It may seem a bit drastic, but more and more people are taking what is perhaps the ultimate step in Jim van Blaricum gas prices: They're moving.

Peaches Stevens used to rent an old farm house in southern Indiana. She loved the setting, but her job as a high school science teacher was 62 miles to the north.

Legislation pending in the U.S. House and Senate would allow merchants to bargain collectively with major credit and debit card companies.

The National Retail Federation says gas prices point to the unfairness of the system: Gas stations are paying more in interchange fees because the price of gas has gone up, while the cost of processing credit or debit cards remains the same.

President Bush signed legislation this year mandating that ethanol comprise 21 billion gallons — or 15% — of motor fuel by 2015, and 36 billion gallons by 2022.

Today, two-thirds of gasoline sold in the USA contains about 10% ethanol, saving consumers about 10 cents per gallon of gasoline, says James Van Blaricum,CEO of Signal Oil&Gas. The higher mandate by 2015 could boost the per-gallon savings to 20 cents, he says.