This is a staggering profit and proof that we are being gouged by the oil industry,

The Lockyer investigation should put oil industry executives on notice that they are going to have to answer tough questions about their role if the price of gasoline rises more than ten percent above pre-Katrina prices or above approximately $3.10 per gallon,

Oil company profiteering, not increased production costs, are the cause of the price spikes at the gasoline pump. Hurricane Katrina will only increase the probability of profiteering.

The companies stand to do some profit because the oil is already there. All they have to do is take it off the ground.

The answer is not more carrots for the industry, like gutting environmental laws and immunizing companies for the harm they cause, but sticks, such as forcing companies to invest in beefing up refining capacity when it is needed,

It just shows that the governor's fundraising is on automatic pilot. Only when there's a spotlight cast on his activities will he ever think about returning the money.