www.tennessean.com Thursday, 02/20/03    |    Middle Tennessee News & Information

It's the new game in Every Town, USA, and every automobile driver seems to be playing it these days. It's called find the cheapest gasoline station.

''There's one with $1.53 cents a gallon,'' my wife said over the weekend as we were driving down the highway in our SUV.

That beat the price at the station we had just passed selling regular unleaded gasoline for $1.57 cents a gallon.

''We're paying the highest gas prices ever recorded for the month of February,'' Mantill Williams, director of public affairs for the American Automobile Association, told me over the telephone recently from his Washington office.

And, Williams added, ''It doesn't look like we're going to have any relief any time soon. Over the past two weeks, we've seen a 10-cent jump in gasoline prices.''

Makes you want to shout, doesn't it?

Nationally, AAA reported yesterday that the current average cost for regular unleaded gasoline was $1.66. For mid-level grade it was $1.76, and for premium the cost was $1.82.

A month ago, the average cost nationwide for regular unleaded was $1.46. For mid-grade it was $1.55 and premium ran $1.61. A year ago, we were much better off, paying an average of $1.12 nationwide for regular unleaded, $1.19 for mid-level and $1.23 for premium.

''There are a number of things people can do to control how much they spend on gasoline,'' the AAA representative told me. ''One is that they can shop aggressively. Two, they should properly maintain their vehicle. If tires on an automobile are properly inflated, that can reduce fuel consumption by 25%.''

The third thing, Williams said, is to cut down on the driving: Look for ways to combine errands and trips, look for good mass-transit opportunities and car pool whenever possible. He said it's also OK to use regular unleaded gasoline in automobiles that will take that type because ''there's no difference in the performance level of regular and mid-grade gasoline.''

''If a person has two automobiles, they should use the car that gets better fuel efficiency,'' he said. ''I think people are noticing where they can get better deals, but many people are having to pay those high prices because they don't have any other alternative for transportation.''

Williams said it is AAA's hope that gasoline retailers and wholesalers will take some constraint when pricing their product.

''We haven't seen any evidence of gouging,'' he said. ''We think it's more market speculation and fear of possibly going to war with Iraq. We say that because the price of crude oil over the last four to six weeks doesn't accurately reflect the retail gas prices we're paying right now.

''We think the market is anticipating war. Sure, we've had some bad weather recently, and there's the strikes in Venezuela that have reduced oil imports a little, but those two things don't justify the high gas prices we're paying.''

These high prices are also getting the attention of some service station operators.

''I haven't seen them this high before,'' said Mike Brasher, the owner and operator of Mike Brasher's 100 Oaks AMOCO here in Nashville. ''But I haven't seen any evidence of people slowing down either, just complaining about the high prices. I guess that's the American way of life.''

As he stood in his station about an hour before closing a couple of nights ago, Brasher said the high number of young people who drive automobiles in America also contributes to the high price of gasoline.

''When you go overseas, you don't see as many youngsters driving as you do in America,'' he said.

''All the kids have cars over here, and they're better than the automobiles their parents are driving. Just go look in some high school parking lot. We're just a little bit indulged and spoiled.''

He added: ''When people gas up, they're the only one in the car. You don't see a lot of car pooling, at least not in the 100 Oaks area here.''

At Brasher's AMOCO station Tuesday night, the price for regular unleaded gas was $1.69 a gallon. For mid-level it was $1.79 and $1.89 for premium.

And, as we continued talking, Brasher pointed to a small cartoon pasted up on a wall in the station.

''Regular is an arm and premium is the leg,'' the cartoon read. There was also a Reader's Digest piece that talked about the tax dollars that come out of a gallon of gasoline.

''I think we all share some responsibility for the high cost of gasoline,'' Brasher said, adding that he was making more money when regular unleaded gasoline cost as low as 49 cents a gallon.

''We need to do more to develop our own supply of oil. We also need to develop better transportation systems, and we need to do more car pooling.

''But I think gas prices are going to have to get up to $2 a gallon before it causes a mental shock to people.''

Believe it or not, drivers in San Francisco are already paying $2 a gallon for regular unleaded gas.

I don't think putting $5 worth in my SUV there would make a dent in my fuel tank. That's why it's time that we seriously look at ways to cut back on gasoline consumption. If not, there is no telling what type of games we'll be playing next when it comes to the price of gasoline.

Dwight Lewis is a columnist, regional editor and member of the editorial board for The Tennessean. E-mail: dlewis@tennessean.com.

Thu Feb 20, 5:44 PM ET

Thousands of angry government opponents chanting "This is a dictatorship!" rallied in the capital's streets Thursday, protesting the midnight arrest of a strike leader by secret police.   But President Hugo Chavez triumphantly proclaimed that he authorized the arrest of Carlos Fernandez even though it threatened to re-ignite massive demonstrations and again paralyze the country.

"One of the coup plotters was arrested last night. It was about time, and see how the others are running to hide," Chavez said at the foreign ministry. "I went to bed with a smile."

Chavez said judges should not "be afraid to issue arrest warrants against coup-plotters."

Carlos Fernandez, head of Venezuela's largest business federation — Fedecamaras, was seized by about eight, armed agents around midnight Wednesday as he left a restaurant in Caracas' trendy Las Mercedes district, said his bodyguard, Juan Carlos Fernandez.

