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To: Wayners who wrote (451280)	9/1/2003 5:40:39 PM
From: Ish	Respond to of 769670

<<If the oil and gas companies are colluding on prices I would like to see the Justice Department investigate it >> They are.

To: Wayners who wrote (451280)	9/1/2003 7:07:49 PM
From: Victor Lazlo	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

Have the oil and gas companies are colluded to keep inflation-adjusteed gas prices fronm rising at all over the last 25 years? Maybe there should be an investigation and congressional hearings of the 'collusion' by the big 6 carmakers, and their ever-spiraling prices, and their ability to manipulate people's emotions to make them buy cars and suv's that are way out of their budgets ?!

To: Wayners who wrote (451280)	9/1/2003 8:25:48 PM
From: Kevin Rose	Respond to of 769670

I am almost certain that the gas companies are fixing the prices, IMHO. The prices rise at the same time each year; you'd think that if it were a seasonal supply issue, the gas companies would figure it out and increase production at those times. But why do that when they can charge more for the same amount of product? Also, whenever the prices rise dramatically, and there is a public outcry, suddenly the prices drop. It is obvious to me that the companies are using public sentiment as their indicator of how high they can raise the prices; when the outrage reaches a certain pitch, they turn the prices down a notch or two. Since there are so few suppliers, they have complete control of the supply side of the equation. Since they know the demand side so well (through the aforementioned seasonal patterns), they can easily manipulate the market, and claim that it is a supply issue. In a free market, where competition is readily available, new competitors would step in to drive the prices down. In this market, the entry cost is so high that no one can take advantage of the artificial spread, and the only limits on the price are public pressure.