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KIND ADDRESSES GAS PRICES AT TOWN HALL MEETING
Tuesday, December 6th, 2005 -- 11:25 am
Posted by Riley Hebert-News Director
Oil industry execs were in Milwaukee Thursday for an administrative hearing exploring high gasoline and natural gas prices. In a nutshell, executives said supply and demand pressures in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita led to the record high prices in Wisconsin and elsewhere.
British Petroleum executive Nancy Carter said supplies were shut down while demand didn't decline.
U.S. Representative Ron Kind addressed the gas prices at a town hall meeting in Neillsville Thursday. Kind says it’s unclear if oil companies broke any laws as the price of gas rose to over three-dollars a gallon.
"We do know oil companies recorded their highest quarterly profit ever," Kind says.
And the La Crosse democrat says it seems the oil companies aren’t eager to help consumers.
"Now we've uncovered memos from these companies to take oil refineries off line, just to increase their profit margins," Kind says. "There's nothing illegal (about that), but it's certainly not going to help our energy needs."
Kind fielded questions on abortion, healthcare and the new Medicare Part D prescription drug program, which a few area residents complained was extremely confusing. He also discussed the war in Iraq, saying he doesn’t think an immediate pull-out is the correct route.
The lightest moment came when an area Native American resident told Kind he blamed America’s problems on his ancestors. When Christopher Columbus came to America, his people had extremely poor immigration policies.
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