Let Them Eat Cake

The Democrats have long promised to use the power of government to help low-income families, but I think the Democrats, and Senator Obama in particular, are missing an opportunity to do just that when it comes to high gasoline prices. I submit that the high gasoline prices are a minor inconvenience for medium and high-income families, e.g., they stop buying expensive coffee at Starbucks. In contrast, high gasoline prices are having a severe impact on low-income families, private truckers, and small businesses that drive a lot. So it is somewhat surprising to me that there are so many Democrats who are relieved at seeing the high gasoline prices and are hoping that *finally* Americans will conserve energy as they should have all along. Obama and the Democrats are hoping that finally Americans will reduce carbon emissions, explore alternative energy, ride the mass transit systems, sell their big SUVs, and buy small cars to drive. Obama reminds me of Marie Antoinette when told that the peasants had no bread: “Let them eat cake!”