The men fired into the air when patrons tried to prevent the arrest, the bodyguard said.

Carlos Fernandez faces charges of treason and instigating violence for leading the two-month strike that began Dec. 2, seeking to oust Chavez and force early elections.

The strike ended Feb. 4 in all sectors except the critical oil industry. Before the strike, Venezuela was the world's fifth-largest petroleum exporter and a major U.S. supplier.

Government allies warned that more than 100 opposition leaders, from labor bosses to news media executives, who supported the strike also could be arrested.

"More than one hundred are on the list to be captured," ruling party lawmaker Luis Velasquez said.

The existence of such a list could not be immediately confirmed.

Opposition sympathizers at Thursday's rally near an air force base in eastern Caracas lambasted Chavez, accusing the leftist leader of trying to establish a Cuban-style dictatorship in this South American nation of 24 million people.

"This is an escalation of violence by the government, which has arrived at the extreme of repression," said Carlos Feijoo, 88, a retired oil worker. "He wants to copy Fidel (Castro)."

Fedecamaras vice president Albis Munoz warned of another nationwide strike in response to the arrest.

"Definitely there will be actions, and very strong actions," Munoz said.

The Confederation of Venezuelan Workers also said a 12- or 24-hour stoppage was possible.

Fernandez's wife, Sonia, spoke briefly with her husband and said he was in good condition at secret police headquarters. Fernandez was meeting with his attorneys, she said.

Chavez supporters gathered near the headquarters and a downtown plaza to celebrate the arrest.

"It's what had to be done. These opposition leaders tried to destroy the country, now they must be punished," said Tomas Ordonez, a 49-year-old taxi driver.

Carlos Fernandez called the strike with Carlos Ortega, president of the Venezuelan Workers Confederation — the country's largest labor union.

Ortega was ordered to surrender on treason and instigating violence charges, magistrate Maikel Jose Moreno said, but the tough-talking labor boss said he would not turn himself in.

"We have nothing to fear," Ortega told Globovision TV channel via telephone. "The only one who has a date with justice is the president."

Chavez, who was elected in 1998 and re-elected in 2000, has accused the two opposition leaders of plotting to overthrow his government with the strike and by orchestrating "an economic coup."

Chavez's allies justified the arrest.

"Each member of the opposition must assume ... the legal consequences of acts of oil sabotage and the attempt to topple a legitimate government," ruling party leader Nicolas Maduro said.

Opposition leaders called for more street protests and appealed to the Organization of American States, the United Nations and the Carter Center, run by former President Carter, for mediation.

OAS Secretary General Cesar Gaviria said in a statement that Venezuelan judges have the autonomy to make such decisions, but they must respect constitutional norms and human rights.

U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said officials in Washington worried that Fernandez's arrest could hinder efforts to end the stalemate between Venezuela's political rivals.

"We fear the act could undermine the dialogue process," said Boucher, adding "this increases our concerns about human rights in Venezuela."

www.vheadline.com Posted: Thursday, February 20, 2003 By: Robert Rudnicki

Talks being facilitated by Organization of American States (OAS) secretary general Cesar Gaviria have been suspended for a few days and are expected to resume on February 26. 

The talks which have been continuing for over 100 days and which finally this week produced their first agreement, a rejection of violence, were reportedly suspended following a request from government negotiators. 

The reasons for the suspension are unclear, but the OAS secretary general is understood to have several other commitments early next week as he heads to Washington for OAS meetings and to Spain for a meeting of the Montevideo Group. 

Despite the signing of the agreement, tensions in Venezuela remain high following the discovery of three soldiers who had apparently been bound, gagged and tortured before being shot and killed.

www.vheadline.com Posted: Thursday, February 20, 2003 By: Robert Rudnicki

According to figures provided by Sumate, the company hired to process the opposition petition held on February 2, over 3.7 million signatures were collected on the day across the country in support of a constitutional amendment that would shorten President Hugo Chavez Frias' term in office to four years, allowing an early revocatory referendum on his mandate.

Sumate claims a 1.3 million Venezuelans called for revocatory referendums on several National Assembly deputies, with Tachira State's Julio Garcia, Cilia Flores, Tarek William Saab, Iris Valera and Luis Tascon.

• 3.6 million signatures called for further help from the international community and 2.8 million backed striking Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) workers.

In total 27 million signatures were collected, with many Venezuelans signing many different options. However, the figures have not been audited completely and none of the signatures have been validated or checked for repeats.

www.vheadline.com Posted: Thursday, February 20, 2003 By: Robert Rudnicki

The Venezuelan government is set to propose the delaying of the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA) by around ten years, despite it being scheduled to commence in 2005, according to deputy Production & Commerce  (MPC) Minister Victor Alvarez. 

• The reason for the delay is said to be due to the differences in the asymmetries of countries in the American continent. 

Although the Andean Community, of which Venezuela is part, agreed to 85% of the topics in the initial agreement, the Venezuelan government has decided to call for a presidential committee to advise the government on the integration process being championed by the United States ... Venezuela is also expected to suggest a compensation fund, with the US being the main contributor as it has the highest GDP.