It costs governments money to keep fuel prices low. Oil-rich Yemen, for instance, devotes 9 percent of its GDP to making sure its people don't riot when oil prices rise.

But it was the 39 percent rise in jet fuel costs in the last month alone that pushed us to make this decision.

unanticipated rise in fuel costs.

For people who live in the suburbs and must commute long distances to work, their wealth will sink as energy prices rise.

tossed aside in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and in response to the mercurial rise in fuel prices. Drilling off the coast of Florida will not bring prices down at the pump, nor is it a cure-all for the disastrous federal response to Katrina.

I know the Federal Reserve Bank can continue to print more and more money... but city and state governments cannot.