Sacramento Bee: An economic meltdown may not be the preferred way to scale back California’s dependence on foreign oil, but it seems to be doing the trick. Gas consumption in California continues to fall, even with gas prices far lower than the record highs set last summer, new figures from the California State Board of Equalization show. Some economists credit the poor economy for the trend. Unemployed people don’t drive to work. Car sales are down. And suburban growth is sputtering. All of …