Chicago Tribune: Why are natural gas prices skyrocketing?

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GAS PRICES

Bill Sarto October 21, 2000 CARPENTERSVILLE -- For a while now, we have been told that our natural gas bills will be skyrocketing this coming heating season. My question is a very simple one: Why?

We have recently been gouged at the gasoline pumps and now it seems that the oil producers, who, by the way, also provide us with natural gas, are getting ready to sock it to the consumers again by doubling or tripling our heating bills this winter.

If you remember, a couple of years ago, the gas companies tried to do the same thing. What they found was stiff protests from consumers and they backed off. The truth is that there is no logical reason to charge consumers these excessive prices. Those who have limited income and cannot afford to pay such high prices could very well have their lives put at risk.

This is not a mere economic issue. It's a matter of life and death for some. Who speaks for them?

We live in a time of unbridled greed in this country. Should we believe that our government and big business no longer care for those who live on the economic edge of society? What kind of a country and people are we, if we allow this to happen without any protest?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/commentary/printedition/article/0,2669,SAV-0010210277,FF.html

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), October 21, 2000

Answers

We are allowing it to happen.We are voting for these elected officials.Where integrity used to be a prerequisite to be in office we seem now not to care about their morals and honesty.Therefore we are sliding downhill.Our government is basicly being run by big business.Big money is running things.We have allowed them to chip away at our rights and are now and will see the results in the future of this great declension.We will all soon wake up to this fact but it will be too late.Too late unless there is a grassroots effort that sweeps this nation.If we dont demand honesty and equality we will pay a very large price.Our freedom.Dont think for one minute that the Govt. can be trusted with our rights.People are very corruptable.It is in our nature.That is why our founding fathers framed the constution the way they did.They understood this. In my area I have Niagara Mohawk as my service gas provider.They have either sold or merged with an English company.the CEo of 5 small years is to walk away with 9 million dollars when all is said and done.Now who do you think is going to pay for that.Guess who?the end consumer. There are huge mergers going on in the Energy sector,this is a main reason for these escalating prices.There are several.Another is Hyper inflation.We are seeing the fruit of money supply expansion.Historicly this results in inflation.We also have outright theivery,many times perfectly legal.But we will all pay for these high prices. The average people are very limited and will suffer much.What is terrifying is that this hyperinflationary process is just beginning.The worst is yet to come. This nation needs a spiritual awaking-this will be a moral awakening,it is what is needed.This is being taken away from us.Our spiritual heritage ,and because of this moral decay soon follows.It is true.We are now reaping the harvest of this moral/spiritual decline.It is true,when God is forsaken true wisdom begins to disapear and what the Lord says about it becomes true,professing themselves to be wise they become fools.True wisdom comes from Him,the ability to discern right and wrong,to be able to see where we are going,Jesus said,"I am the light of the world,whoever follows me will have the light of life,"what did he say about the rest,"The blind lead the blind,and both fall in a pit!!" Someone I know feels this way because of the way things are being run today in financial circles,we are basicly heading for a one world banana republic.I know that is an extreme statement however think about it for awhile.All these things that are necesseties for us to live are rising,this will continue to push us down.forcing us to work harder and longer just to get by. Higher Govt taxes in all forms are taking our property away from us.We are being enslaved by a system and we are in effect being cheated/robbed on a continual basis AND we are "blind" to it.It seems the only ones able to break out of the rut are themselves thieves.And thats sad. Well I could go on but I must get back to work so I can make money for those higher utility bills and Gov taxes.

-- JAX (JAX@BORG.COM), October 21, 2000.

This article was sure written by a novice, somebody, obviously, who knows nothing of the economics of the energy business. This is a simple matter of the old economics law of Supply and Demand. The supply, inhibited by the politicians as to growth, is just not there. The demand, goosed by our big technological advances is there. Who gets squeezed, as a result? The little guy. The average citizen gets caught in the middle.

-- Chance (fruitloops@hotmail.com), October 21, 2000.

When I read a piece like this I can only shake my head in wonderment. What planet has this person been living on? Talk about people who don't even begin to understand the basics of Economics 10l - this writer is a perfect example.

-- Wayward (wayward@webtv.net), October 21, 2000.

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