Gas Station Owner Ordered To Raise Prices

Wisconsin Tells BP Owner Who Gave Discounts To Elderly To Boost Prices

(AP)  A service station that offered discounted gas to senior citizens and people supporting youth sports has been ordered by the state to raise its prices.

Center City BP owner Raj Bhandari has been offering senior citizens a 2 cent per gallon price break and discount cards that let sports boosters pay 3 cents less per gallon.

But the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection says those deals violate Wisconsin's Unfair Sales Act, which requires stations to sell gas for about 9.2 percent more than the wholesale price.

Bhandari said he received a letter from the state auditor last month saying the state would sue him if he did not raise his prices. The state could penalize him for each discounted gallon he sold, with the fine determined by a judge.

Bhandari, who bought the station a year ago, said he worries customers will think he stopped the discounts because he wants to make more money. About 10 percent of his customers had used the discount cards.

Dale Van Camp said he bought a $50 card to support the local youth hockey program. It would have saved him about $100 per year on gas, he said.

[politikz2]

Good for you, Bhandari!! It's good to know that some people still believe in treating others fair. Don't worry! One more year of Bush and his political thugs!!

[jjp735i]

One would think the state would be more concerned with how much the elderly could use the price break. The owner is the one giving up his profits to help, the state can't afford to allow this?

[govwatch-2009]

Just another sign of creeping communism.

[rhondam5]

I suppose if he was charging 2 cents more per gallon to the Senior Citizens they wouldn't have said a thing! What a shame that business owners can't help the people in their community that choose to patronize them. I don't see what this man did wrong....he was essentially giving them his own money! This country and world would be a lot better place if there were more people like Mr. Bhandari out there.

[ander241]

I miss the price wars of my 1960's. Not sure if they were in effect before I started driving. But, it was great to drive to the cheapest, sometimes it was across the street. An entire street would keep changing to keep up with the discounted prices of their neighbors stations.

To hell with Fare Consumer Forced Prices!

[prcdr]

For your information the Governor and Legislature are Democrats...

[aa1234569]

Nobody can tell him what to charge.If the state gets their sales tax's then tell the state to kiss off.

[liondoctr]

Darkmeat 4, what is with the analagy you're using with a mongoloid? For your information that is the terrible term used for someone with Downs Syndroms, and since my niece has Downs it just seems to be a huge insult to ANYONE with Downs with your implication. In the future please be more careful with your discriptive comments, you hurt the wrong people.

[liondoctr]

Darkmeat 4, what is with the analagy you're using with a mongoloid? For your information that is the terrible term used for someone with Downs Syndrome, and since my niece has Downs it just seems to be a huge insult to ANYONE with Downs with your implication. In the future please be more careful with your discriptive comments, you hurt the wrong people.

[CBSTV]

Help me to understand this. Why does the Wisconsin government have the authority to determine gasoline prices? Even if some "crazy" person wants to buy a product and sell it for below cost, is it any business of the law?

[liondoctr]

Darkmeat 4, what is with the analagy you're using with a mongoloid? For your information that is the terrible term used for someone with Downs Syndrome, and since my niece has Downs it just seems to be a huge insult to ANYONE with Downs with your implication. In the future please be more careful with your discriptive comments, you hurt the wrong people.

[jolsonbear]

I'm sure there are many people who are not elderly or don't support youth sports that need the discount as much as (more than in some cases) these special interest groups. This particular law is designed not just to keep the business owner from discrimanatley offering discounts but to prevent businesses from gouging customers as well. It is not communism---under communist rule the state would determine how much fuel (if any) a person is entitled to per week. This man can legally offer these discounts if he charged the 10% above wholesale for regular customers and the 9.2% above wholesale price for discount customers---Walmart has a similar program in many states where you buy a prefilled cash card for gas purchases in the store and get a 2cent discount at the pump. But everyone is eligible for the sdiscount.

[jolsonbear]

I'm sure there are many people who are not elderly or don't support youth sports that need the discount as much as (more than in some cases) these special interest groups. This particular law is designed not just to keep the business owner from discrimanatley offering discounts but to prevent businesses from gouging customers as well. It is not communism---under communist rule the state would determine how much fuel (if any) a person is entitled to per week. This man can legally offer these discounts if he charged the 10% above wholesale for regular customers and the 9.2% above wholesale price for discount customers---Walmart has a similar program in many states where you buy a prefilled cash card for gas purchases in the store and get a 2cent discount at the pump. But everyone is eligible for the discount.

