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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 17, 2008

Price Gouging

Big surprise: Gasoline prices at the pump go up!

No surprise: Gasoline prices at the pump go up!

Why? Because there was a crisis of some sort, this time Hurricane Ike, which did little or no damage to the oil production capacity and, in fact, produced no shortage of gasoline.

But to the oil industry, any kind of crisis, real, imaginary or manufactured, is a reason to increase prices. A penny here, a nickel there, a dime for a few weeks.

At two local Chevron stations near my home, the price of a gallon of regular jumped from $3.63/gallon a week ago to $3.80 at one station and $3.89 at the other just a few blocks away.

Does that not sound like "price gouging?" It does to me.

I could, of course, file a complaint and in a month or so after subpoenas are issued and resisted, the appropriate government bodies will deliberate on what punishment, if any, should be dealt, but by that time the price will probably have come back down a few pennies.

But here's a startling concept: If you're not running on fumes and absolutely must fill up your tank, go to a different station and maybe even (gasp!) pay cash. Simple, isn't it? If you don't have to, don't buy gas at the inflated price.

Gail B. Leatherwood

Spring Hill

Walks Like A Duck

Along with our most recent utility bill from Withlacoochee Electric is a stuffer stating "rising fuel costs force rate increase." Is anyone paying attention to your utility bill statement, more precisely the line item called, fuel adjustment? Adjustment is the operative word, and it allows Withlacoochee to adjust customer's utility rates commensurate with the cost of fuels used to generate electricity.

Withlacoochee is one of a 10-member larger coop, Seminole Electric. Seminole's role is to procure electricity for its members, using the combined purchasing power of the members, along with hedging - that is locking in future pricing using the commodity markets. This practice is known as hedging, and it protects the purchaser against volatile price swings. Seminole is nonprofit and passes the product cost, without markup to their membership.

In April of 2004, with natural gas trading in the $5.50 to $6 range, the fuel cost adjustment was $29.66 per 1,000 KWH of usage. In late 2005 natural gas traded over $15, and the fuel cost adjustment rose to $54.60. In a February 2006 e-mail from Jeffery M. Fela, the public affairs representative for Seminole Electric, Fela said Seminole's natural gas hedge price was about $9.10, and is now trending down after reaching a high of $10.40.

In April of 2006, fuel cost adjustments were adjusted downward to $47.10. Since that reduction, natural gas traded as low as the $4 range, and there have been no further reductions in the fuel cost adjustment. In fact with natural gas trading this month in the $7 range, the fuel cost adjustment has increased to $57.29, and now Withlacoochee wants to raise it again.

If Seminole's hedge price was $9.10 in 2006 and the fuel cost adjustment was $47.10, and with natural gas trading in the $7 range today, what is the justification for additional increases? Facts seem to indicate a price decrease is in order. This is beginning to walk like a duck, and it's time for the consumer, you and me, to voice our concern. Contact Withlacoochee at 352-567-5133 or on the Web at www.wrec.net

Jim Gries

Weeki Wachee

We Don't Know Obama

A few weeks ago I wrote a very sarcastic letter to Hernando Today. I stated my reasons, even though being a staunch Republican, for voting for Barack Obama and all Democratic candidates. With tongue in cheek, I blamed every single problem in our country and the entire world on the Republicans.

I now would like to make a serious plea to you and give my reasons why I believe we need to elect John McCain as our next president. I will try not to make a negative remark against Obama.

Frankly, I don't know him well enough to do that.

That is my whole point, we don't know Obama.

Up until a few years ago, no one had even heard of him. He was a "community organizer" in the Chicago area, an Illinois state senator and has been a U.S. senator for several years. The most we know about him is that he has been running for president of the United States for the past 18 months!

If you had said the name Barack Hussein Obama five years ago, people would have thought you were referring to an Islamic terrorist on our country's most wanted list. This man has done almost nothing, and we know almost nothing about him, yet he wants to be the president of the United States? As an example of how little we know about him, I quote a friend who said to me recently, "I can't vote for Obama; he's a Muslim." I had to correct my friend, saying that he wasn't a Muslim. That is my whole point - most people don't know a lot about him.

And, please don't fall for his slogan that he will "change" things. Change things how? He says he will change things, but cites no plans.

Unless you count his plan to raise taxes to pay for all the government entitlements he plans to institute. Anyone can stand on a stage and say they will change things. But, as the old TV commercial goes, "where's the beef?" He professes change, yet who did he choose as his vice president? He chose Joe Biden, who's been in Washington, I believe, since Thomas Jefferson's time!

We know a lot about McCain. He served in the U.S. Navy for more than 20 years. And yes, he was a POW for 5 1/2 years in North Vietnam and was brutally tortured there. I know the Democrats say he brings this up too often, but you know what? Too bad! He's earned the right to bring it up!

Then, he has served in the House of Representatives and has been a U.S. senator for over 26 years, sponsoring much legislation and crossing party lines to do it. He is the real "maverick;" he is the real reformer, not Obama.

Just look at his choice for vice president, Sarah Palin.

That should tell you how serious McCain is about shaking up Washington, and the "politics as usual" crowd.

Obama may someday be ready to become the president of the United States, after he has proven himself, after he has done something to show he's earned it and after we know much more about him.

Right now, John McCain is the man who should be our next president. If you don't think that McCain is a true American hero, if you don't think that he embodies that spirit we can admire, if you don't think that after all he's done and been through that he doesn't deserve to be our president, then I think this country is in a lot more trouble than just a recession!

Russ Colombo

Spring Hill

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