WASHINGTON (Sept. 2)—Nearly three-quarters of U.S. consumers are highly concerned about gasoline prices over the next five years, compared with 65 percent six months ago, according to a consumer survey released Sept. 1 by the Consumer Federation of America.
Low-income rural consumers—who now spend more than 10 percent of their incomes on gasoline alone—are the most nervous about prices at the pump, and they have no alternative means of transportation, according to Mark Cooper, CFA director of research. "When prices go up, people can't cut back," Cooper said.
Cooper and other CFA officials said they believed consumer indignation will lead to public policy that fosters fuel conservation and sharply reduces U.S. dependence on foreign oil.