NDP Chair Jane Kleeb responded to the lack of any action and the irresponsible comments made by Gov. Pete Ricketts on high gas prices.
Ricketts said, among other things, that resuming leases to drill on federal land and reviving the Keystone XL pipeline (which was an export pipeline for tar sands not used for car fuel) would help relieve prices. He also failed to blame oil companies for taking record profits. Lastly, Ricketts refuses to take the one action he could have done at any moment — issue a state gas tax holiday.
“Gov. Ricketts could ease some pain of the global gas prices by calling a tax holiday at the pump,” Kleeb said. “Ricketts could also demand all gas stations require a 15% ethanol blend. Ricketts could also join Democrats in calling for an export ban to keep oil here in the USA. Ricketts could also pressure Big Oil to stop price gouging. Ricketts could set the record straight that the Keystone XL pipeline was an export project that was using eminent domain and would have carried tar sands, which is not used in car fuel. But no, instead of any meaningful action to help families, Ricketts performs a PR stunt.”
