Hey Mister, can you spare a gallon of gas ?

[kentuck]

An old song from the Depression, "Hey Mister, Can You Spare A Dime", has been replaced by a new necessity. Few Americans are not dependent on their cars. The majority of people live more than 15 minutes from their workplace when they drive to work. To get there and back, they must buy gasoline. At 2.50 per gallon, this adds up to real money to those folks working in low wage jobs. It is putting a squeeze on them and their families.

Many people out West drive over a hundred miles a day in their old klunkers just to make a living. They would like to have one of those nice little cars that get 40 miles to a gallon, but they can't afford one. They are trying to survive. These gas prices are like a noose around their necks, slowly choking off their oxygen.

[ewagner]

1. Good point

In my days as a Planner (City/Community Development) I watched in horror with the memories of the Oil Embargo still fresh in my mind, as developer after developer came forward with plans for strip malls, bigger and better traditional malls, "stand-alone" business parks with accompanying fast food "pads" and more and more PUDs (Planned Unit Developments) miles away from cities and services.

Private transportation was critical to these developments and public transportation was out of the question as either too expensive or impractical in these locations.

We didn't learn anything

No a damned thing.