I Would Love to Spit on Eliot Spitzer

New York Attorney General government bully Eliot Spitzer proves that state and federal laws making it a crime to "sell or offer to sell any [vital goods and services] for an amount which represents an unconscionably excessive price" are wholly incompatible with freedom and common decency. Is there a bigger prick in America?

Last September, the AG's office subpoenaed sales information from dozens of gas stations across the state, subsequently offering settlements to those it determined had gouged. Most chose to pay a fine rather than fight. But three refused; Spitzer is now pursuing civil cases against all three.

"[Spitzer's] ruined my reputation in [Oswego County] forever," fumes Joe Wiedenbeck Jr., who owned the Penn-Can Truck Stop Mobil in Center Square Oswego County) at the time of the alleged gouging (he's since sold his business and retired to Florida).

"We were in business for 31 years; we donated to every cause in the area. "Why is he coming after me?" asks Danny Cianciulli, owner and manager of My Service Center in New Rochelle - who says that his station lost money in the post-Katrina weeks, and on the year. In fact, he put up $50,000 of his savings just to keep the station afloat.

"Price gouging?" asks Cianciulli. "I haven't taken a vacation since 1985. I work from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m., six days a week. . . . It's my obligation to sell as low as I can. When gas prices go up, I lose money. If people think they're being mistreated, they go elsewhere."