Let the free market solve energy problems

Don M. McNulty
Independence

To the editor:
In the last few weeks I’ve heard everyone bemoan the high price of gasoline, and I am like everyone else who hates paying these high prices. However, I do not blame the oil companies.

When you in the media refer to the oil companies’ profits, you quote the record $143 billion “Big Oil” has made. Funny you don’t put into perspective the percentage of profit to revenue or show how this plays against less profitable years and what the companies’ overall profitability is over time. Is this because you’re basically lazy and don’t want to look it up, or are you just playing the game to keep the public stirred up against someone you perceive is doing them harm?

I am always amazed how a simpleton prompt reader on television can make millions of dollars a year and cry out how the bad CEOs are making 400 times their average workers wage. Funny, those same prompt readers are making 200 times what the average production worker makes to put them on the air.

High gasoline prices are our fault. We have not put enough pressure on our politicians to allow us to build needed refineries, drill for oil in ANWAR or off the continental shelf when we’ve proven we can be responsible and not cause pollution.

Now politicians like Pelosi and Clinton want to rape and rob the oil companies to pay for a break on the gasoline tax. Just like they raped and robbed the tobacco companies back in the ’90s. This is getting to be a bad habit. If we don’t stop them now, they will destroy what little capitalism we have left.
State what the truth really is, man: If government would get out of our way and let the markets work, we wouldn’t be in this predicament.