THE PRICE OF GAS IS GOOD

"In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes."--Ben Franklin.

Add to that list a third certainty: Expensive gas.

We all knew the day would come when cheap gas was no longer a part of our lives; you knew it, the government knew it, and the rest of the world knew it. That day is here and you'd better get used to it.

For decades the government has spent millions, maybe billions, of dollars on public service messages encouraging the general public to change their driving habits and begin embracing such concepts as car-pooling or mass transit usage. The truth is, as long as gas is cheap, cities could offer free bus or subway rides (free beer and pizza) and we wouldn't take advantage of it. We'd still be on the road alone in our gas sucking vehicles.

If high prices at the pump is what it takes to get our attention, to get us to change our habits, then I say it's a good thing in the long run. For the short term, we'll suffer through the adjustment, some more than others, but it's not like we didn't know it was coming. There was an easy way and a hard way to deal with the looming, high price of oil; we just chose the hard way. But, as I said, breaking our dependency on oil, in the long run, will be a good thing. And, if the Government could do something to make gas cheap again, I don't think they would. The best motivator for conservation seems to be through our wallets and not PSAs. Watch and learn.

INTERESTING GAS PRICE INFO: Up to a 36 month look at the price of regular gas across the nation. Click here and plug-in your city's name.

If you'd like to see the rise and fall of prices from 1981 thru 2005, click here.

And for your information, I drive a Cadillac, Sedan De Ville. It tops off at $60 and change. No smiles here.