In this day and age of three to four dollar gallon of gas, everyone, including myself, has a complaint, gripe, and/or an opinion to the gas price issue. The one thing I do not hear much of is, what can I do to make things easier on myself and the market?

I have assembled a list of several, ready to implement, options to alleviate the gas price issue without drastically compromising your lifestyle.

First, evaluate the way you drive. Are you jack-rabbit starting at stop signs or just turned green lights? If so, you are blasting a large amount of gas and burning it for a short distance and no time savings, especially if the light is red at the next intersection. Answer, don't do this. Ease off the line and gradually accelerate. Over time you will conserve more gas than you could know. On the flip side, don't stop too quickly, this also burns a large amount of gas without you realizing it. Gradually come to halt. It's also safer. This driving style also has the side affect of not putting as much wear and tear on the car over a long period of time. As such, you save more money on maintenance and upkeep. Also, drive a little slower. Trying to save a minute, or even five, is not really worth it.

Second, proper car maintenance makes a huge difference in gasoline consumption and saving a lot of money on more costly repairs. Make sure your tires are properly inflated at least once a month. Check the air filter and clean it or replace it as necesary. Have your spark plugs checked and replace if necessary, along with their wires. Lighten the car load as much as possible, unless you are car pooling. Make sure your car is running cool. If your car is running hot, you will lose gas mileage. Add up all these measures and you could be looking at a 10 to 20 percent gas mileage savings.

Third, reduce/combine your trips, walk more, bicycle more. There is no explanation needed here.

Fourth, move closer to work. If you are married, or living together, find an equal distant location to live at. If possible, just use one vehicle and drop off the other.

Fifth, be ready to go at a green light. Don't be fooling around in your car because you are costing others time, money, and gas. Keep a reasonable pace with traffic so you are not bottlenecking it. That costs other people more gas, which costs you more in gas because of the demand. Also, if you are in a primary lane on a road that has no independent turn lane, don't sit there forever. If you cannot make your turn within 3 to 5 seconds, get out of the way. You are just wasting other people's gas and holding up traffic. It's too bad that you have to move, but you do not have the right to inconvenience others for your own convenience.

Fifth, organize carpools to work. I know it sucks and it tends to cramp lifestyles and individuality, but basic respect for your travelling companions will eliminate any problems. Alternate who has to drive and try to be compromising with competing elements.

Other measures that can be easily implemented on a macro level are as follows:

First, realign traffic lights so main streets get the priority. Adjust lights to not change for no reason, particularly if they are on the main road. If there are two main road that intersect, give both directions an equal amount of time.

Second, have traffic lights be in synchronocity with others. Going from one red light intersection to another is just maddening and wastes gasoline. Traffic signals can be better coordinated in this regard.

Third, the government, whether it be local, state or federal, should reduce or eliminate taxes on gasoline. Doing this will make it cheaper to buy gas and make the price of goods cheaper because it costs less to transport them. Also, give truckers tax breaks to alleviate their burden. Again, it will reduce the costs of goods and services. Study free market capitalism, people. Try the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith.

Fourth, actually use gas taxes for the repair and upgrade of roads. Smoother roads means less gasoline consumption and abuse to cars.

Fifth, companies can help the gasoline consumption issue by allowing their workers to telecommute more. Of course, this is contingent on produtivity being maintained and not slacking off.

Finally, sixth, offer tax breaks to employers to be applied as bonuses for those who bicycle, walk and/or carpool to work at a certain rate per week or month. This is easily verifiable, by the way, and may create a few additional jobs.

All of these points are easily implementable and can be done immediately to reduce the consumption of gas and, hence, reduce the price. And for all you out there who myopically blame the oil companies, and there is some blame there, these solutions will reduce the cost of gas, lessen pollution content, and put more money in people's pockets. It works for liberals, conservatives, centrists, and so on.... Get the point!!!!!!

Now that wasn't so hard, was it!?

-Alan Waldron