It is an untenable situation in this country when the top five oil companies profit by $123 billion dollars in a year. Our utilities are regulated in amounts of profits. Our nation is hurting. Because of this, I am in full support of Congress passing an $18 billion tax over the next 10 years.

I would support a 10-percent tax per year on profits above a 7-percent allowable margin based on stringent accounting principles of reporting. This $18 billion dollar tax is chicken feed to the current $1.23 trillion profits over 10 years that they stand to make. However, bravo to using the money for developing alternative solar power, wind, etc.

Bush says he will veto a passed bill of this sort. I must say he is an idiot. He needs to go back to Yale for remedial economics, and pass the course called "Ethics and Greed for Dummies."

Michael J. Rhoden, Augusta