Your comments:

"Connecticut (with some of the highest gas taxes in the country) is on the right track; however, the gas taxes should be higher and we should stop improving the highways. Instead, take the money from road improvements and invest in a well-run public transportation system. Improve existing bus and train service with subsidies from gas taxes. Interstate 95 is a parking lot through New Haven every Sunday evening but the Shoreline East trains don't run on the weekends. The bus and train schedules within the state are sporadic and only come close to being adequate during weekday rush hours and only if you go in the direction of the masses. If people could use public transportation to Hartford, Bridgeport, New Haven and Stamford, the price of a gallon of gas would matter a little less." T.B., Westport

"Your list should include oil traders.Oil is a commodity that is traded on speculation as well as real consumption." J.P.M., Madison

"The higher prices we are currently experiencing are the sad result of a U.S. government decision to not use cheaper foreign oil. This, combined with the fact that many states have raised the state taxes on gasoline, is causing the consumer to suffer. Talk about "Taxflation!" " Bill Millard, Branford

"The thing about gas prices is that the station owners pretend that the rising cost of petroleum products affects their costs but it doesn't. So they fluctuate more than they should. But, living on the border of Connecticut and Rhode Island and seeing a ten-cent-per-gallon difference in price from one side to the other, I feel safe in saying that it is taxes (public policy) that have the greatest impact on gas prices. I would like to add, for the record, that I would rather see the federal government tax gas prices out of range and use that money toward public transportation but Americans (of which I am one) are too in love with their cars." A.B.M., Pawcatuck

"Respondents overwhelmingly said the blame was due to greed of the oil companies. While they often try to blame it on the OPEC group to deflect public opinion about their own culpability, let me say that the average citizen doesn't know that the largest OPEC member, Saudi Arabia, is still owned by about 45% by the large American oil companies and they are getting fat as hogs with their share of ARAMCo's profits." H.A.L., Cheshire

"I think it's surprising that more of us don't realize that due to world wide surplus, OPEC has limited the amount of oil sent to the USA." Jeremy Reid, Brooklyn

"Taxes are most responsible for high gas prices." G.R., Hebron

"How can we blame the oil companies? They keep manipulating the fuel market AND WE KEEP BUYING THE STUFF! The "increase" seems to occur every summer ... could this be a COINCIDENCE? What do you think? Ever hear of a BOYCOTT?" Tony Stanco, Prospect

" ... Remember your public officials at election time and remind them of the oil prices and what they did. Do this a few elections and keep changing public officials, they will see who reigns, the public or the big companies." Jim Malerba, Ansonia

"Because Connecticut is the highest rated per capita income state, domestic oil companies feel that we can absorb the increases. If it were not for Fairfield County this would not be true. The rest of the state should not have to suffer for the rate increases." J.P.F., Waterbury

"Unfortunately, it isn't just the oil companies that are at fault. A LARGE part of the blame is the state of Connecticut. The taxes that are levied on gasoline here is one of the worst in the U.S. One of your survey questions should have to do with how much tax we pay here in Connecticut." Ron Goodwin, No Town

"Unfortunately you didn't give the option for the biggest offender on GAS prices. The GOVERNMENT. The taxes that are being paid in Connecticut for gas are unreasonable. When we drive 2 hours in any direction, we can find gas prices nowhere near the prices we pay. The gas tax increases the cost of us to drive to work, increases the need for us to work, and reduces our 'disposable' income. (Although I've never had enough to dispose of...) Greed is a good part of the problem, but the greed is fueled by the lack of true competition in the market supply. If OPEC and the few other suppliers truly competed, the cost could, would and should drop." M.J.L., Cheshire

"What I don't understand is when the prices increase at the pumps the change is implemented overnight. But when the prices go down, it takes a much longer time to see the change at the pumps." Edward McCarthy, Wethersfield

"Connecticut has the highest average prices for gas because the governor and the General Assembly are taxing gas at probably the highest level in the northeast. It probably has occurred to none of them that the tax is regressive and it punishes only those of us without the good fortune to be independently wealthy. Oh, but that's right, politicians are no more than people with enough money to get elected, therefore they don't give two flips about the concerns of those of us who elected them." M.C.S., New London

"I don't understand why the majority of the people who participated in the gasoline price poll, chose "Greedy Oil Companies" as the reason for our high gas prices. We have extremely high gas prices because the state of Connecticut is over-taxed. States like South Dakota, Wyoming, and Indiana have gas stations selling gas anywhere between $0.73 a gallon, and $1.00 a gallon. The state of Connecticut keeps raising our taxes because we need a source of income to cover the expense of road work, police patrol, emergency services, etc. We have a densely populated state, and a lot of tourists, and interstate traffic come through CT everyday. If you drive on I-84, or I-95, or even 395, you will notice MANY cars with License plates that say New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. People who commute to work.

"In order to get from New England to just about anywhere else in the country, you have to go through Connecticut. Our roads get tons of use, and our air/environment gets tons of pollution. President Clinton recently passed a bill, requiring the air quality in all National Parks to be returned to Pre-Industrial conditions by the middle of the next century (2050.)

"The Bill requires that states who contribute certain percentages of pollution to this problem, must reduce it, or eliminate it. How does the state do that? By creating stricter emission polocies, and raising taxes. Since Connecticut is the second strictest state in the union, with regard to pollution, (California being first,) why do we have so much pollution, and high gas prices? Because, we get so much out-of-state traffic, we have many industries, a lot of pollution comes down the Connecticut River from up north, and we are between New York City, and Boston, and not far from Providence. What is the solution? I'm not really sure what all the parts of the solution should be. But, I do know that many states in this country have toll booths on their highways. Have you ever driven through Chicago, or New York City? It can cost almost $10 for a passenger car to get across Chicago. Just to cross a 15- mile sliver of New Hampshire between the Massachusetts line, to Kittery, Maine, it costs $1, then you pay $1.50 5 miles into Maine, and you keep paying several more tolls as you go up I-95. WHy doesn't Connecticut install a few toll booths? Not a lot, just in the areas that get a lot of interstate traffic. One in Greenwich, One in Danbury, One in Windsor, One in North Stonington, and maybe one in E. Thompson on 395, just before Webster, Mass. Then, We could figure something out, where Residents of Connecticut get a full rebate at the end of the year on their tolls, or issue a special sticker, or pass they could present at the toll booths, so that non-commercial vehicles being used by Connecticut residents, wouldn't have to pay the tolls. Maybe this sounds radical, but, I'm very sure that the toll revenues generated, could help decrease the prices we pay on gas, and other taxed items. Don't get me started on the income tax that was imposed on us because we were in a recession, and now supposedly our budget has a surplus of funds, plus we have the two casinos ... that's another issue." Philip L. Desrosiers Jr., Lebanon

"All the consumers in this country should pick one oil company and boycott that company for a two week period, and if the prices do not go down after that period we should pick another oil cmpany and boycott that company for a longer period of time. It would be interesting to see what the reaction would be regarding prices." R.J., Stratford