Behind the high price of gas: so that Americans have access to reliable, affordable gas and oil, American oil companies need to develop domestic sources of supply, but the government won't let them.(ENERGY)(Cover story)

Whenever gasoline prices increase significantly in a relatively short period of time and news media report concurrently that the profits of oil companies are also rising, one can predict, almost like clockwork, widespread public outrage. Cries of "obscene profits" will arise, along with demands that the state and federal governments "do something" about the high cost of gasoline. Politicians will fall all over themselves getting to the nearest microphone in order to condemn the "price gouging" being perpetrated by the oil companies on the American public and to threaten the imposition of "windfall profits" taxes. The public becomes convinced that oil companies are engaged ...