"To increase oil company costs by taxing them more money will do two things: (A) drive oil company costs higher and for that reason drive gasoline prices higher; (B) create greater conflict between our 'have's versus our have-nots,' precisely what our elected socialists work daily to achieve."

Taxes imposed on oil companies leading to even higher costs is only a part of the equation. Gasoline prices are going higher right now WITHOUT any new taxes. I suppose that's the divine hand, invisible though it is, of the "marketplace".

There are no shortages of gasoline. No rationing. OPEC repeatedly states that there's plenty of supply. The supply/demand "principles" aren't working…..just as they aren't working in health care and didn't work during the Dot.com grand theft.

Ph.D would have us believe that "socialist" Democrats are pushing class warfare….when, in actuality, the warfare has been raging from BIG MONEY's side for 30 years. That's why working families have lost $1000 per year on average recently while the top 1% have grown exponentially richer.

Energy, health care, education are a few of the sectors of our economy needing controls. For the sake, not of the rich, but of the PEOPLE.

Price freezes are needed. Fuel cell and electric vehicles, wind and solar, higher CAFE standards, and conservation projects and programs need to be implemented.

It will take a Democratic administration to accomplish those things…..the GOP is simply too beholden to BIG ENERGY and BIG MONEY.

You don't think Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati Could have better mass transit (Especially Columbus)? Mass transit does not come overnight. Go back 40 years in Washington DC, and one thing you'll notice (outside of it being an awful place) is that there is no metro, it is a road town. Today, almost 800,000 people a day take metro. Washington DC is a smaller city than the 3 big Ohio cities I mentioned above.

Mass Transit doesn't need to be just Subway. Maybe build train tracks that Run from Cleveland to Cincinnati via Akron, Canton, Columbus, Dayton that runs a couple of times daily. Maybe some Bus Rapid Transit would be appropriate. All that I am saying is that this country treats roads and transit as two seperate things.

Why should 100,000 people taking a train every day be any different the 100,000 people taking a road (assuming they cost the same)? At the moment, roads are built via none of the efficiency standards that are required for transit. The Federal Government alone spends almost $300 Billion over a 5 year transportation bill. It doesn't hurt till we have $3.50/gallon gas. All of a sudden that 20-30 mile commute every day is adding up real fast.

I am not saying Mass Transit is the answer to all of our problems. But dismissing a coherent policy because it may not be appropriate for certain areas doesn't seem to be a wise decision if you are at all interested in at least one of these areas below:

1. lower our dependence foreign oil
2. Improve the environment
3. Spend Less time in Traffic
4. reduce Suburban sprawl

I can come up with more if you'd like. The US has no coherent policy that ties all types of transit (roads, rails, planes) together, and we need one.

Ohio Exile makes a solid point as well - people just arent going to use PT if they dont already.