The Crunch: Marylanders Try to Cope With High Gas Prices BALTIMORE, MD (wypr) - Maryland's congressional delegation held a press conference Friday with members of the small business and non-profit communities about rising gas prices and what's being done to help. WYPR's Donna Marie Owens reports as part of our occasional series, The Crunch, which details the impact of the economic downturn on local residents.

At the Texaco gas station at Falls Road and Cold Spring Lane in Baltimore, Gary Hammond filled the tank of the white commercial mini-van he drives for a Westminster heating and air conditioning company. He sounded what has become a familiar refrain for many Americans: pain at the pump.

"How much did it take previously and how much now?
Maybe $70-60 dollars.
To fill up? And now?
I filled up, I was on dead E' two days ago and it was 107 dollars. Almost 30-40 dollars more.

Like many in the small business sector, Hammond says rising gas prices have affected the company he works for and its fleet of more than a dozen vans. The company's gotten stricter about personal use of its vehicles, and more, he says.

"We've even started buying vans with smaller engines now, so they get a little bit better gas mileage.

Lucy Davis is an independent contractor who works 12-hour days, six-days-a-week, driving for Yellow and Checker cab companies.

On Friday at the Texaco station, the cabbie stood with Maryland Senators Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin. Congressmen Elijah Cummings and John Sarbanes were also on hand, as were members of the small business and non-profit communities. All complained about gas prices and their impact on delivery of goods and services.

"Because a year ago, only paying $25 to fill up. Now $60 per fill up.

While the rising cost of fuel has not yet been passed down to taxi customers, Lucy Davis says the industry is considering that possibility, because so many cab drivers are suffering.

"They really crying about the gas. The gas is really taking a toll. Because that's the first thing you have to do is get gas. If you don't have gas, you can't work.

According to data provided by the Maryland delegation, back in 2001, the year President Bush took office, a gallon of regular gas cost about a dollar and 46-cents. Today, prices have climbed to more than four dollars for a gallon of regular, and it's nearly a dollar more for diesel fuel.


Maryland's lawmakers said there's a need for swift passage of legislation before Congress, that would lower gas prices by holding big oil companies, speculators and OPEC accountable. Senator Mikulski.

"But we need bi-partisan support and a president willing to sign it.

To help on another front, Senators Mikulski and Cardin recently introduced the Fair Deal for Volunteers Act. The bill would give the IRS flexibility in setting a higher mileage rate for volunteers, who use their vehicles for charitable activities. Senator Ben Cardin.

"Well, for those non-profits that have to rely on volunteers to help them bring their product like Meals on Wheels the federal government allows you to deduct part of the cost. But it's locked in at 14-cents-per-mile. That's ridiculous. It should be a much higher amount.

The Maryland delegation said other options should be promoted, too. They include reducing the nation's oil addiction and exploring drilling options beyond the oft-cited Alaskan reserves. Congressman John Sarbanes.

"There are 68 million acres of public lands for which the oil and gas industry has permits and leases to do drilling. That they haven't done any drilling on.

One thing Congressman Elijah Cummings, a senior member of the House Transportation Committee, doesn't want to see happen, is suspension of the gas tax. Proponents believe it will allow reduction of the costs drivers pay-per-gallon, but Cummings says it's no that simple.

"You've gotta have that money to repair roads. So, you may reduce the amount at the pump but then you go across a bridge like the people did in Minnesota. God forbid it falls apart.

The delegation pledged to take the message of people like cabbie Lucy Davis back to Capital Hill and continue their work in helping to solve America's energy crisis.

I'm Donna Marie Owens, reporting in Baltimore, for 88.1-WYPR.
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