$4 a Gallon?! (MoveOn Petition to Make Gas Price Gouging a Crime)

[Triana]

Dear MoveOn member,

As of yesterday, gas prices are the highest in U.S. history—we just passed the 1981 record, even adjusted for inflation.1 Prices could reach $4.00 per gallon in parts of the country, just in time to crimp summer vacation plans. As consumers suffer, the oil industry continues to reap the windfall—breaking profit records on an almost quarterly basis. It's outrageous!

Enough is enough. Hearings start today on H.R. 1252, a House bill that would make gas price gouging a federal crime, punishable by 10 years in prison. Speaker Pelosi has said she'll move the bill to a vote this week—if there's the two-thirds majority required to fast track the bill through the process.2

Oil company lobbyists are frantically trying to stop the bill. Your representative needs to hear from you today. Will you sign our petition asking Congress to pass the price-gouging bill—and then send it to your friends?

"Gasoline price gouging should be made a federal crime before the summer price increases hurt more American families."

Clicking here will add your name:

http://pol.moveon.org/stoppricegouging/

Rep Bart Stupak (D-MI), sponsor of the House bill said this of his motivation to introduce the legislation:

"In April ... crude oil was $7 a barrel cheaper than last year (but) gas prices were almost 50 cents a gallon higher. Clearly there's more at play than simply the world crude oil market."3

In April, more than two-thirds of Americans reported that their gas bills were causing financial crunches, with a full third saying it was having a "serious" impact on their families.4

That same month, the top two US companies, Exxon-Mobil and Chevron-Texaco, announced a combined $14 billion in first quarter profits.5

It seems like even the oil industry has gone too far this time, and it's time to balance the scales. The Senate passed a price-gouging measure out of committee last week, and the House bill now has over 100 co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle.

The oil industry is nervous. They've sent their lobbyists to the Hill in full force to stop—or at least weaken—these bills, and they're pulling out all the stops. The American Petroleum Institute, an industry front group of more than 400 oil and gas companies, even threatened that new laws could increase gas prices more.6

Enough is enough. This summer, we can stop Big Oil from profiting at the expense of American families. Can you sign the petition to ask your representative to make gasoline a price gouging a federal crime now?
Clicking here will add your name:

http://pol.moveon.org/stoppricegouging/

Don't forget to pass it on to your friends—this week is an historic opportunity to send Big Oil a message that we've had enough.

Thanks for all you do.

–Ilyse, Natalie, Eli, Tom, and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Tuesday, May 22nd, 2007

Sources:

1. "U.S. gas prices jump more than 11 cents," Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 21, 2007
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=2595&id=10386-6758813-DPR5jc&t=5

2. "Debate on , offered by Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Bart Stupak, D-Mich., will kick off Tuesday with a hearing in Stupak's subcommittee. It is possible that an Energy and Commerce markup will follow. But Democratic leaders might opt to bring the bill up to the floor under suspension of House rules by Wednesday."
Excerpted from National Journal's Congress Daily, Monday, May 21, 2007

3. "Lawmaker Links Gas Prices to Investments," Houston Chronicle, May 16, 2007 http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/4810598.html

4. "As Gas Prices Rise Again, Democrats Blame Big Oil," Washington Post, May 11, 2007 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=2591&id=10386-6758813-DPR5jc&t=6

5. "Lawmaker Links Gas Prices to Investments," Houston Chronicle, May 16, 2007 http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/4810598.html

6. "Lawmakers' blood pressure rises with prices at the pump," TheHill.com, May 17, 2007 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=2586&id=10386-6758813-DPR5jc&t=7

PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

[gravity]

1. How do you know it's gouging?

Market forces can explain the prices

[AnneD]

2. Because....

if market forces were at work-my nursing wages wouldn't have been flat as long as they have.

When you charge 10 cents more for the same gas on Monday that is in the same tank on Sunday......you are gouging. If you get more gas and it costs more and you have to charge more, THAT is market forces.

Don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining.

[Triana]

3. "Don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining." - LOVE that phrase!

