Experts say U.S. gasoline costs will shoot past $4 a gallon soon, and perhaps rise to $5 if crude oil prices keep soaring. This nightmare is hurting commuters, airlines, bus systems and all businesses, especially those with transportation components.

Presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and John McCain want to suspend federal gas taxes for the summer. Rival Barack Obama says their proposal would be a "raid" on national highway funds. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., agrees with Obama, saying:

"This proposal would have dangerous consequences. It would disrupt road construction projects across the country and stymie economic development in the midst of a recession. Instead, we should be getting tough on oil companies who are reaping astronomical profits, and be pushing oil-producing countries to lower prices, especially the ones benefiting from the national security efforts of the American taxpayers."

The Clinton/McCain proposals would shave 18.4 cents from each gallon of gas - a small portion of the $4 price. West Virginia adds 32 cents more in state gasoline tax, the third-highest rate in America, according to the International Fuel Tax Association. State officials say the steep rate is needed because of the extreme cost of building and repairing roads in sparsely populated mountains.

Charles T. Jones, a longtime leader in West Virginia's coal and transportation industries, opposes gas tax cuts. "It would be a minuscule reduction," he said in a recent interview. "Our roads and bridges are already in bad shape."

The American Society of Civil Engineers calls the proposed federal gasoline tax cut a "significant threat to the U.S. economy," since U.S. roads and highways are already overburdened. Slashing revenue for road upkeep would "increase the cost per driver caused by traffic congestion and poor road conditions. It will provide no tangible benefit to the American people," the society stated.

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials estimates that a federal gas tax cut would save the average motorist just $28, while "devastating" U.S. highway and transit programs. The group declared:

"Our nation's transportation infrastructure is quite literally the platform of our economy, and it is already deteriorating at an alarming rate. Now is not the time to propose red herrings instead of real solutions."

The association said concerns about "high energy costs should be dealt with through comprehensive energy policy, not by sacrificing our transportation infrastructure."

What's the cure for insane gasoline prices? Nobody seems to know - but Byrd's call for a crackdown on profiteering Big Oil corporations and pressure on oil-rich allies sounds like the best suggestion yet.

Presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and John McCain want to suspend federal gas taxes for the summer. Rival Barack Obama says their proposal would be a "raid" on national highway funds. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., agrees with Obama, saying:

"This proposal would have dangerous consequences. It would disrupt road construction projects across the country and stymie economic development in the midst of a recession. Instead, we should be getting tough on oil companies who are reaping astronomical profits, and be pushing oil-producing countries to lower prices, especially the ones benefiting from the national security efforts of the American taxpayers."

The Clinton/McCain proposals would shave 18.4 cents from each gallon of gas - a small portion of the $4 price. West Virginia adds 32 cents more in state gasoline tax, the third-highest rate in America, according to the International Fuel Tax Association. State officials say the steep rate is needed because of the extreme cost of building and repairing roads in sparsely populated mountains.

Charles T. Jones, a longtime leader in West Virginia's coal and transportation industries, opposes gas tax cuts. "It would be a minuscule reduction," he said in a recent interview. "Our roads and bridges are already in bad shape."

The American Society of Civil Engineers calls the proposed federal gasoline tax cut a "significant threat to the U.S. economy," since U.S. roads and highways are already overburdened. Slashing revenue for road upkeep would "increase the cost per driver caused by traffic congestion and poor road conditions. It will provide no tangible benefit to the American people," the society stated.

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials estimates that a federal gas tax cut would save the average motorist just $28, while "devastating" U.S. highway and transit programs. The group declared:

"Our nation's transportation infrastructure is quite literally the platform of our economy, and it is already deteriorating at an alarming rate. Now is not the time to propose red herrings instead of real solutions."

The association said concerns about "high energy costs should be dealt with through comprehensive energy policy, not by sacrificing our transportation infrastructure."

What's the cure for insane gasoline prices? Nobody seems to know - but Byrd's call for a crackdown on profiteering Big Oil corporations and pressure on oil-rich allies sounds like the best suggestion yet.