SPEAKOUT

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I'd like to know why the stations in Sikeston raised their gas prices yesterday due to the rumors going out. Even if the rumors were true, the gas they already had in their tanks didn't cost them any more, it was already there. Why did they raise their prices and can anything be done about that?

On Tuesday, national gas distributors raised wholesale gas prices in preparation for a tighter supply. To the credit of the local gas retailers, this increase was passed along but only the increase. Other areas in this region saw prices hit $4 a gallon. Some retailers should be faulted but not the local dealers in Sikeston.

I would like to commend some of the gas station owners. They had an opportunity on Tuesday to take advantage of the people of Sikeston by hiking their gas prices so they could make an ever-loving dollar at someone else's expense due to the disaster we had yesterday. I would like to let them know how very, very nice I think they are and I'm sure a lot of other people in town think the same thing.

Well, we had a bad day today and the gas companies didn't make it any better by raising their prices 20 cents in just two or three hours. The lines were so long - I just couldn't understand it.

People of Sikeston, you need to be aware that your gas station owners are not the only terrorist today (Sept. 11). They gouged you by 20 cents a gallon on gasoline and I urge you to go somewhere else whenever this is all over with and buy somewhere else. We need to let these Sikeston businesses know what rip-off artists we have in this area. Peter Myers needs to be aware that people were gouged in Sikeston. It's terrible that anybody would take this day of tragedy and turn it into a field day for them so they could line their pockets with money.

I see where the American people are gas-gouging Americans, they'll cheat their own people at a time of stress. Some of the stations were gouging people bad. I live in Haywood City and came by one time and gas was $1.49. When I came back by it was $2. They were sure gouging the poor people.

Anyone who is price gouging for greed (particularly retail and wholesale gas dealers) during the tragedy that has occurred, should really be ashamed of themselves. This is a terrible situation. Everybody knows that gas didn't need to go up like it did. Other people in town raised their prices on items they thought customers might need. Shame, shame on you!

I'm glad to see Gov. Ryan in Illinois has already started action against the gas stations that raised their price all the way up to $4.99 a gallon yesterday in Southern Illinois. Perhaps our governor should start looking at this area. Gouging should be considered another form of terrorism and those people and corporations who should do it should be dealt with within the law as such.

This is a message to all the gas station owners in America. Are you happy now? Did you make your extra money? It only cost a few thousand ordinary lives. I hope it was worth it to you. I just want you to know that I will never have to do any more business with you than I have to for the rest of my life and I hope the rest of the people feel the same way. With the tragedy that happened in New York, you should all be ashamed.

I think we're foolish to jump into an expensive, long time war with other countries when we're looking for a few terrorists who planned this outrage and are well-entrenched in concrete and caves where bombing won't do much good, especially since this country is broke. I don't believe in saddling our children with a huge debt.

I'd like to say God bless America. No one can ruin our country when we stand united against these terrorist act. Also, I'm proud of the Kindergarten. They sent the children home with tags on their clothes saying to wear red, white and blue for a day in support of our country. How about the rest of the schools doing this too? Thank you for letting me SpeakOut in this great nation.

All schools and many business wore the colors last week.