On 22 Apr 2006 12:58:48 -0700, "
wrote:


The big issue is high gas prices will cripple our economy, and he
doesnt appear concerned.

They're already hurting around here. I'm in a tourist town in South
Texas, on leave at the moment to take care of a sick parent. The local
merchants are hurting first because tourism is down due to the high
price of gasoline, and second because people need to travel long
distances to get anywhere out here so a major portion of their
disposable income is now going for gasoline instead of buying goods at
the marginally-profitable small stores that keep this town alive.

I don't see any fix for it, though. The way I see it, Bush gave the
go-ahead to the big oil companies to set prices. They did so, raised
prices, made money, but then OPEC decided they wanted that money
instead so THEY raised prices. The oil companies raised prices again
and cited OPEC as the cause. OPEC raised prices some more. The oil
companies raised prices again and blamed OPEC, then Katrina and
various other scapegoats and around and around it goes.

Even if some new President reins in the US oil companies and restores
competition, OPEC has learned that they can get more for their oil
and, being a cartel, they can't be made to back down.

So, once again Bush has gotten us into something that nobody can get
us out of.