Collegiate Times

It?s seems like all we ever hear about on the news and in conversation is the enormous price of gas. No matter where you live, almost everyone has taken note of the unfortunate fact that gas prices have gone up.

Those of you who used to pay a mere $20 at the pump to fill up a sedan are now paying on the upwards of forty dollars, and those who drive SUVs, for whom gas costs have always been high, are now paying even bigger bucks to fill up.

Even after President Bush announced Tuesday that he would halt deposits into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, more help is still needed at the pump.

With all this fuss about gas, it seems like someone should take control to change prices, right? Well, a group of Republican senators have drawn up a proposal that would give, according to CNN, ?taxpayers a $100 rebate, repeal tax incentives for oil companies, and allow the Federal Trade Commission to prosecute retailers unlawfully inflating the price of gasoline.?

While the last few initiatives seem promising, it is easy to question as to what these so-called rebate checks for $100 would be put towards. If every American taxpayer were to receive a check to help offset high prices, it is probably safe to assume that these same people would use the money, in fact, to fill up some more. Maybe, if they are lucky, they could fill up the tank more than once.

Instead, why not put this $100 towards something more useful such as research for alternative fuels, improving the U.S. public transportation system so that more people did not have to use their cars, require higher efficient standards, or perhaps even give tax breaks to those who own vehicles such as hybrids.

These sound a bit more likely to help. However, this proposal has not been enacted. It would be offered as an amendment to an emergency spending measure for both the War in Iraq as well as hurricane relief.

There are some ideas already within the proposal, as mentioned earlier, that do provide real solutions to our nation?s energy problems. One is to give incentive to oil companies here in the United States or even those companies who will conduct more research in alternative fuel sources. The idea of allowing the Federal Trade Commission to prosecute those who engage in price gouging at the pumps also appears to be a step in the right direction.

Democrats are expected to draw up their own proposals as well. Elections are on the horizon, and both parties seem to be looking to score political points on the gas issue as a whole.

Hopefully, the $100 rebate checks would not be included in a proposal to help gas prices considering this would be almost guaranteeing $100 more per taxpayer towards the oil industry ? which is precisely what needs to be stopped.