Energy

Katrina’s Aftermath – Energy Profits Likely to Keep Rising;

September 8, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Industry executives and analysts expect refiners' gains to continue to be strong into next year.</h3><p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica, said the industry hasn't built new refineries in decades and otherwise keeps supplies low, "so every disaster means a big hike in profits. The Congress and the statehouse need to focus on regulating [fuel] supplies in the same way they regulate electricity supplies," he said.</p>

BLACK-GOLD BLUES: Big Oil’s secret strategy to gush profits exposed;

September 8, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Memos purportedly show refiners sought to limit ops to spike price of gasoline</h3><p class="source">WorldNetDaily</p> <p>"Large oil companies have for a decade artificially shorted the gasoline market to drive up prices," said Jamie Court, president of the FTCR, who successfully fought to keep Shell Oil from needlessly closing its Bakersfield, Calif., refinery this year. "Oil companies know they can make more money by making less gasoline. Katrina should be a wakeup call to America that the refiners profit widely when they keep the system running on empty."</p>

Oil profiteers employing slick tactics

September 4, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The Denver Post</p> <p>Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, said the explanation for the high prices is right there in the oil companies' quarterly reports. It's the result of "huge profiteering."</p>

GAS PRICE PROBE OPENS;

September 3, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>ATTORNEY GENERAL TO INVESTIGATE SKYROCKETING PUMP COSTS</h3><p class="source">The Daily News of Los Angeles</p> <p>"The oil companies have rigged the system to always be operating in disaster mode,'' said Jamie Court, FTCR's president. "When a real disaster hits, the public can see that is what's really happening. They're doing it because they can. The problem is, the station owner is caught in the middle. This investigation has to be on the oil companies' roles in setting the price for the dealers.''</p>

California drivers worried about gouging at the pump;

September 3, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Cost per gallon has jumped 8 cents on average since storm</h3><p class="source">The San Francisco Chronicle</p> <p>"Hurricane Katrina will only increase the probability of profiteering and should be a wakeup call to legislators," said Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights -- California. The organization's report argues that oil companies have exported refined gasoline from California well before the hurricane to keep prices high.</p>

A Snappy Retort, but No Relief at the Pump

September 3, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>The profiteering was actually well underway before Katrina, according to Jamie Court of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. He claims that the oil industry manipulates the market by keeping gasoline production low so prices will stay high. "Katrina will only increase the probability of profiteering and should be a wake-up call to legislators," said Court, who called for a consumer rebate to kick in during times of windfall profits that result from price gouging.</p>

Price-gouging suspicions grow

September 2, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The San Diego Union-Tribune (California)</p> <p>The Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights also said it has completed a study that found more than 90 percent of the run-up in California prices this year had gone to corporate profits, not to higher costs of production.</p>

California measure would give state price-cap power

September 2, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Platts Oilgram News</p> <p>"The continued failure of California officials to compel refiners to create more refining capacity and increase inventories will result in gasoline prices rising to $4 per gallon relatively soon," stated Tim Hamilton, an analyst for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica. "The system is rigged for price spikes and the refiners know it."</p>

California attorney general to probe possible gas-price gouging

September 2, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Associated Press</p> <p>The Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights said the retail price of gas often is set by oil companies, which is where the group said Lockyer should focus his investigation. "Oil companies that provide gasoline to stations set the wholesale price, and if those stations have to pay more then it's the oil company who is gouging,'' foundation president Jamie Court said.</p>

North County motorists prepare for more gas prices increases

September 2, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">North County Times (Escondido, California)</p> <p>Feeding the speculation of profiteering was a report issued Thursday by another advocacy group, the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights California. That report claims profiteering and government failure to respond were responsible for the rise in gas prices in California in the months leading up to Hurricane Katrina.</p>

Not Yes, Not No, Not Even a Maybe

August 29, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Some legislators choose to abstain rather than vote. It's all about power -- or political cover.</h3><p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Abstentions so annoy one group, the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica, that it has drafted a ballot initiative that would withhold the pay of lawmakers on days when they don't vote. "If I came to my job and a third of the time didn't do what I was supposed to, I wouldn't have a job," said foundation President Jamie Court, who hopes to put the initiative on the ballot next year.</p>

Gas price regulation debate intensifies

August 28, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Charleston Gazette (West Virginia)</p> <p>The Service Station Dealers of America agree, saying wholesalers are limiting competition and thus pushing prices higher. "Fuel is basically a commodity, almost something that should be regulated by the public services commissions, because there is no other product out there that so many consumers depend on," said Paul Fiore, the group's executive vice president.</p>