Mississippians Disproportionately Hurt by High Gas Prices

melt — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 04:26:51 +0000

If you happened to read my article of a few days back, True reason for high gas prices, you will understand more when you read this well researched and written piece by the New York Times. It is speculated that in some places in Mississippi, gas cost us as much as 8 times higher than in other parts of the country. Wow.
"Here in the Mississippi Delta, some farm workers are borrowing money from their bosses so they can fill their tanks and get to work. Some are switching jobs for shorter commutes. People are giving up meat so they can buy fuel. Gasoline theft is rising. And drivers are running out of gas more often, leaving their cars by the side of the road until they can scrape together gas money.
The disparity between rural America and the rest of the country is a matter of simple home economics. Nationwide, Americans are now spending about 4 percent of their take-home income on gasoline. By contrast, in some counties in the Mississippi Delta, that figure has surpassed 13 percent.
Across Mississippi and the rural South, little public transit is available and people have no choice but to drive to work. Since jobs are scarce, commutes are frequently 20 miles or more. Many of the vehicles on the roads here are old rundown trucks, some getting 10 or fewer miles to the gallon.
The survey showed that of the 13 counties where people spent 13 percent or more of their family income on gasoline, 5 were located in Mississippi, 4 were in Alabama, 3 were in Kentucky and 1 was in West Virginia. While people here in Holmes County spent an average of 15.6 percent of their income on gasoline, people in Nassau County, N.Y., spent barely more than 2 percent, according to the survey."

Jump to NY Times: Rural U.S. Takes Worst Hit as Gas Tops $4 Average

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Mississippians Disproportionately Hurt by High Gas Prices