High gas? Mum’s the word

…At CNNMoney.com, we quoted a couple of analysts pointing out the threat from Rita and got hit with a slew of hate mail. Some examples …

“You (people) are becoming accessories to higher energy prices by consistently publishing stories of gloom and doom generated by these so-called analysts. You people are so easily manipulated. By publishing these $5 a gallon gasoline pieces, you probably bumped the price up 25 cents yourselves. You idiots.” — Lyn K.
“People need to quit printing or advertising predictions like these … Prints like these give the oil companies excuses to jack up prices and screw the consumer while they laugh all the way to the bank.” — Jeremy B.

I think the folks have got a point. Energy companies are just dying for the chance to act in concert to jack up prices, whether they really need to or not.

CNN/Money