Oil companies have us over a barrel

Re “Senators are blowing smoke on gas,� Opinion, Nov. 22

Joel Stein is correct when he states that companies should be able to charge as much as they can get away with. It’s the American way. However, unlike Beanie Babies, real estate and drinks at the Bar Marmont, examples cited by Stein, gasoline is not an option we can do without.

We live in an environment, largely created by monopolistic oil companies, that is totally dependent on gasoline.

Competing and alternative technologies were bought up, dismantled and otherwise put out of business by these same companies, which have always had us over a barrel, so to speak.

Gasoline prices might be set by supply and demand, but the supply is manipulated, while the demand is artificially high.

DAVID KORST

Woodland Hills

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Stein’s puerile, know-it-all, mean-spirited and empty sarcasm doesn’t add to a reasoned debate on the issue of gas prices. His attempts at being funny are labored at best.

With the real problems facing us all, we don’t need an upstart with a superior attitude preaching to us in the pages of The Times.

Stein is obviously not stupid. But if he wants to add his voice to a reasoned discourse on the topics of the day and benefit his readers, he should address the issues he chooses with direct honesty and not continue his feeble attempts at humor that fall flat and succeed only in making readers, even readers who agree with his conclusions, irritated.

JOHN KOENIG

Los Angeles

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Making us more oil dependant on foreign nations does not support our country or our troops. On the other hand, to believe it is just supply and demand affecting gas prices is just gullible. Gas refineries have been closing year in and year out not so much because of government regulations but because of the desire of Shell, Exxon, Chevron, etc. to manipulate supply and maximize profit.

I do not necessarily mind paying the current price for gas. I do mind that price being rigged by oil executives.

Most of all, I do mind our Congress rewarding this awful greed with an energy bill that includes subsidies to Big Oil. It seems its answer, whether it’s an airline facing bankruptcy or an oil company facing record profits, is always another subsidy. And that is the true scandal.

SHANE ALGARIN

San Diego