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High gas prices upset students,
area residents
Price increase may have
begun with production
By Kyle Boggs
Summer
Reporter
Gas. Lately, for many people, that word conjures
up feelings of annoyance, anger, disbelief and concern.
U.S. gasoline prices are at the highest they've
been in ten years. This is due to a decline in world production of crude
oil and increasing demand among U.S. consumers.
As many college students live paycheck to paycheck,
it is often harder to budget money for gas than it once was.
"I don't expect prices to come back down for a
long time," said Zac Knoll, a junior in the Schools of Engineering.
"I'll feel the hurt when I have to drive to my internship this summer."
According to the Organization for Petroleum Exporting
Countries (OPEC), it began in March 1999, when OPEC announced a decrease
in production that cut world output by three percent, or about 2.1 million
barrels of crude oil daily. Therefore, an increase in demand and a decrease
in production had caused the prices to raise significantly.
When asked if prices may go down, Bob Staley, head
coordinator of Westland CO-OP INC., said that he has no idea what the
prices will do as he doesn't have any control over them. "It's just
as confusing to me as it is to everyone else," he said.
There is essentially no change in sales either.
Right now gas prices are between $1.78 per gallon and $1.84 per gallon.
"People will pay it; everyone's gotta have it (gas) regardless," said
Staley.
"I wish I could guess (what gas prices will rise
to this summer). We are all at the mercy of the refineries," said sales
representative of AmeriGas Patty Denman.
"Generally, gas prices raise a few cents right
before major holidays because they know they can get it," she said.
"That’s the only inclination I have."
Some people remain hopeful that the government
will step in and do something about this. "It sucks, but I think the
prices will stabilize and go down this summer," said Ed Prusiecki, a
senior in the School of Management.
Citizens may be able to act as a whole to lower
prices. Recently, San Diego Mayor Roger Hedgecock led citizens in a
boycott of gasoline purchases on Fridays. This kind of citizen action
might be necessary in order to tell Congress that prices need to come
down.
Presently, there is no determined way to predict
what will happen to gas prices this summer, or even tomorrow for that
matter. Therefore, students will have to continue to skip meals during
the day, buy Marsh brand products instead of name brands, sweat with
the air conditioner off, and do a lot more walking this summer to afford
to drive every once and a while. Who knows, maybe America will finally
get a little exercise.
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House
to update district lines
Ordinance
receives mixed responses
Lafayette's
fire department undergoes staff restructuring
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