Appeal for conscience

I filled up my gas tank today, and the price was $1.989. Does anybody believe that the high prices we experienced the last few years were from uncontrollable market conditions, or were we soaked by the oil industry people? I certainly cannot answer definitively, but I suspect it was the latter. It's indisputable that the California "energy crisis" was caused in large part by unscrupulous business practices. Desire for financial gain gets out of hand, and the addictive behaviors of corporate officers damages the health of our markets. Regulation provides minimal protection from the scoundrels intent on amassing wealth. We must also appeal to the conscience of the people in positions of financial power. How can the general populace ensure that the officers of industries conduct their business in a fair and reasonable manner? Certainly we must have thoughtful and effective rules. We must also build and maintain a sense of community in all our citizens. When the powerful gather at the Bohemian grove for their forays into hedonistic release, they engage in a ritual that "symbolizes that members are banishing the 'dull cares' of conscience." How can we convince those with power to begin a ritual to welcome the meaningful responsibilities of conscience, and to ban from their ranks those who lack a healthy conscience? Without people of healthy conscience in positions of influence and power, we cannot improve the human condition. This is a concept I'd like to hear daily in the dialogue of the nation.