We just had our primary in Indiana yesterday, and although the race here was very close on the Democratic side, the Republican outcome was I suppose a forgone conclusion.

What I found interesting was the the fact that some candidates thought the way to counter the high price of fuel was to temporarily suspend the Federal tax on gasoline. While that might seem like a good idea to some, people that are suggesting this overlook why those taxes were put there in the first place. Among other things, they support our infrastructure of roads, bridges and tunnels. As anyone traveling today can attest, this is something we can scarcely afford to neglect by cutting the taxes that pay for it.

The problem with high oil prices is related to supply, demand, and of course corporate and international politics. None of these problems are going to be solved in the short term. Dropping the Federal tax, even temporarily is not the solution, and according to the economists I’ve read, would save the average person very little anyway. We need real leadership to solve these issues, something that seems to be sorely missing for the most part in Congress.

Lee Iaccoca has just written Where Have All The Leaders Gone, a thought provoking book about the sad state of political and industrial leadership in our country. I suggest there is something in this piece that we as small business owners can learn from as well. I especially like his nine C’s of leadership (curiosity, courage, creative, communicate, character, conviction, charisma, competent, and common sense). These are fine qualities to develop in yourself as a small business owner, and just as importantly, a good yardstick against which to measure the candidates in the Fall election.

Well, all of this concern over oil prices brings me back to brainstorming about what small business owners can do to reduce the amount of energy they consume. The judicious use of Internet technology offers some helpful solutions – one based on lowering expenses by reducing the need to travel (as discussed in another post). But there must be many others? Becoming more politically active might be a good thing to consider as well.

I welcome any comments that might be offered on how your small business is dealing with the rising cost of oil.