Fuel Rationing - a New Reality ?

I know this may sound extreme, but as a matter of National Security may I be one of the first citizens to call for it.

As I look at the markets on this fine morning after a 360 point Dow Jones Industrial Average free fall. I am more than a little concerned. I see gold close to 1000.00 dollars per once. I see oil close to 100.00 dollars a barrel and I see the American Dollar very depressed.

These are all signs to me the world as a whole is loosing faith in the American economy.

The faith of the world is not something that can be ignored as they are the metaphorical mortgage holders on billions of dollars worth of our debt.

Fuel rationing would amount to demonstrating to the world that we have some kind of control over our own financial destiny.

All commodities are subject to one financial rule. That is the rule of supply and demand.

We demand that the world supply more oil and the world demands that we supply them with more money for the oil that is provided.

We as a people have demonstrated that wether gas is two dollars or four dollars per gallon we will buy it, and further more we will still drive the same vehicles and drive as much as we ever have.

Oil is the life blood of this country, we like to pretend that it isn't but reality insists that it is. Oil is required for every available mode of transportation from the VolksWagon Rabbit to the BlackHawk Military Helecopter. Even the horse and buggy require a fuel powered truck to deliver it's straw and oats. At this point Oil is one commodity that this Great Nation can't live without.

This spoiled and uncaring attitude is actually destabilizing our economy.

It seems to me that the US government is ready and willing to exert their jurisdiction and authority over everything and everyone in the name of National Security, and weather they are right or wrong in doing this is fodder for a million more articles, the point is I sincerely believe that fuel costs that are completely out of control for our Government or the American People actually is a matter of National Security.

I am hearing rumbles and brief quickly buried news stories that there may be some quiet plans in the works for limited fuel rationing (no driving on Sundays, and mandatory 55 mile per hour speed limits) when crude reaches 160.00 dollars per barrel but it is my contention that these plans will be far to little and far to late.

160.00 dollar oil translates to 8.00 dollar per gallon fuel. This translates to people burning trees and possibly furniture to stay warm. 8.00 per gallon fuel translates to the world rationing us, while the old and ill freezing to death in their homes.

Does this sound ridiculous to you ? Do you, my fellow citizens honestly somehow imagine that you are immune to this. These kinds of calamities do happen and they can happen to us.

I am honestly not trying to cause a panic here, but I believe that we can take some control of the world oil market buy cutting our consumption by at least one third within the next 30 days. Just having a policy in place that enforces rationing at 120.00 dollars a barrel will contain the world oil market to a small extent.

I would also like to see a .05 cent per gallon fuel tax that goes into a fund regulated by the individual states that is directed at creating and maintaining a public transit system. (I think it's important that the Federal Government be prohibited from accessing this fund at any time and for any reason.) And I would hope that States would consider working together with these funds to develop an interstate public transportation system.

What follows is the rough draft for the rationing regulations that I am calling for the moment that crude oil reaches 110.00 dollars per barrel.

Mandatory 55 mile per hour maximum speed limit.

Alternate driving. Using licence plate numbers as the guide, if the last letter or number of your plate is odd than you drive on odd numbered days and if it's even than you drive on even numbered days. Except for Sundays and Legally recognized Holidays. On these days all vehicles are allowed to operate.

Enforcement would of course be mandatory and fairly severe in order to encourage compliance. The first time you are caught operating a non authorized motor vehicle the Operator shall be fined 500.00 dollars and the second time, and every time there after, the vehicle operators should be fined 1000.00 dollars. No operator should be fined for non compliance more than one time per 24 hrs. If these fines are not paid within 30 days than I would like to see the property of the offender seized and sold at auction. Moneys collected from fines and seizures shall be placed in the public transportation fund. This way if you have a 1000 dollars a day and want to continue to drive you still have the option. I would also suggest that no one ever be jailed for failure to comply with these regulations, however I would like to see these fines collected with every available resource at the courts disposal. This includes wage garnishment and income tax refund check seizure.

Commercial vehicles are exempt as long as they are garaged at a nonresidence. (This will discourage fraud and encourage compliance.)

These regulations and fines are not about hurting, inconveniencing, or over taxing the American Citizen, these guide lines are about building reliable interstate public transportation and, and exerting some control over the world oil market.