Gas Prices Push Consumers to the Edge - USA Today

[Bill USA]

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2011-05-19-gas-prices-poll_n.htm

With prices up $1.06 a gallon from year-ago levels, consumers already are making substantive lifestyle changes. More than 50% say they've altered daily habits to compensate. Almost 20% plan to make changes if prices remain high. Nearly 30% say they're driving less and consolidating trips.

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Prices on food, clothing and everything from coffee to airfares have also been rising.

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Companies wrestling with higher transportation and shipping costs are also looking for lower-cost solutions. Phoenix-based 3 Busy Dogs, which manufactures Bowser Beer, a non-alcoholic, protein- and vitamin-infused brew for pooches, says shipping costs to some retailers and consumers have jumped nearly 100%.

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"Ultimately, it's going higher," says Dicker, author of the recently released book Oil's Endless Bid: Taming the Unreliable Price of Oil to Secure the Economy. "Over the course of the next four years, we could see $185-to-$200-a-barrel oil, which translates to a gallon price of $6."
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[kirby]

1. Perhaps they will regret buying that SUV?

The environment or war to secure oil was no concern, but now that it is hitting their pocketbook...

[Andy823]

2. It can be stopped!

Congress needs to get tougher on the speculators and pass some laws to stop them from manipulating prices simply to make their own greedy profits! As long as republicans are in charge of the house, nothing will change. Wall street knows republicans will NOT allow tougher regulations on them, and they will continue to gouge the people no matter how bad it is for the economy! Democrats need to start putting bills on the floor of the Senate to force republicans to vote on trying to stop this madness! Get them on record, and hammer them when they vote NO to stopping what is simply the rich making huge profits by speculating on oil, and food!

Americans are feed up with this insanity, and are coming to there senses about who it is that is helping Wall street while causing serious problems for the rest of the country with the high gas prices. All that needs to be done is keep these issue front and center from now till election, and as soon as democrats take back over the house, PASS the bills we need to stop this crap! Democrats need to show the public they really do care about what is going on, and then do something about it when they have the votes to do so!

[MrTriumph]

3. Wall Street has been held unaccountable.

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