We need to work to control price of oil

If we look up at the heavens and ask for help regarding the price of oil, I am afraid God does not control the oil market.

The fact is, God does not charge for oil.

Oil has always been free. The cost is to find it, mine it, refine it, distribute it, tax it and profit by it.

As we look at oil at $138 dollars a barrel, up over $10 in one day, and we hear the arrogance of the oil experts, that the price will hit $150 a barrel, we must look at the media, talk and print for help.

They saved us once from the administration selling the control of all major ports to a Middle East company.

In order to stop this price erosion, the press must look at the facts.

After the Senate voted to tell President Bush to halt dumping oil into the Strategic Oil Reserve, he reluctantly said he would order a halt for six months.

However, the start of the six months is at the end of July when the summer is half over. No provision has been made to withdraw any oil from the reserve if it would end the price soaring.

I heard we are actually using less crude oil this year then last year.

However the price of crude keeps going up because of the demand by India and China.

President Bush, when visiting Brazil, said they were willing to sell us sugarcane-based Ethanol. Why aren't we buying it?

The problem with defining the price of oil is difficult because of the many contracts on which it is sold.

What percent of the total oil used in U.S. refineries are purchased on the oil exchange? One hundred percent of the oil is priced on the market exchange, including our Alaska oil.

We need President Bush to have the U.S. attorney general review the entire oil processing situation to ensure us that there is no price fixing. This will never happen.

Congressman Mark Kirk was working on a program to reduce the number of formulas of gasoline from here to St. Louis from 12 formulas to four for the country. What happened to that?

Wally Miller

Prospect Heights