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Pain At The Pump Felt All Over

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By Carl  Orth | The Suncoast News

Published: May 21, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - High fuel prices are driving many West Pasco leaders and residents up a wall.

Local prices at the pump have gone past $3.70 for a gallon of regular unleaded. So people are trying to cope the best they can with rising bills, although some local charities have nowhere to turn.

Red Apple School officials' watch a lot of money go out the tailpipes of 11 vans or other large vehicles. The nonprofit charity operates the Red Apple Adult Day Training Center, for developmentally disabled persons.

Red Apple Executive Director Steve Giammichele has little choice but to pay higher fuel bills since the fleet of vans ferries some 93 students and clients.

Last year alone, Red Apple needed 19,500 gallons of fuel to gas up six, 15-passenger vans, four vans with wheelchair lifts and a minivan, Giammichele pointed out.

The largest vans usually get about 11 miles per gallon in combined city and highway driving, Giammichele observed.

So far this year, Giammichele has seen gas prices for the school rise 38 cents a gallon, "yet my funds don't change."

In fact, Red Apple leaders are bracing for an estimated 5.5 percent reduction in funding come July because of state budget cuts.

"We're starting to look into propane" to convert gasoline engines to burn natural gas, Giammichele reports.

"Everybody's hurting," Giammichele said.

Soaring fuel prices serve as a "wake-up call to Americans to conserve," said Bill Bunting, the chief of the Pasco Republican Party.

Bunting wonders why more government agencies and businesses aren't converting gasoline-powered vehicles to run on natural gas.

America has plenty of natural gas, Bunting points out. As a bonus, natural gas burns cleaner so engines last twice as long.

Some delivery firms in the Northeast are switching to propane for fuel for vehicles, Bunting observed. He doesn't see any reason why taxicabs and government vehicles should follow the same lead.

Bunting says he personally has been combining trips to cut down on unnecessary travel and reduce gasoline use.

When he goes to Dunkin' Donuts for his morning coffee, he no longer leaves his car idling in the drive-through lane. He parks his car and goes inside to pick up his cup of coffee.

From his own personal conversations West Pasco Chamber of Commerce President Joe Alpine observes that people are not going out as much and hanging onto money to pay for essentials like gasoline.

Restaurants in particular have been hit hard. "It's a slow time right now."

The chamber itself has lost some members as businesses close, but new members have come on board as other firms open.

"We've had those roller coaster rides in Pasco County before and we've come out of them," Alpine said.

At the Volunteer Way, soaring fuel prices are crimping the food bank which helps feed needy families.

"It's getting so bad," said Lester Cypher, chief executive officer of the nonprofit food bank on Congress Street, in New Port Richey.

Fuel costs so far this year have added as much as $25,000 extra expense for Volunteer Way, Cypher calculates. He expects the total fuel bill will go up to about $150,000 this year. Cypher has to add $150 onto the bill for each truck shipment of food, with seven shipments a month.

"And that's just one of our suppliers," Cypher remarked. "I tell you, it's bad."

High fuel costs in part inspired Volunteer Way to experiment with growing its own food with a small-scale hydroponics greenhouse at the food bank site.

Carl Orth can be reached at corth@suncoastnews.com or 727-815-1068.

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