I'm all for the free market and profiting, but when it comes to something that all of us need - something that can be held for ransom - there must be a solution all of us can agree on, and benefit from.

$9.9 Billion in the first quarter of 2005, $40.6 Billion last year, and a good 10% (or more) increase from that is expected this year, yet the government would have to eat approximately half a trillion dollars or more from this 'holiday.'

I don't know about everyone else, but I like my roads as smooth as they can be, and from most of the roads I have been on, I know they can't afford any more losses (especially in Michigan).

On that, I have only a few questions for the oil companies:

Your profits are rising each quarter to record numbers, so how is it you allow people to make a choice of food or gas - something a lot of us are forced to do now?

How do you expect the citizens of this country to foot the bill at the pump, then force the government to step in with a tax break that won't even save $30 over three months per person?

Do you honestly believe, in terms of business, that stretching a person's dollar will result in a healthy profit in the long run?

Instead of sitting idly by and allowing the government to use valuable tax dollars to alleviate our burden, why not use your influence and power to decrease your profits by just a few billions of dollars, and save not only our wallets, but our roads as well.