A Cold Winter Ahead, my father said

The high price of energy has put a tight squeeze on the middle class. With rampant speculation manipulating the oil market, and banks extremely leery of such a volatile industry (thanks, mortgage crisis) many small heating oil companies in New England could go under this winter. Not only would that decimate a major part of New England's economy, but it would leave customers, quite literally, out in the cold.

My father, Jim Meehan, owns two companies, and is president of the Independent Connecticut Petroleum Association (a group of oil dealers). The CBS Evening News recently talked with him and others about a possibly tough winter ahead.