Posted 8:35 PM by Floyd

Say something stupid for us, San Jose Mercury News Letters page!

Time to investigate rising gas prices

It's about time that someone investigate the rise in gasoline prices (Page 3A, Sept. 4). Gas companies are gouging us as badly as Enron did during the ``power shortage.''

Probe into the fuel companies' profit margins now, as compared to the last two years, and also their profits as compared to the national inflation and cost of living rates for this period.

There is no ``shortage'' -- At least not in California. Do we have gas lines? No. Do we have odd/even days to buy gas? No. Have you seen any station closed due to a lack of fuel? No. This is all about profit and if you've got the money, they've got the fuel.

It is worse than price gouging. This is profiteering during a time of war. That used to be a crime.

T.M. Hade
Santa Clara

Apparently Mr. Hade believes that America went through Communist revolutions in 1918 and 1941, preventing any "war profiteering" from occurring.