First, let's not forget the mid-term effects of waiving the tax on gasoline through the summer. During the summer, the oil companies, distributors, etc. will simply raise their prices so we won't see significant savings. But come fall, when the tax goes back into effect, we'll all be paying more.

In other words, this "gas tax holiday" is just another way for the oil companies to make more money.

My second note has to do with Sen. Krueger's phrase "increasing energy conservation." I remember Ronald Reagan decrying this phrase as meaning "huddling in sweaters in the dark." Unfortunately, that's the image associated with this phrase. May I recommend "increasing energy efficiency" instead? The image here is that we're smarter (because more efficient people are smarter), and that we can save money without making a sacrifice.

One example, here in NYC, of an "energy efficiency" measure is Intro 264, a bill introduced by Gale Brewer in 2006 that would prohibit businesses from propping their doors and windows open while the air conditioner is running. Not only would that increase efficiency, but it would also lower the demand for energy when demand is at its highest. The result would not only be a lower chance of midsummer blackout, but also reduced need to use our oldest and most polluting power plants.

The bill currently has 14 cosponsors (Gonzalez, Koppell, Mark-Viverito, Martinez, Recchia Jr., Vallone Jr., Weprin, Garodnick, McMahon, Nelson, Lappin, Gioia, Liu and Monserrate). That's not nearly enough; we need to ramp up pressure to pass this bill, and require not only that all new building meet higher energy efficiency standards, but also that current building be examined for ways to become more efficient.

The difference between an energy-efficient building and an inefficient one can be as much as 7:1 -- that is, some buildings can use up to seven times as much energy as others. There are a lot of things we can do to become more efficient.