Thumbs down ? to the never-ending price hike for a gallon of gas. Just the sight of a gasoline price sign at the service station is enough to cause heart palpitations; who wants to pay more than four bucks for a lousy gallon of gas? And now we're hearing from tourism officials that one of the bright spots in the Southern Illinois economy - tourism for wineries, golf, events, specialty shops and scenic splendor - is threatened by the soaring cost of gas. Enough!

Thumbs up ? to the Shawnee Queen River Taxi. The 48-passenger vessel offers unmatched views of Ohio River scenery and also provides regularly scheduled public transit between points including Golconda, Rosiclare, Elizabethtown and Cave-In-Rock. It's not as fast as a land-based vehicle, but the slower summertime pace might be perfect for trips on the water. The river taxi is part of the Rides Mass Transit District, which serves 14 counties in Southeastern Illinois. The boat operates Tuesday through Saturday (weather permitting) from May until November; fare and schedule information is available by calling (877) 677-6123.

Thumbs up ? to Sesser for taking proactive, common-sense action against the high cost of gasoline. A recently passed ordinance allows golf carts and other utility type vehicles that have steering wheels to be used as transportation on city streets. Mayor Ned Mitchell and Alderman Bob Woll helped make the energy-saving and money-saving idea a reality. How much can a person save? Woll says his electric golf cart gets 25 miles out of a 10-hour charge of electricity costing $1.30. He has recommended the city purchase a used cart for transportation for water meter readers. Maybe other communities in Southern Illinois will be watching and taking similar action? It's worth considering.

Thumbs up ? to House lawmakers for finally passing legislation that clears the way for construction of a multimillion-dollar power plant in Taylorville based on new carbon sequestration technology. The legislation was stalled over objections from Commonwealth Edison, which the company lifted once project developers were required to conduct a detailed study of the project before final state OK. It is similar technology to what was proposed with the federal FutureGen project for Mattoon. The sooner we get moving to develop the next wave of clean coal technology, the sooner we can begin using the massive storage of bituminous coal here in Southern Illinois and the sooner we can break the stranglehold oil has on our economy.

Thumbs down ? to state Senate President Emil Jones, in particular, for his continued thirst for pay raises at a time when a supermajority of those who elected Jones and his colleagues oppose salary boosts for our dysfunctional state government officials. Because Jones refuses to call his chamber back for much-needed budget work, among other things, the automatic 12 percent raises won't kick into gear until after the November election. We think voters should remember this sneaky strategy when they go to the polls in November.

Thumbs up ? to various organizations throughout Southern Illinois for playing host to 19 students from Southeast Asia. The students have been in town since June 29 as part of the Study of the U.S. Institute for Student Leaders program. John Foster and John Jackson of the Southern Illinois University Carbondale political science department serve as directors for the program and helped students experience our region with activities such as the Fourth of July celebration in Chester and a Carbondale City Council meeting. The students will eventually travel to Washington, D.C., where they will meet up with other student leaders and share their experiences.

Thumbs up ? to news that the city of Marion is exploring its options in building a new fire station on the east side of town in an effort to provide more prompt service in an emergency. With the growth of the community and the possibility of a train blocking firefighters' access to the east side for several minutes, the idea of investing in a satellite station is worth serious consideration.

Thumbs up ? to veterinarian Tony Ulrich of Dongola for his unique and less-invasive laparoscopic surgery on animals. It is nice to know modern science is being put to good use through the use of laparoscopic surgery to spay animals. For those who love their pets, or generally care about animals, the benefits are enormous. Compared to conventional spaying surgeries, laparoscopic surgery dramatically reduces the amount of post-surgical recovery time. A dog that underwent the procedure Monday was up and walking in less than two hours and ready to go home.

Thumbs up ? to the recent announcement that the Sikeston, Mo., Air Evac Lifeteam air ambulance service has been licensed to operate in Illinois. Licensing allows the air ambulance to provide a backup service to its Marion and Mount Vernon operations if called upon. It's good to know that when tragedy strikes, extra help is only a few minutes away.

Thumbs up ? to Beth Hartke, Carol Sluzevich and all other Big Brothers and Big Sisters in the region who devote time from their busy schedules to lend a helping hand to children in need of a friend or mentor. We hope other adults will consider the option of joining this worthy organization here in Southern Illinois so more young people will benefit. Remember, it's not the amount of money you would spend on the child but rather the quality time you would spend.