Editor, News-Register: “I’m mad as hell, and I am not going to take it anymore!”That memorable line from an otherwise forgettable 1970s movie ought to reflect everyone’s attitude about the price of gas. With gasoline around $4 a gallon and diesel even higher, we have reason to be angry. It remains to be seen whether we will continue to take it, or whether we will be mad enough to decide to do something about it. There is much which we can do. First we can recognize that gas prices are outrageously high because of economics, not because of some sheik in Saudi Arabia or some rapacious oil company in Texas. The fact is that demand for oil is outrunning supply. Demand is a worldwide phenomenon, reflecting rapid economic growth in China, India and elsewhere, as well as growing consumption in the United States. Since growing demand for gas most often indicates that people’s lives are getting better, we should be happy about it. Cars are replacing bicycles in China and rickshaws in Vietnam. We all know the fundamental rule of economics: when demand exceeds supply (that is when people want more of something than is available), prices go up; when supply exceeds demand (that is when there is more of something than people want), prices go down. Once we accept that unavoidable fact, we can move on to deciding what to do about the price of gas. There are, basically, two choices: reduce demand or increase supply.