Slow down and conserve gasoline

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The rapid increase in fuel prices has provided our current administration and the candidates for president with an opportunity to show leadership.

I find it sad that one suggestion is to open new areas for oil exploration and another is a gas tax “summer holiday” combined with a windfall profits tax on the oil industry. No thank you President Bush, Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. John McCain.

Take a lesson from recent history and read what was done back in the 1970s by presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. They told Americans to slow down and save millions of gallons. Carter was chastised by the media and the oil-addicted American populace when he dared to appear on national television and urge all of us to lower our thermostats and drive at a reduced speed.

Leadership on this issue has come from only one candidate: Sen. Barack Obama. He has rejected short-term fixes for long-range problems. He talks straight to the American people and asks each of us to be part of the solution.

Next time you drive on the freeway, ease up on the accelerator, move into the right lane and know that you are doing your own small part in fighting high gasoline prices.

Bill Palmer
Bellingham

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