Gas is averaging $2.24... 4168

wasn't

Now its going to be too little, too late though. They were talking about stuff that was going to happen in the future, not stuff that was going to happen two weeks from then. It's like the Grbutthopper vs. the Ants. The Ants prepared, the Grbutthopper did not.

A few years ago Trent Lott was bashing the concept of fuel efficiency by waving at a picture of a European econo-car and saying "I don't want Americans to have to drive this car". So instead Congress chose business as usual for the auto industry, instead of preparing for the inevitable higher gas prices. Detroit always brings up these straw men; safety and "choice" whenever there is talk of improving fuel efficiency. If we had our selection of fuel efficient vehicles years ago, it would hurt alot less for the country as a whole. The Union of Concerned Scientists figured it would cost about 600 dollars extra to make a Ford Explorer type vehicle that gets around 26 miles per gallon, and for another 600 dollars you could have one that gets over 30; 5 speed automatic transmissions, automaticly shifted manuals, variable valve timing, direct injection, 4 valves per cylinder, aluminum engine construction, integrated starter motor generators- none of this is science fiction or particularly expensive, its stuff that could have been done years ago that we could have been reaping the benefits of today.