Stacey Whitehead, Project manager, Auburn

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"They're always high. It seems like they never go down. I heard of the gas crisis -- I was born in 1971 -- but I don't think the president will let things go as far as they did then. I think the prices on everything go up, even though we have a lot more energy-efficient cars now than in the 70s. It's mostly inflation... I overheard on the radio that there's a big controversy with oil companies and politics, and I'm not sure that's the answer... If prices got to over $2.50, I'd probably carpool and not drive as much."

Barbara Jirsa, Community volunteer, Issaquah

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"I suppose it has something to do with supply and demand, and I also think that it has something to do with companies that take advantage of the situation. It seems like it's a little out of balance... I think the public outcry is what will determine this particular rise in prices, and that the public sees that the reasons for the increases may be suspect... I'm real close to changing how I drive now. I think when you get to $2 a gallon, you're pushing it... We probably pay less per-gallon when you look at it world-wide, but when you look at it within our economy, then you kind of wonder..."

Gayle Palmer, At-home mom, Brier

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"I think there are a couple of reasons. We're approaching the travel season and tourists tend to use more. It's a supply-and-demand phenomenon. And it may be that people need a political issue to fix. I'm not necessarily saying that it's a political problem, but it would look good if candidates can repeal the federal tax. I'm sure that there'll be plenty of people claiming credit in the event that the prices do go down... We have a summer house that's 4 1/2 hours away and we enjoy traveling so much that we'll put up with the increases for now... I am hopeful that things will get resolved in a timely manner. But it does seem to be an issue people are getting mileage out of."

Melita Pepper, Business owner, Sea-Tac

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"I've absolutely no idea. That sounds terrible -- so uneducated -- but I suppose its not one of my higher priorities. And I just don't trust what I hear. Over the years, we've had the prices go up and down and we've been given all sorts of strange reasons. I guess you could say that I'm skeptical... If gas became as pricey as it is in Europe, I'd be more concerned. But we always seem to have a luxury about gasoline... This is just not a subject I'm interested in."

Lori Hoskins, Network engineer, Issaquah

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"It seems like prices typically rise every summer because people go on vacation and there's more gas used. And supposedly we're being told it's a shortage and availability is limited because there's more used... I heard Clinton is going to sell some reserves so that we will have more and the prices won't go higher... You know, I had a hard time standing in line in '76 when we had a crisis. I didn't believe it then. I think the oil companies do benefit and if they can make it appear that it's a supply-and-demand problem, well, you know... Every increase affects our household and we're pretty budget-conscious. Taking the bus is already a consideration. Actually the bus is probably cheaper now, when you evaluate the wear-and-tear on existing vehicles, as well as the gas we're consuming. If we see a sharp increase, we'll take a serious look at taking the bus... I think another 25 cents a gallon would be really out of hand."

Faris Taylor, Retired, Bellevue

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"I don't know, but I suspect that perhaps there may be some effort by the refineries and gasoline producers that is forcing prices up temporarily. I hope that the federal government's efforts will help ease this crisis because I don't think it's good for the economy... I don't think it's a conspiracy, but I think a number of factors have come together. And I think that with an election coming up in November, there'll be some measures to make sure that this doesn't become a crisis situation -- upsetting the economy upsets the voters. My personal opinion is that this isn't going to be a long-term crisis.... I suspect if gas got to over $1.50 a gallon, that would begin to make most of us shift our thoughts to other forms of transportation..."

Copyright © 1996 by the Bellevue, WA-based Journal American newspaper.

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