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Old 11-02-2005, 06:44 PM
BCPVP BCPVP is offline
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Default My Governor is a Moron

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"Gov. Jim Doyle said Tuesday that he plans to use the state's consumer protection law to subpoena oil company executives to answer questions about oil company profits after recent hurricanes.

"We will issue subpoenas to the executives of the big oil companies and demand that they appear in Wisconsin to explain how they can justify making enormous profits in the wake of a national tragedy," Doyle said.

The Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection administrative hearing, planned for Dec. 1 in Milwaukee, will focus on the effect energy costs are having on Wisconsin residents' ability to pay for gasoline and winter heating bills.

Doyle called on the Federal Trade Commission and Congress to investigate rising gasoline prices after Hurricane Katrina. But his call comes as action on the issue is already under way in Washington. The commission announced an investigation in September, and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) called for hearings on oil industry profits and energy prices last week. That hearing is now scheduled for Nov. 9.

Oil industry representatives deny any wrongdoing in the price run-ups after the hurricanes.

"We're an easy target," said Erin Roth, executive director of the Wisconsin Petroleum Council. "The oil companies don't wake up in the morning and flip a switch on and say we'll gouge the public and then tomorrow I'll turn it off."

Roth said the petroleum industry will try to address concerns raised by Doyle but said the industry wants to avoid duplicating its efforts, given the Senate hearing next week.

"We just don't want 50 states to be subpoenaing people when you're going to get the same answers that you're going to get out of Congress," Roth said. The oil industry, he added, has been investigated for price manipulation 40 times in the last 10 years and "never once has there been any finding of wrongdoing."

But Doyle said oil company executives should have to defend the sudden jumps in pricing, including 60 or more cents in one day in the price of regular unleaded, that followed the hurricanes, as well as their recent profit results, including an oil industry record of almost $10 billion reported by Exxon Mobil last week.

"Nobody's telling them they can't have good profits, but they don't have to have these record-breaking profits," Doyle said.

The announcement marked the latest in a series of energy-related announcements by Doyle, who is up for re-election next year.

In addition, several Democratic state lawmakers have said they plan to introduce bills relating to oil company profits.

Doyle supports a tax on oil industry profits, as well as legislation in Congress that would provide refunds to customers as they face home heating bills that are projected to be 40% to 50% higher than last winter.

Spokesman Dan Leistikow dismissed concerns that Doyle is grandstanding on the issue and said the governor is addressing one of the voters' top concerns.

"The governor thinks that people in Wisconsin have a right to some answers," he said. "And they have a right to see the oil companies show up in Wisconsin and address their concerns."

Doyle's office has received more than 400 complaints from Wisconsin residents about high gasoline and energy prices since August, Leistikow said.

That's in line with results of a recent Wisconsin Policy Research Institute-sponsored poll that found concern about gasoline prices is at an all-time high in the state.

The announcement prompted calls from Doyle's Republican opponents in next year's governor's race that he is taking on big oil for political reasons at a time when action is already under way at the federal level.

U.S. Rep. Mark Green of Green Bay, a candidate seeking the Republican nomination to challenge Doyle next year, said Doyle's attention on Washington is misplaced.

"It's fine the governor's calling to have the oil company executives testify, but once again, I wish he'd spend half his time looking into the mirror as he does looking into the TV cameras," he said. Green said Doyle could have helped Wisconsin consumers by supporting an end to the 3-cent gasoline tax to clean up polluted land and by not diverting $100 million in energy conservation funds to balance the state budget.

Similarly, Republican Scott Walker, the Milwaukee County executive who is also seeking the Republican nod to challenge Doyle, said Doyle's transfer of more than $400 million from the state's transportation fund means Wisconsin missed a chance to provide temporary relief from the state gas tax at a time when gasoline prices spiked.

Oil company executives are expected to attend the U.S. Senate hearing next week. As for whether they will come to Wisconsin, Roth said it depends upon whether Doyle will subpoena the top company executive. Representatives from several major oil companies couldn't be reached for comment.

"Sir John Browne is in London," Roth said of BP's chairman. "Wisconsin is a blip on an elephant's behind for him."

Similarly, Exxon Mobil Chairman Lee Raymond "won't even respond to heads of countries," Roth added. "I would hope that the governor will work with us to ensure that he gets the type of response he wants to, but to make sure it's a level that's appropriate."

Doyle's call for hearings was praised by a new coalition formed to promote the use of ethanol in Wisconsin.

"As Governor Doyle pointed out, questions remain about the actions of large, powerful oil companies," said Bill Oemichen, president and chief executive of the Wisconsin Federation of Cooperatives, a lead partner in the Wisconsin Ethanol Coalition."

Doyle's getting desperate since his poll numbers show he's losing to my man Mark Green. I would think this should boil the blood of the more libertarian/conservative. Is this not a pretty clear cut example of grandstanding?
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Old 11-02-2005, 06:59 PM
lehighguy lehighguy is offline
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Default Re: My Governor is a Moron

Oil price caps would be a great thing for the country, especially if implemented before a liberal administration took office. It would lead to a shortage, destroy the economy, and discredit government intervention in the market.
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Old 11-02-2005, 07:22 PM
BCPVP BCPVP is offline
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Default Re: My Governor is a Moron

All the damage done hasn't discredited it yet. Hell, even though FDR's New Deal probably lengthened the Depression, we're still stuck with gov't intervention and the Great Depression was about as close to a destroyed economy has we've gotten.
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