Dustin McDaniel Discusses High Gas Prices
By: Matt Turner
Updated: May 18, 2007
Arkansas' Attorney General Dustin McDaniel spoke to KNWA on the phone Friday regarding high gas prices in Northwest Arkansas. Here is a partial transcript of that interview:
Dustin McDaniel
"Gas prices are going up. We expect that in the summertime but because they were already high, they are just getting out of hand and Northwest Arkansas is feeling the pinch even more so than other parts of the state and part of that we have discovered is partially attributed to a local supply issue. There was a refinery fire in Oklahoma, but that's only one piece of the puzzle."
"I'm out of state today meeting with attorney's general from around the country and we're talking about a number of issues including gas prices and this is something that's being felt nationally. I think overall, our focus should not necessarily be on the gas stations or the wholesalers. This is a problem that we have seen increasingly in the past year as the power of the big oil companies has been more concentrated. Mergers that have been approved that have restricted competition and frankly a weak energy policy at the national level."
"We are evaluating the calls that come in. We are especially looking for any local price colluding issues and I intend to come to northwest Arkansas personally next week and speak with some of the people that have been making those calls and try to find any avenue that we can to first of all let the people of Northwest Arkansas know that we are aware of it and that we are doing all that we can but truly this is a global problem that's being felt even more intensely by the people of Northwest Arkansas than the rest of the state."
Dustin McDaniel
"Gas prices are going up. We expect that in the summertime but because they were already high, they are just getting out of hand and Northwest Arkansas is feeling the pinch even more so than other parts of the state and part of that we have discovered is partially attributed to a local supply issue. There was a refinery fire in Oklahoma, but that's only one piece of the puzzle."
"I'm out of state today meeting with attorney's general from around the country and we're talking about a number of issues including gas prices and this is something that's being felt nationally. I think overall, our focus should not necessarily be on the gas stations or the wholesalers. This is a problem that we have seen increasingly in the past year as the power of the big oil companies has been more concentrated. Mergers that have been approved that have restricted competition and frankly a weak energy policy at the national level."
"We are evaluating the calls that come in. We are especially looking for any local price colluding issues and I intend to come to northwest Arkansas personally next week and speak with some of the people that have been making those calls and try to find any avenue that we can to first of all let the people of Northwest Arkansas know that we are aware of it and that we are doing all that we can but truly this is a global problem that's being felt even more intensely by the people of Northwest Arkansas than the rest of the state."
