TALLAHASSEE -- To safeguard Florida's fuel supplies in a dire emergency, Gov. Jeb Bush on Sunday issued a sweeping order giving the state power to allocate gasoline.
Officials said the order is meant to assure that enough fuel will be available for hundreds of vehicles swarming into Florida for the Hurricane Frances recovery. Officials acknowledged the order gives them the power to ration gasoline, but they said they were not ready to take that step yet.
Rather, they said, they wanted to ensure that sufficient supplies of gas were available for utility trucks, Red Cross volunteers and others pitching in with the recovery. But they also suggested that the order was meant to discourage motorists from getting back on the road.
"The average driver, we're asking them to stay home," Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings said. "If you have to be out, think about the fact that you may well not have gas. So don't start out unless you know that you can get to where you're going with the gas in your car."
