Gas busting budgets across USA

Soaring gas prices are slamming cities, school districts and sheriff's departments across the USA, forcing local governments to scrimp, save and borrow to pay the price at the pump.

School buses, snowplows and squad cars, which burn millions of gallons of gas a year, can burn million-dollar holes in budgets.
"It's really wreaking havoc," says Jeff Esser, CEO of the Government Finance Officers Association. "They really have two choices: Raise taxes or cut back on other programs or services. That's it."

• In Boston, school buses ferry 33,000 students from home to classroom every day. Last year, the city budgeted $1.9 million to fuel its buses. The actual cost: $2.8 million.
This year, officials increased the budget to $3.4 million and are keeping their fingers crossed........