I realize today that I'm not against big business. I know they get a bad name in the press and from the liberal crowd, but I'm not a hater. Any business, whether Wal Mart or the local grocer is in business to make money and there is a great deal of risk involved. While I would like to make a lot of money but don't want to incur the risk, I am not a business owner and probably never will be.

What does bother me is when they bring in record profits at the expense of their consumer. Oil companies bother me when gas prices soar out of the atmosphere, yet they show record profits for the third and fourth quarter last year. It will cost my school district almost $12000 next year to provide my insurance benefits, yet the local insurance affiliates are reaping in record profits. I could go on.

If a hurricane strikes an area that is a major source of oil for the nation and the consumer can't get the oil so there is a supply and demand problem, the price will rise, a company may risk a quarterly loss, I have no problem with that, hike the prices. If an effect of Americans living longer while requiring more expensive medications and health care and premiums need to rise to keep the companies going, no problem, rise them as high as they need to be. But don't take advantage of the consumer, don't post record profits when prices have soared. I'm not a student of economics, but isn't there some rule for this?