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Letters to the Editor

Tuesday June 13, 2000

Gas prices are high in many states 

Recently, an article appeared in the Berkeley Daily Planet that read “Blame corporate greed for our sky-high gasoline prices” (Opinion, June 10-11). Corporate greed is what is causing the price of gasoline to be high. 

What the author misses is the big picture. California is part of the USA. Doesn’t “corporate greed” of the oil companies extend to other parts of the country? Reading this article, one would imagine that the rest of the nation is enjoying low-priced gasoline. 

Well, Saturday’s (June 10th) edition of the “West County/Contra Costa Times” has an AP article “Rising gas prices pinch businesses.” It had a picture of a cabby in Detroit filling up on unleaded regular near $2 a gallon. The article describes a business in Muskegon, Michigan that had to endure a 53 percent increase in the price of gas. The article cites other businesses in the country that have been hit with high prices. 

My sister lives in Elgin, Illinois. That would be the same as living in Fairfield. She sends me email every day. She reported on May 12th that gas ranged from $1.56.9 - $1.99.9. On May 31st, regular unleaded was $1.91.9. Last Thursday, regular unleaded was $1.95.9. 

So I ask, was the article accurate? Probably. But the article was also myopic in making it seem that Californians are the only ones in the nation to suffer from sky-high gasoline prices. 

 

John Cakars 

Albany