Clinton and McCain's plan to drop the gas tax for the summer is a bad idea that won't actually lower prices for consumers. Bottom line: oil companies operate an oligopoly and demand is inelastic, so savings go to producers instead of consumers.
The environmentalist in me say that rising gas prices are a good thing. They encourage people to conserve and stimulate investment in alternatives. But rising energy prices have the greatest effect on poor people's budgets, and that's not cool. In the long run we can develop public transportation and increase fuel efficiency standards, but in the short run people have to get to work.
The solution: gas stamps. They would operate kinda like food stamps. You buy a stamp at a reduced price (say $2 or $3) that gets you a gallon of gas. The amount of stamps people can buy is limited. You could either have a fixed quantity per person, or a variable quantity based on income and driving needs. It's like a ration, except the quantity allocated to each person is still market-based. If you want more gas than you can buy with your permits, you pay the high market prices. In fact, market prices would likely increase. So, people can drive as they need to and conservation is still encouraged.
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