Energy ads beat up on the 1970s

[peejay 327]

Energy ads beat up on the '70s

In trying to steer policy, industry recalls lines at gas stations

By DAVID IVANOVICH

2007 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — The People of America's Oil and Natural Gas Industry (better known as the American Petroleum Institute) is running radio spots in Houston and other markets — warning about efforts in Congress to bring back "1970s-style energy taxes and gasoline price controls."

"Remember the '70s?" an actor intones in the velvety-smooth voice of an oldies DJ, as R&B instrumental music plays in the background. "Mood rings ... disco ... bad hair ... synthetic clothing ... and long lines at the gas station."

"It's a real blast from the past ... a past we thought was just a very bad memory."

The ads exhort listeners to "tell Congress to leave relics like gasoline price controls and policies that discourage domestic energy development where they belong, back in the 1970s."

The radio ads are part of a media campaign the trade group is funding, hoping to swat down calls for a new windfall profits tax on the oil industry and at fending off legislation to make price gouging at the pump a federal crime.

While windfall profits tax proposals have gone virtually nowhere on Capitol Hill, the House did pass a price gouging bill sponsored by Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., last month.

A Senate panel has signed off on somewhat different price gouging legislation, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has indicated that language will be part of a broad energy bill the Senate will take up later this month.

"We realize there is the energy debate going on, and we just want to provide facts," said Erin Thomson, API's director of communications.

Stupak spokesman Alex Haurek argued that "when Big Oil is so scared they start running ads attacking Congressman Stupak's price gouging legislation, you know that the Congressman is on to something.

"Rather than setting up front groups and spending thousands of dollars on scare tactics and deceptive advertising, API and the oil industry should focus on lowering gas prices," he said.

Asked why the ads are attributed to "The People of America's Oil and Natural Gas Industry" rather than to the American Petroleum Institute directly, Thomson said: "This is just our way to humanize the industry."

Besides Houston, the ads are being aired in a number of other major markets, including New York, Boston and here in Washington.

The trade group also has been running newspaper ads on energy issues in the Houston Chronicle and other major newspapers, as well as television ads across the country.

Thomson would not disclose the cost of the media blitz, but she noted it was part of a "multi-year, multi-million-dollar effort."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headli...iz/4853164.html

[GaryC 7]

I was a driver during the 70's and I remember the chaos. Price controls in a free market world never work. It always ends up with shortages and higher prices. We may be able to control the price in America but we can't change what the rest of the world does. In the end it just makes things worse.