??

A Society Of Wimps And Whiners Who Cry,Beg And Whine And Try To Patch The Symptoms Just like Western Pharmaceutical Giants. We Have A New Generation Of You're Not Right unless You're Wrong And Oil Prices Will Not Drop While They Have You By The Underpants!!In The Meantime Search Google For US IMPORTERS and Dont Buy From Foreign Companies Like SHELL and Many Others!!

Its not whining, it is about finally saying enough is anough, I just want to live and to be able to afford to live. The free market does not mean to rig it so you can fix the price, and fix the demand for your product. Let those that can produce the alternatives for fuels do so, and stop having the oil companies squelch the competition.

If these prices take anyone by surprise, they havent been paying attention. The rest of the world has been paying two or three times as much for gas as we have. It was bound to catch up. Until people stop driving 12mpg SUV's and 15mpg trucks, consumption wont decrease and prices wont come back down.
What have I done to cope? Two years ago when gas first hit $3.00, I bought a Toyota Prius in which I average 51 mpg. A month ago when they predicted $4.00 by summer, we sold the SUV and bought a Toyota Yaris which is getting 41 MPG brand new. For the three days each winter that it actually snows, I'll take a sick day.
Anyone who has bought an SUV in the last year or so should'nt really be complaining about gas prices. The writing has been on the wall for a long time.

Roy, the fuel is used in everything, like in trucks to caryy everything from food to materials. Do we put that in a Yaris too?
How about the Heating Oil? The point is, it trickles down, and yes we should conserve, and many do, I do, but in the end we must work, because in the final analysis that is the biggest driving factor in the economy. So, it seems to me that we should not be held hostage for a commodity that we need and one that drives so many other things. It is greed and nothing more.

I'm trying to figure out how much more I can cut back! Everything is going up! As gas prices go up, the cost to get things to market is higher, and the prices must be passed on to the consumer. What's worse, is that we are now seeing food supply issues because of mandates to include bio-fuels in the gas (which by the way lowers fuel efficiency)! I already only drive when necessary. Being that the warmer weather is here, we are going into a phase of cold meals in our house...salads and sandwiches...which will probably last through the summer. We due this to save propane, and so we don't heat up the house causing the AC to work harder. I've had to put an end to after-school snaking at home, because the cost of food is going up. I hate to tell the kids they can't eat, but what am I to do? To make sure there is enough in the budget so cover the regular 3 meals, I have to cut off their snacks! It also kills me to have to make less healthy choices, but healthy food costs more than not so healthy food. I have to choose between them eating healthy, or getting enough to eat.

We are a middle-class household, and even we are starting to feel the pinch. When will it stop?

Ok folks, if you do a bit of research you might find that the current oil company situation is not unlike that of the rubber companies from the 30's to 50's - basically the public needed to make the politicians listen.

Here in Canada, our gas today (@ 117 USD) is $4.914 a US gallon. And we have to, under NAFTA, provide the US with the equivalent of what we produce for ourselves. Don't worry, your politicians aren't just squeezing you guys either.

Pensioners are wondering how they will eat next year, and farmers are wondering if any of it is worthwhile.

Here we use ethanol, but it was mandated (prior to the crisis) that it would only be produced from the non-edible portions, and a 10% mix boosted octane 5pts, with an average of 2-3mpg increase once the engine got used to running hotter. Not sure what you guys are using in your biofuels but I suspect it's designed to be inefficent.

Last August when 'they' told 'us' gas would be $1.50 a litre (5.67 gallon) this summer, now they're saying it's the 'free market', not blatant manipulation. Right, the free market allowed you to predict gasoline prices to the penny nearly a year in advance. And the record high petroleum profits - there's no correlation, no collusion to see here folks - just capitalism working efficiently. For the top 1% of the population. Well I feel a bit better. Hopefully you all do as well knowing your neighbors to the north are feeling the pinch as well.

To me the profits the oil companies are posting are criminal. My family has cancelled our summer vacation plans due to fuel cost. I have four children and we take a vacation every summer in our RV, not this year. My wife and I have talked about selling our RV, but tell me, who would buy one now? No one, thats who, and how many folks whom have retired and are on fixed incomes have RV's and like me cant afford to put gas in them.
I could go on for hours, thanks for giving us a spot to vent on.

for so much that the economy is tied to the oil industry. We all know if Cheney's connection but less is talked about the Bush's and ties to Valero.

It brings up an important change Honda is doing with the Honda FCX. With a potential home charging station for hydrogen fuel.

But lets go beyond that and how about using 2 liters of water every 1-2 months to power our car. A 6th or 7th grader has learned the simplicity of the reaction. Water with electric current develops O2 and H2 gas which last checked is a flammable gas, and that's what the combustible engine requires. I don't know why mother nature's rarest-precious "commodity" is ignored. It's good enough for our body and it should be fine for our car. Sure we sacrifice some horsepower here and there, but do you want to pay 4,5,6,7 dollars a gallon? My two cents, since analysts predicted $200 barrel of oil