AMERICA'S BIGGEST THREAT

Last night we filled our 2002 Ford ZX2 with regular unleaded gasoline that cost $2.57 per gallon. The fillup cost was in the vicinity of $25.00 because it held just under 10 gallons.

When the car was new, three years ago, we had to strain to hit $11.00 at the fuel pump

But the price of gas at the pump is only one of the perils we face. Rising oil prices are increasing the price of virtually everything we buy and consume.

Particularly hard hit is food cost.

I cook the Wednesday night meal at Calvary Hill Baptist Church each week. Last year we broke even -- it did not cost the church a penny above what we took in and we only charge $3.50 for a complete adult meal.

Today my food cost is more than 40 percent above what it was a year ago -- and a year ago gasoline was $1.09 per gallon as compared to today's $2.56.

In light of increased transportation costs, food is one of the biggest bargains going today. The price increase has been held at roughly 40 percent while the cost of transporting the food has gone up more than 100 percent.

This past weekend gasoline prices at service stations in the Dallas area rose virtually every hour. We passed a Shell station on the way to church that was advertising gas at $2.48 per gallon. Going by this same station two hours later the listed price was $2.60 per gallon.

What could possibly transpire on a Sunday that would cause gas prices to shoot up .12 cents per gallon.

The reason is simple -- oil companies are gouging us for every cent they can steal -- and blaming it on a change in leadership of an Arab country and "uncertainty" as to future oil supplies.

Mobil Exxon is the worst offender -- profits for this conglomerate are at the highest they have ever been. Not income, mind you, profits.

Now it is time to hear the magic words.

Washington -- forget about how we are treating Arab prisoners of war who are trying to kill us --

Austin -- Forget about how you are going to steal money from a public school district that is sell sufficient and give it to a less fortunate distict that is overrun by illegal aliens who pay no taxes, speak no English and probably never will.

Forget all this and utter the magic words that will prove you do have a concern for mainstream American citizens...

For the next 90 days we are suspending all state and federal taxes on petroleum products while we get a handle on stopping these obscene crude oil prices.

Don't hold your breath until you hear these words.

Because you get right down to it -- our Republican led government and our Democratic wantabees could care less about us.