Comment Text:
With gas operated trucks and commercial pieces of equipment my business feels the effects of every increase in the price of gas.
We have suffered the effects of the past three years with a large portion of our customers no longer able to afford our service.
We have watched many contractors and peers go out of business. Those of us left are just now hoping to see a ray of light this year. Now we watch in horror as speculators drive up the price of fuel (AGAIN). This is unethical and anti-business. It also hurts every household in the nation and effects prices of products across the board, all working against economic recovery so the rich can continue to get richer. This country has turned it's back on the working poor, the middle class (which is quickly disappearing), and small business owners, while those at the top continue their unprecedented piracy. It has been a near 30 year slide towards inequality, but has now reached the breaking point.
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.
