READERS WRITE

Blame price gouging for gas prices

I found it interesting that the article “Q&A: ‘Normal’ prices still far off” (News, Sept. 16) [noted] that the reason gas prices rose in Atlanta was that “Hurricane Ike came along and whacked the heart of the nation’s energy-producing area two weeks after Hurricane Gustav blew through. The result was to dramatically cut production and delivery of oil and gas.”

Here’s another theory. How about price gouging at the pumps?

TOM KEMP

Atlanta

Fuel costs spiked on speculation

The recent mania over gas was caused only by a persistent doomsday media. A crisis was born out of speculation. Prices edged or soared upward and people overloaded stations’ capacities, all from fear. This happened before the hurricane hit and assessments could be made.

Everything would have been fine if radio, TV and papers had been responsible. A rate hike could possibly be assumed, but shortages occurred strictly from a panic started by media.

I worked graveyard shift the Friday before last , so was isolated from media updates, but customers and co-workers filled me in on the horror stories forming: price hikes, long lines, closures and relief possibly weeks away. One woman who had a death in the family in Florida told me that for her trip home, she filled up in Florida at $6.50 per gallon and in Georgia for $4.50 per gallon. All before the hurricane hit! Poor woman was grieving and gouged!

I believe in the power of the press and free speech, but with that power comes responsibility. Just like yelling “fire” in a crowded building, this past weekend is testament to that fact.

KATHY THOMSON

Roswell

Perdue should fine, arrest gougers

I hope Gov. Sonny Perdue fines gas stations that were gouging the consumer with high prices when their station’s tanks were filled with gas bought at the old wholesale prices. If you can arrest and fine contractors for gouging, then you should be able to fine and arrest Georgia gas station owners.

JOHN CORBIN

Evans

Current financial crisis reminiscent of Reagan era scandals

The Wall Street risk junkies at Lehman Brothers got their comeuppance when they overdosed on bad mortgage debt. Thankfully, the feds resisted the urge to save them from themselves with a big injection of taxpayer dollars.

The question now is where have the regulators been? Who’s responsible for policing the credit markets and why was this subprime insanity allowed to happen in the first place? It’s all painfully reminiscent of the savings and loan and junk bond scandals of the Reagan era, when regulator indifference encouraged financial mismanagement and even malfeasance and we taxpayers were left to clean up the mess.

KEVIN FOLEY

Kennesaw

Reject White House’s economic philosophy

Thank you, Bush administration and so-called free-market ideologues for letting us see the ramifications of your outrageously simplistic economic philosophy.

According to your thinking, all we have to do is turn loose powerful economic interests and they will operate in a manner best for the economy and nation.

It is unconscionable that you have let the general public suffer largely as a result of your adherence to a fanatical ideology that was completely discredited by the Great Depression.

Enron, hedge funds, investment houses —- too many to list. You let them free run without regard to ethics, sound business practices or regard for the havoc that they knew was coming.

And you had lawfully mandated regulatory tools in place to prevent all of it but you refused to use them.

One can only hope that citizens will reject such bogus thinking and irresponsibility at the ballot box.

JIM GRATTAN

Grayson

Push casting ballots early, open voting on weekends

Thank you for the article “Is Georgia ready for Nov. 4? Some say no” (Page One, Sept. 17). Hoping that folks will vote early is not enough. Most folks don’t know about these options and don’t know where to go or what to do. At minimum, the Secretary of State needs to try to get as many votes in as possible prior to election day.

In addition, we need to have advance voting available on weekends. In the last general election, I had to wait almost two hours during advance voting in Decatur. Many folks who work cannot take this kind of time off and long lines are clearly a disadvantage for those whose jobs are not flexible —- i.e., the working poor.

Can we not have government offices open for early voting on four or five Saturdays throughout the state? Surely we can find the dollars to open and staff these government offices for voting only on these days once every four years. We can also get poll workers to assist on weekends because there would be a huge additional pool of potential volunteers.

RICCARDA HEISING

Atlanta

Some suffer while wealthy get perks

I just read the article “Plan puts tolls on interstate HOV lanes,” (Page One, Sept. 17). With the economy in the tank, widespread unemployment and record high gasoline prices, working people everywhere are scrambling to make ends meet.

Now the powers that be want to add another burden to this load? Has anyone really thought this through? Better yet, does anyone care? Just look at rush hour traffic and imagine how much worse it will be because many now using the HOV will no longer be able to. Nothing new here: make it easier for those who can afford it and don’t worry about the rest. Let the working folks pay for governmental shortfall and let big business (e.g., Exxon/Mobile) continue windfall profits.

RONALD BROOKS

Lawrenceville