Comment Text:
To whom it may concern:
I'm Kerrick Brooks. We drive everywhere we go because we live in an suburban area that is just getting their public transportation system in place. You can take the bus if you aren't in a hurry to get there.
Even the city doesn't have an efficient public transportation system. Downtown is only approximately 5 city blocks. Sidewalks are an afterthought while the majority of the streets only have dirt shoulders to walk on.
We are fortunate in that the nearest grocery store is only 3 miles one way. Walking there and back would consume a good part of our day requiring more food as fuel using limited resources. Driving is the cheaper option to ensure we purchase enough for our family nutritional needs. Our family feels the effects of every increase in the price of gas and food.
We beg you to curb excessive gambling in commodities markets like food and oil. With all the civil unrest and natural disasters that has been occurring with such frequency that it feels like the end of the world will occur any day now.
Utility companies are increasing their prices because of the increases in their fuel costs.
Nice to have expenses like the internet and telephones are now requirements because public phones are nearly extinct while the internet is the only form of communications that we have. Even my job search consists of posting my resume on the internet. That mailed letter and the postage paid is it even read.
Living in a state that has the highest unemployment and foreclosure percentage rates in the nation we cannot afford any more increases. Haven't the speculators taken enough from us that we know that we will have to work until our last days on this earth?
Okay. I admit my own greed had a lot to do with my current situation. Fortunately we still believe in the United States of America. 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 time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Kerrick W. Brooks
