The president of Colorado's Northeastern Junior College takes the contrarian opinion that high gas prices are good for rural America. While others are finding that the increasing cost of filling a tank is reducing rural home prices and keeping students from attending classes at far-away colleges, Lance Bolton concludes that the "current absurdly high oil prices may be good for America."

Writing in the Sterling (CO) Journal-Advocate, Lance Bolton argued that higher gas prices will spur the nation's latent ingenuity. Expensive gas is just what we need to spur invention of new fuels and new sources of energy.

Meanwhile, "High energy prices may well be a golden opportunity for rural America. It will make sense again to offer choices and options for men's, women's, and children's clothing. Local retailers can be big winners as energy prices keep us closer to home. That is great news for downtown Sterling, Holyoke, Yuma, and Wray."