Rising Gas Prices Fueling Concern

Almost two-thirds of those surveyed for an Associated Press-AOL poll expect fuel costs to cause them financial hardship in coming months. That's sharply higher than in April, when about half felt that way.

"It's crazy ... with no end in sight,'' Jim Fields of Fort Myers said. "The golden years are not so golden anymore. It's not a rosy future.''
On Friday, the average price of regular gasoline in Lee County was $2.43 a gallon, a record. Regular gas was $1.85 a gallon a year ago and $2.33 a gallon a month ago, according to the American Automobile Association.

And costs are expected to keep rising. Prices for crude oil reached a record near $67 a barrel Friday. That's almost 50 percent higher than a year ago.
The AP-AOL News poll of 1,000 adults was conducted Aug. 9-11 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

It found that 64 percent of the people who were interviewed say gas prices will cause money problems for them in the next six months. In April, 51 percent expressed such concerns.

Those most likely to be worried are people with low incomes, the unemployed and minorities. However, the level of concern was rising fastest among women, retirees, married people and those living in the suburbs.
Fields, a retiree, said he is fed up.

He watched the price jump one day this week within a seven-hour span, from $2.33 a gallon in the morning to $2.40 that afternoon. It cost him $32 to fill the tank of his Toyota Solara.
"I'm going to try to fill up only once a month if I can,'' he said. He won't go near Captiva Island, North Fort Myers or Lehigh Acres in the afternoons during the week.

"If you have to go, forget about it if it's 3:30 or so because you will be caught in traffic,'' the 68-year-old said. "It only means you will just sit there, and the longer you sit, the more you are going to burn gas, which will cause you even more aggravation.''
Fields said he is considering trading in his Solara for a more fuel-efficient car.

He's not alone.
Joe Marazzi, general manager of Fort Myers Toyota at Fowler Street and Colonial Boulevard, said he's seen an increase in sales for fuel economy cars and a 3 to 5 percent decline in SUV sales.

"Typically, folks bringing in SUVs to trade in are not looking for another SUV, even if the SUV is more fuel efficient," Marazzi said. "They want the vehicle that's going to give them the best mileage possible — the 30 miles per gallon cars.''
Filling up with regular gas for the driver of a subcompact with a 12-gallon tank has increased from just over $22 a year ago to more than $28 now.

Filling up with premium gas for the driver of an SUV or a big truck with a 20-gallon tank has increased from $60 a year ago to $78 now.

On the other hand, some area hotels don't feel the gas crunch is resulting in fewer visitors.
"Most of our guests are booked ahead, well in advance,'' said Don Williams, with 'Tween Waters Inn on Captiva Island.

He said once people get to the area, they may change what they do to save a bit.
"Maybe they won't go out every night or won't go to a little less fancy restaurant or cut back on retail,'' he said. "I think when minds are made up and people feel they need a break, they find a way to get away.''

Richard Curtin, director of consumer surveys for the University of Michigan, said high gas prices can dampen enthusiasm even when the rest of the economy is good.

"It has a rather large effect on the public's mood about the economy, especially among lower-income households," he said. "It directly reduces their spendable income because they are not able to conserve their use of gas very easily — their trips to work and to the store."
Only about a third in the poll said they think President Bush is handling the nation's energy problems effectively, while almost six in 10 disagree.

When asked whom they blame most for the rise in gas prices, people were most inclined to cite oil companies, followed closely by politicians and countries that produce oil.