Gas prices hitting rural residents hard

AVERAGING MORE THAN FOUR DOLLARS A GALLON JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY S FEELING THE PAIN BUT FAMILIES IN RURAL PLACES ARE FEELING IT MUCH MORE THAN THE REST OF US ONE OF THOSE PLACES IS ESTANCIA - IN TORRANCE COUNTY THAT S WHERE STUART DYSON IS ON THE GASWATCH OUT Q SD EWN4 IT S A DOUBLE WHAMMY HERE - POORER FAMILIES PAY A MUCH BIGGER SHARE OF THEIR INCOME FOR GAS - AND PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY DRIVE MORE MILES IN GAS GUZZLING PICKUP TRUCKS THAN CITY PEOPLE DO Fifty dollars - ten point six gallons - it is killing everybody in this little town - I gotta tell you GAS PRICES IN ESTANCIA ARE ACTUALLY ABOUT THE SAME AS ALBUQUERQUE - BUT THE AVERAGE FAMILY S INCOME HERE IS ABOUT 25 PER CENT LOWER - AND MOST PEOPLE HERE FILL UP MORE OFTEN - AND DRIVE MANY MORE MILES IN THE WIDE OPEN SPACES OF RANCHING COUNTRY JIMMY ARAGON IS RETIRED ON A FIXED INCOME Oh yes sir - because the gas is going up and our check s still the same - and everything is going up - the produce - groceries in the store - what are we gonna do CHRISTINA ESTRADA HAS A GMC YUKON DENALI - 96 BUCKS TO FILL THE TANK Today I had nine kids I had to take to vacation bible school so I had to bring out this - but we don t hardly go anywhere - we don t do anything SIX NEW MEXICO COUNTIES ARE IN THE WORST ONE HUNDRED - THE COUNTIES AROUND THE NATION WHERE GASOLINE GOUGES THE BIGGEST HOLE IN THE FAMILY WALLET RURAL NEW MEXICANS ARE FAR FROM ALONE WHEN IT COMES TO THIS - THE OIL PRICE INFORMATION SERVICE PUTS US IN THE SAME ECONOMIC BOAT WITH MONTANA - WYOMING - THE DAKOTAS - AND THE STATES OF THE DEEP SOUTH IN ESTANCIA STUART DYSON EYEWITNESS NEWS FOUR