Spring has finally arrived and once again gasoline prices are climbing again. They are expected to reach record highs by the summer driving season. Like everyone else, I just have to accept it and dig a little deeper into my pocket. When you really stop to think about it, it's more than just a pain in our budget. The automotive industry is far reaching and when the price of gasoline goes up it affects more than just the daily driver. The price of consumer goods goes up because of transportation costs. People drive less to conserve fuel, so in turn sales of automotive parts and services go down which is a large part of our economy. When fuel prices go up, everyone suffers in some subtle way, even if they don't realize it.

Now I agree that the price of a gallon of gas is a bargain here compared to what they pay in Europe. I also agree that it has not kept pace with the rate if inflation over the years. I do have a problem with the fact that some of the major oil companies have posted record profits from sales last year. I also don't understand why fuel prices have to coincidentally rise as soon as vacation season starts. The first to get blamed is OPEC. Why is it that when OPEC says they are going to decrease production in one month, prices skyrocket the next day? I think the only way to get a handle on the prices getting out of control is to set a price ceiling like they did a few years ago. I'm sure that the oil companies will always have the upper hand on prices versus quantity. When they get pressured, they will create a shortage. It's a shame that so much of our economy can be controlled by simple greed. I am sure that most of the people who read this will agree.

Now that I am done venting my frustrations on fuel prices, I want to say that next month I will be talking about one of my favorite subjects, RACING! The Southern Tier has a long and diverse racing history and I want to touch on the various types of racing and try to get you up to date on what's going on and what you may be missing. It's all here, from stock cars to drag racing to several types of motorcycle racing. I will try to cover it all. Stay tuned!