Something tells me that gas prices have nothing to do with it. More likely, they are trying to cut out all the little nuggets of fun left in the witless lifestyle. Those "goodie nights" at book studies are one that is easy to eliminate by taking out the book studies. That will also limit the amount that people can mix with others after the book studies if it is all in the Kingdumb Hell.
And those comments--they have homogenized comments at the other boasting sessions, particularly the Washtowel Study. And now they are going after the book studies, where people could still have a little wiggle room. It was normal, for instance, for me to get in 5 or 6 comments on a single book study (and some have gotten in as many as 18). Now, it will be one or two at most per study, allowing the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger to do most of the talking.
Now, if sometime this fall, they "suggest" that people start making a habit of going out in field circus on the former Book Study evening, that will render the gas price argument a blatant lie. It wastes more gas to go out in field circus than it does just to go to a single boasting session. And I think there is a good chance that they will do that when it gets closer. More time out in field circus. More people at home. You get to be ostracized more. No trips to Starbucks at that time of day. And more gas wasted! So much for the gas excuse.