Comment Text:
I am a housewife and the "Chief Financial Officer" of my family. I pride myself on making do on my husband's income by carefully budgeting our finances each month. We are a one-car family, but as gas and food prices go up, we have tightened our belts even more than usual--All this while speculators get rich in world markets by increasing the financial burden on middle income families like mine with their irresponsible and greedy actions.
I urge you to curb excessive gambling in commodities markets like food and oil.
While many factors contribute to today’s highly volatile commodity prices, it is clear that excessive speculation is partially responsible, as shown in dozens of studies by respected institutions such as Princeton, MIT, Petersen Institute, University of London, Yale, the United Nations and the U.S. Senate.
Speculation thus imposes financial hardships on families around the country. Sudden rises in gas and food prices force us to make difficult decisions and sacrifices. Especially right now, with so many families struggling, and unemployment barely beginning to decrease, we cannot allow speculators to unduly affect our food and gas prices.
Please put in place effective position limits rules, and do not allow them to be undermined by exemptions or exceptions, or allow Wall Street gamblers to escape them.
Thank you for your consideration.
Mary Giannakou
