Absolutely forbids it?

What a dumb headline and, in all honesty, a dumb story.

White House forbids gas price gouging

By H. JOSEF HEBERT
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration signaled Friday it would not tolerate price gouging or industry collusion to run up gasoline prices and urged anyone with evidence to contact the Justice Department.

Thank god the White House came down against price gouging for gasoline. I really thought public policy would be all for it.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department sent a letter to each state attorney general urging them to contact the antitrust division if they have evidence of criminal conduct in the marketing of motor fuels.

Assistant Attorney General R. Hewitt Pate, head of the division, said the Justice Department was "committed to investigating and prosecuting criminal antitrust activity" if found in petroleum and motor fuel marketing.

Any citizen who has such complaints also was urged to e-mail (newcase.atr@usdoj.gov) or telephone the antitrust division (1-888-647-3258).

Pate cited such illegal activities as bid rigging, price fixing and market allocation agreements to boost profits. The Federal Trade Commission, which has jurisdiction over civil violations in fuel marketing, also is monitoring daily gasoline prices, he said.

That's the big plan to stop gouging? Rely on the public? Maybe an episode of America's Most Wanted could help out, too. And I, average Joe Citizen, will undoubtedly run to a phone when I find out the local Cheveron has been involved in bid rigging. I have a plan to get the minimum wage guy behind the bulletproof plexiglass to reveal it all.

And that headline makes it sound like the White House is going to send them to their room without video games or something, doesn't it?