Cord Byrd: “the American people enter this fall season with apprehension, trepidation, and a somber sense of foreboding. Gasoline…”

“the American people enter this fall season with apprehension, trepidation, and a somber sense of foreboding. Gasoline prices, which peaked above $3 per gallon in September, now seem stuck at levels once thought absurd. Gas prices in West Virginia hover around $2.57 per gallon and can vary significantly in some areas, rising precipitously at times. Heating costs are projected to soar this winter, with many households expected to pay an additional $350 to heat their homes with natural gas and heating oil. It makes one shiver, thinking of winter in those mountains of Appalachia. People are already struggling with inadequate wages, are being forced to curtail everyday expenses simply to buy gasoline, to fill up their tanks. Senior citizens on fixed incomes are already forced to choose between prescription drugs and food. That is a tough choice. They must now confront life-threatening heating costs. This winter is coming. I can feel it in the air. This winter, with energy costs rising, the Federal safety net will be needed to provide essential support for countless Americans. Many are watching with incredulity the fraying of that safety net.…”