To the editor:

When President Bush took office, oil was $28 a barrel; it is now over $100 a barrel. President Bush, Vice President Cheney and their Republican Congress passed the energy bill that reduced taxes for the oil companies. They called it their energy policy. These same oil companies are now recording all-time, over-the-top, out-of-sight profits, billions of dollars per quarter.

All of the polls say that the Bush presidency is a failure, but my guess is that Bush and Cheney came to office with an objective and they have achieved it in spades. They may be down in the polls, but they and their super rich oil buddies are laughing all the way to the bank, while we the little people are crying every time we fill our tanks.

I love capitalism and the free market, but perhaps it’s time to put some balance back in this thing we call democracy. Our government cannot stand four more years of big business rule.

E. Kent Hayes,
Lawrence