Hahahaaaa! Good one. :)

[gravity]

4. The prices aren't set by guys in a smokey room

They are set by supply and demand, and with the refinery shortages and the anticipation of increase travel for the holidays, prices are going to go up

[AnneD]

10. Of course they will go up for those reasons.....

But I will repeat it again.....When you go up 10 cents for the same gas in the same tank...that is price gouging. At the moment, we have price gouging (I worked in the industry and my dad owned stations at one time).

I comparison shop-even on gas. I have saved as much as 25 cents per gallon of gas or more. I do a shopping trip while there and it is worth the trip. I paid 2.79 at my last fill up a week ago. I know I will have to pay a bit more the next time around-but I work for the school so my gas needs will drop dramatically by the end of this week.

If I didn't know better, I'd say you worked for the industry. I don't buy most of those horse shit excuses. Most folks I know are cutting back on their driving and curtailing all but the most necessary of trips. I have noticed less traffic during the weekdays (my resturant friends are reporting a drop in business during weekdays). Of course you have some numbnuts out acting like fools-but the drives are less conjested now-even on the freeways.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

13. If it were a supply and demand issue...

why are the oil companies making record profits?

[gravity]

14. Because supply can't keep up with demand

With peak oil on the horizon, and developing countries like India and China growing faster than ever, the demand for oil is greater than what we can supply.

On the domestic side, the we are having refinery problems at the moment. While it could be price gouging, it could just a likely be legitimate problems. Part of this could just be panic, which is causing the price to be irrationally high at the moment.

It's hard to tell right now, and there could be price gouging, but there are many other explanations for the high gas prices. Most big businesses are just as concerned about the gas prices as we are, so these problems are bound to be addressed pretty soon.

[Triana]

19. They'll be addressed when the OIL INDUSTRY isn't running our gov't (n/t)

[DefenseLawyer]

23. Supply can't keep up with demand?

Where are those gas lines? I must have missed all the "No Gas Today" signs. When is the last time you wanted to buy gasoline but couldn't due to a lack of supply? Put the kool-aid down and step away.

[gravity]

24. Well it's keeping up barely thanks to the high prices

[Triana]

17. Bingo! (n/t)

[Skidmore]

5. Conyers just brought a bill up on the floor for a "NOPEC,"

trying to make OPEC answerable to US laws. * has said he'll veto it.

[gravity]

6. And how are we going to enforce that?

Team American world police style?

[Skidmore]

9. Don't know but lotsa Republics are speechifying for it. So maybe they

can put up a bill against the US oil companies for gouging next and the Republics will run to jump on that train.

[ComerPerro]

7. problem is, though, you won't fully be able to prove gouging

[jdlh8894]

8. Have you ever seen

a tanker at a filling station? It costs that driver(usually independent)as much to fill up his(300 gallon) tank as much as it does us.Is he or the people that loaded the tanker not supposed to get paid?

[NightWatcher]

11. no more fucking petitions

let's way these out...a few thousand signatures vs. a few corporations who make billions in pure profit each fiscal quarter.

who will win? (duh)

[Triana]

15. SO. What is your suggestion to fix this problem? (n/t)

[gravity]

16. Use less gas

[Triana]

18. boycotts don't work and...

.. a WHOLE LOT of people ARE using less gas and still the price and profits RISE.

[NightWatcher]

21. we cant fix it. it's rigged

the big business owns the big government and we are little people until we unite to form a big group of pitchfork weilding citizens on Pennsylvania Avenue.

[Triana]

22. Yep...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=938694&mesg_id=939489

[Dukkha]

12. only if the crime is punishable by death

That is what it will take to stop these criminals.

[dogday]

20. No excuse for these Oil Companies to be charging this much

They have billions in quarterly profits and they can't seem to build new refineries or fix the ones that were damaged.... Why don't they produce more in the off months to compensate for the high prices.. I will tell you why, they want to charge this much that simple....

[Boxturtle]

25. Congress needs to pass a law mandating fleet averages of

40 mpg. This can be done with current technology, but the auto companies are against it. This would help to prepare our nation for peak oil as well.