Introduction
Gas prices today are the highest they’ve ever been. Students across the country are feeling the pinch in their wallets. What can government do to reverse this and why have they been the major obstacle in American energy freedom? Becky Norton Dunlop, Vice President of External Relations at The Heritage Foundation, provides these answers.
Summary
- Average prices of gasoline in 2008 was $1.68
- Modern families spend approximately 21% of income on energy costs; this is more than they spend on groceries
- Conservatives believe government increases gasoline costs due to excess federal, state and local taxes, overregulation and wasted invested in failed alternative energy businesses, like Solyndra
- In order to lower prices, Becky Norton Dunlop recommends approving the Keystone Pipeline, repeal the renewable fuel standard, and lifting the ban on crude oil imports
Resources
- The Heritage Foundation
- What Contributes to Gas Prices and Solutions to Help
- High Gas Prices: Obama’s Half-Truths vs. Reality
- Report Finds Obama Policies to Blame for High Energy Prices