With the price at the pump rising past four dollars a gallon and no end in sight, everyone's favorite "Gee I wish" is for cheaper gas prices. This is surely to be desired. Regretfully, relief is more of an illusion than an achievable reality, especially in the short run. Since it is about to be dragged into the presidential campaign, it might be useful to examine a few unpleasant aspects of the reality. To the man on the street, the dream of energy independence has been equated to gasoline cheap enough for him to continue to operate his gas hog, 12-miles-to-the-gallon SUV into the future. ...more

June 12, 2008

SEBRING — Back in the old days, parents and children used to play the license plate game. Rolling down the interstate on vacation, they'd spot a plate from Oklahoma, Wyoming, or even Alaska, and call it out. These days, it's not as easy. Most states have specialized plates with Scout symbols, colleges, birds, fish and sail boats, so it's impossible to tell from the look whether a plate is from Georgia or New York. Even Charles Bryan misses Florida's county plates. "When I'm on vacation in Tennessee, and I see Florida on a plate, I want to see if they're from Highlands County," said Bryan, the Highlands County tax collector. It's the job of his office to register vehicles. Motorists can choose "Sunshine State" or "Highlands" at the bottom of their plate. What's the No. 1 specialty plate? Florida and Florida State universities, Bryan replied. ...more

November 30, 2007