Work-at-home programs may be shortest route to fuel relief

I filled my tank at a gas station in Santa Monica last week and the price was $4.09 for a gallon of regular. Ouch.

I drove past that same station over the holiday weekend, and the price was $4.19.

Good.


Well, not good exactly. With food prices soaring and healthcare costs showing no mercy, it’s no help to working families for gas prices to be jumping 10 cents a gallon in a matter of days.

The Energy Department reported Tuesday that the nationwide average for self-serve regular gas hit $3.937 on Monday, up 14.6 cents from the week before. In California, the average climbed 14.7 cents to $4.099. Diesel is even higher, topping $5 a gallon statewide.

But the more painful that things become at the pump, the more our political and business leaders will finally realize that they need to take steps, and soon, to wean us from our self-defeating oil jones.

I’m not just talking about promoting conservation and offering incentives for people to buy hybrids and stuff like that. I’m talking about some radical thinking that could finally ease the epic commutes that are wasting so much time and fuel.

“Studies show that you only need to take 5% of cars off the road to make a difference,” said Sarah Catz, director of UC Irvine’s Center for Urban Infrastructure. “I remember the 1984 Olympics. I could just sail down the 405.”

LA Times