Is there anything political leaders can do to cut the price of gasoline or diesel fuel in the short-term?

In the long-term, private companies can develop alternate power sources, and car companies can improve miles per gallon. However, neither state nor federal governments will produce a gallon of oil or a kilowatt of electricity.

In 1974, the federal government imposed a 55 miles-per-hour speed limit to save gasoline. OPEC had cut oil production and the United States faced shortages. These laws were repealed in the 1990s.

Anyone who has driven the New Jersey Turnpike or Garden State Parkway has seen traffic moving at average speeds at or above 80. There doesn’t appear to be any attempts to enforce a speed limit.

A Web site, www.mpgplus.com, says: “Keeping your highway speed at 55 mph can improve your gas mileage by as much as 25 percent, compared to 75 mph.” (Yeah, I know – this one’s tough for us, too).

Re-imposing a 55 miles-per-hour speed limit on our highways could cut the demand for gasoline and diesel. That would result in lower prices for both products.

Clearly, that would require strict enforcement of the speed limit if it was to be effective. Do our representatives in the state and federal government have the intestinal fortitude to take an unpopular course?

Probably not, because the first principle for those people is to be re-elected, and not to offend any voters.

Herb Bunker, Auburn