From our president

This monthly letter to subscribers from Consumers Union President Jim Guest highlights the critical consumer issues behind our current reports. See archived letters.

Paying at the pump

Yesterday at a gas station near our offices in Yonkers, N.Y., I paid $4.39 a gallon for regular gas. By the time you read this, that might seem like a bargain, or prices might have dropped a bit, but I can tell you that right now none of us feels as though we're getting off easy.

Consumers have been hit hard by sharply rising gas prices. There's no quick and easy fix for high consumption or high prices when so many factors are at play, such as consumer and industrial demand, turmoil in the Middle East, and market speculation.

Consumers Union believes that policy makers have to make wise moves now, including putting an end to the huge subsidies given to the oil industry—money that would be better spent developing alternative fuels and clean cars. But changes like that aren't likely soon; until we have more choices in the vehicles we drive, we have to get the most out of what's available.

That's why we've put together a package of ways for you to save gas with the car you already own or to choose the best fuel-efficient model if you're in the market.

We're not just reacting to the recent gas price spikes; fuel efficiency has long been part of our auto coverage, because the price of gas in Yonkers and wherever you live has long been important to consumers.

And the winner is ... Consumer Reports

As we were wrapping up this issue, we got the great news that our food-safety work has been recognized by a prestigious journalism organization. The magazine won a Sigma Delta Chi award for investigative journalism from the Society of Professional Journalists for three articles published in 2010. Those reports told of dangers in certain food, drinks, and dietary supplements, and showed how a dysfunctional regulatory system needed specific fixes. How Safe Is That Chicken? (January), Alert: Protein Drinks (July), and Dangerous Supplements (September) were part of our continuing mission to achieve the safest possible food and supplements for consumers. We're extremely proud of that recognition.

Jim Guest
President