Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Letter to the editor:

Gas is a necessity priced by greed

A recent letter to the editor, “Fix our addiction, not our gas prices,” illustrates so well the fact that some people have really bought into the phrase, “We are addicted to oil.” I hear this repeated a lot, and I remember very well when this slogan was used during the Bush administration to explain the refusal to rein in the oil companies. It is an attempt to convince the public that the high prices are our fault.

The truth is that we are like lambs to the slaughter every time we visit the gas pump. The oil companies are making billions in profits every quarter. In addition to their profits, the oil companies are the biggest recipients of corporate welfare in America because of the taxpayer-funded subsidies and tax breaks they receive. President Barack Obama wants to end these taxpayer-funded subsidies, but the Republicans in Congress are blocking his efforts.

The letter writer said we should not whine about high gas prices. I believe we have every right to complain about being robbed every time we must visit a gas station. If anything, we need to complain more. We are too complacent and accepting of these exorbitant prices, which are driven by pure greed.

No one would argue that we all need to do what we can to conserve, but gasoline usage is not an addiction; it is a necessity. It powers our lives, right up there with breathing and eating.

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