I totally agree with Robert Ober’s letter “Petroleum industry greed.” There is too much greed in a $3 gallon of gasoline.

The oil company greed (the drillers, a tedious and dirty job) charges $1.38 per gallon (at $58 per 42-gallon barrel). Then the refinery greed (it runs 24 hours a day, and requires a lot of employees to make the gasoline from crude) adds 51 cents. The distributors’ and retailers’ greed, for the pipeline, trucks and gasoline stations, open all hours, is 35 cents per gallon. Without any of these guys, you don’t get gasoline for your automobile. Bringing the total to $2.24. Outrageous. Those darn capitalists. So greedy. Fortunately, they face competition.

Wait a minute, we seem to be missing 76 cents. Oh, here it is — that would be for government greed — aka, taxes. Government receives this money without working for it, nothing but sitting at a desk. And it’s not a 24/7 job.

Why do we keep blaming capitalists, when the GOVERNMENT is the greedy one. The government always keeps its hands in our pockets. And when did you last see someone start a competitor to the government?

Don Carrera

Penn Township, Westmoreland County

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