Because Hurricane Ike is sweeping across the Gulf of Mexico, where there are many oil refineries and drilling stations, the oil companies have once again taken an opportunity to gouge the American public at the pump.

There are reports that gas is as high $5.00 a gallon on the Gulf Coast.

In our area it has jumped up 30 to 40 cents a gallon.

We live in free market society, in which oil companies can charge what they want for their product as any other company has the right to do.

In California there is a law for everything including price gouging. However, it has no teeth and does nothing to control the price of gas.

So it makes no sense to scream for government control when this type of gouging happens, because it won't work.

It does prove one point when this happens - we need alternative energy. That is something the government can help and should develop.

The government should also free up some the nation's fuel reserves when this happens in order to flood the market with gas.

The people running the oil companies and perpetrating these usury practices on struggling Americans, someday will pay the price because their practices are despicable and immoral.