One problem with high fuel prices for progressives is that the issue cuts different ways. Many seem to like the idea that high prices should eventually cut demand, therefore saving oil and hopefully the environment. But, on the other hand, high fuel costs are a very regressive tax on those who can least afford it.
Many working poor and lower middle class folks do not live in urban areas with alternative means of transportation. The family gas guzzler may be the only way to work, or it might even be part of the worker's job. Newspaper delivery, pizza delivery, and truck deliveries come to mind.
Many of us live in parts of the country where there is no other way to get to work, whether or not you live in a city or the country. My own commute of 30 miles is a perfect example. There is nobody going to my small employer I could carpool with, there is no public transportation, and housing nearby is either non-existent or too expensive. Plus, I can't afford to purchase a new, fuel-efficient vehicle, or make the investment in a new home, no matter how much gas costs. In addition, many (if not most jobs) cannot be done by telecommuting.
It is all very well to say we must conserve fuel and we should discourage driving, but many of us must drive or else make huge and expensive changes in our lifestyles. These major changes may not be affordable by those on the lower end of the economic scale.
What this all means is further eroding of the economic well-being for a huge segment of the U.S. population. And, individuals feel they are powerless to stop it. Conservation just isn't possible when there is no public transport, no grocery store within walking distance, and no jobs to switch to. These people may greet calls for gas-tax holidays with enthusiasm because any relief, even short-term gains that mean long-term losses, are better than the alternative hopelessness of the situation.
The progressive goal of conservation may be achieved when many people run out of money, gas, and work. Progressives need a better plan. This is an issue that will be the #1 bread-and-butter, kitchen-table vote magnet for the foreseeable future.