Doyle launches online gas price petition

May 1, 2006

BROOKFIELD, Wis. (AP) - Gov. Jim Doyle urged Wisconsin residents on Monday to sign an online petition asking the federal government to do something about rising gas prices and oil companies' growing profits.

Doyle said all companies should have the right to make a fair profit, but oil companies are announcing record profits at a time when residents can least afford to pay around $3 for a gallon of gas.

"Oil companies made record profits in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The public outcry was enormous, yet their profits keep rising,'' Doyle said at a news conference at a gas station in the Milwaukee suburb of Brookfield. "I think that's unconscionable.''

Doyle, who's running for re-election this fall, launched the petition initiative with the state of Michigan. Doyle said he hopes people will use the Web site, www.lowergasprices.wi.gov, to send a message to Congress and oil companies that the profits are excessive.

Text of the online petition, addressed to President Bush, says in part, "Please insist that Congress put a bill on your desk by Memorial Day that caps corporate oil profits, supports lowering gas prices and protects consumers from further abuse.''

Doyle called on Bush and Congress to roll back the $10 billion in tax breaks that he said oil companies currently receive. He also urged Congress to figure out a way to return some of oil companies' excess profits to people across the country.

Doyle said it's up to Congress to determine what level of profits is considered excessive.

He criticized a congressional plan put forth by U.S. Senate Republicans last week to offer taxpayers a $100 rebate.

"It doesn't make sense. If the money's not coming from the oil companies, if it's coming from the government, then we're just sending money to ourselves,'' he said.

Bush said Friday there was "no evidence'' of price gouging of consumers. He has urged energy companies to expand refineries and natural gas pipelines and invest in renewable sources of energy.

Three oil companies, Chevron Corp., ConocoPhillips and Exxon Mobil Corp., recently announced they earned a combined $15.7 billion during the first three months of the year. That's a 17 percent increase over the same time last year.

The average price for a gallon of gas was about $2.94 Monday in Wisconsin, according to AAA.

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