Gas prices make people crazy.

On the one hand, you get the "serves us right crowd." You know the argument: We deserve to pay $4 a gallon, because we drive big cars and haven't been serious about energy conservation for, oh, the last 20 years. Cutting the gas tax or slapping a windfall profits tax on oil companies would be silly since everything in this market is driven by supply and demand.

On the other hand, you find the "birthright crowd." These folks basically argue that gas was a dollar a gallon when they were kids and it should be $1 a gallon now. We deserve cheap gas, because it is so important. If only we drilled enough, cut taxes enough or pressured OPEC enough things would return to "normal."

In this case, I find the truth lies somewhere in the middle of the road. The good news first. Gas prices may not trigger soaring inflation this summer, as Goldman Sachs points out:

Gasoline prices typically increase by 8½% in April and a further 4½% in May. As April gasoline prices only increased about 6½% the energy price component of the CPI will likely show a seasonally adjusted decline.

Also, the stimulus checks now on the way are much larger than the increase in gas prices. Goldman Sachs also estimates that the nation's gas bill is going up about $7 billion a month. The stimulus is adding $35 billion a month over the next quarter. That's a big difference.

Now what should be done? Gas price increases are causing real pain to real people. Finding a way to offset that pain is sensible, although sensible people may argue over the best way to do that. It's also sensible to explore every option out there -- exploration, conservation, new technologies and market incentives.

I think most Americans understand gas is not going back to $2 a gallon. They also understand that most people can't stop driving. You have to get to work and in most parts of the country public transportation is just not an option.

This sounds like a problem where bipartisan cooperation could yield important policy changes. Unfortunately, there is no sign that will happen before the next president takes office.