[demssuck]

This isn't the Bush administration or anyone other than the State of Wisconsin being in bed with the oil companies. THE STATE of Wisconsin dictates what the gas stations can charge. When they change the prices, the gas station owner has 24 hours to change them or face trouble from the state. Plain and simple.

Quit bashing those who have no control over something like this.

Mr. Bhandari is to be commended for actually caring about people in his community. There aren't many like him out there these days. This country can certainly use more people like him.

[rushman71]

I remember when I was young, back in the late 70's, when the price of gas was below a dollar, and cars would be lined up at the gas station onto the roadway. The same around the year 2000 (I could be wrong on the exact year) when there was too much gas produced so the gas dropped from $1.29 all the way down to $.91 at a few gas stations. That was approx. 7 years ago. There was as much conflict around the world at that time as there is now, but these top guys feel as though they are walking on egg shells. So what do they do: Raise the value of oil, looking forward to a bigger proffit, a much bigger proffit. And for who: Themselves.

[jumkey]

Actually, "DemsSuck" it is completely and totally the fault of our big oil toady president Dimwit.

If he wasn't in the back pocket of the oil companies who are gouging consumers there wouldn't be a need for any discount all.

Oh, and since I'm not a Democrat I don't know if they "suck" or not but I do know Republicans are crooks and liars.

[grazinggoat]

Price control in a free market is quite weird. It's insain and should not be enforced. Someone to contest this ruling it somehow got to be unconstitutional.

-What about penalizing the JCPenney and WalMarts for reducing prices while making big store sales?

[rushman71]

I remember when I was young, back in the late 70's, when the price of gas was below a dollar, and cars would be lined up at the gas station onto the roadway. The same around the year 2000 (I could be wrong on the exact year) when there was too much gas produced so the gas dropped from $1.29 all the way down to $.91 at a few gas stations. That was approx. 7 years ago. There was as much conflict around the world at that time as there is now, but these top guys feel as though they are walking on egg shells. So what do they do: Raise the value of oil, looking forward to a bigger proffit, a much bigger proffit. And for who: Themselves.

[mitch0927]

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Oil prices sank over $1 Wednesday after a government report said supplies of gasoline, closely watched ahead of the summer driving season and running below average, rose for the first time in 13 weeks.

A big jump in crude supplies also helped send U.S. light crude for June delivery $1.36 lower, to $60.90 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Oil had traded down about 6 cents just prior to the report's release.


U.S. crude prices (in blue) have fallen over the last month, while oil company stocks, as measured by the AMEX oil and gas index (in yellow), have gained.
Special Reportfull coverage

Feds boost summer gas price forecast
Oil sinks as gasoline supplies finally rise
Dems attack Big Oil's 'obscene profits'
Get ready for $4 gasoline
Video More video





In its weekly inventory report, the Energy Information Administration said gasoline supplies rose by 400,000 barrels last week. Analysts were looking for a gain of 100,000 barrels, according to Reuters.

[gunnerv1]

politikz2 Neither Bush or the Whithouse Admin. had anything to do with this. Wisconsin is a wholly Democrat State. Get your S*h*i*t in one sock and try not to put in on!

[demssuck]

jumkey, check the law in the state of WI. I have family there and have experienced this first hand. The White House has nothing to do with the price-fixing in Wisconsin. The state of WI does. Do your homework.

[mitch0927]

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Oil prices sank over $1 Wednesday after a government report said supplies of gasoline, closely watched ahead of the summer driving season and running below average, rose for the first time in 13 weeks.

A big jump in crude supplies also helped send U.S. light crude for June delivery $1.36 lower, to $60.90 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Oil had traded down about 6 cents just prior to the report's release.


U.S. crude prices (in blue) have fallen over the last month, while oil company stocks, as measured by the AMEX oil and gas index (in yellow), have gained.
Special Reportfull coverage

Feds boost summer gas price forecast
Oil sinks as gasoline supplies finally rise
Dems attack Big Oil's 'obscene profits'
Get ready for $4 gasoline
Video More video





In its weekly inventory report, the Energy Information Administration said gasoline supplies rose by 400,000 barrels last week. Analysts were looking for a gain of 100,000 barrels, according to Reuters.

[mo005]

I commend you sir for trying to do what your state won't let you do. That is to try and lower the cost on your end. Wisconsin has to make the profit off the gas so they can have solid oak or cherry desks in those over priced offices the sleep in.

[cbse3]

GO TO GASBUDDY.COM AND SET UP YOUR OWN HISTORICAL GAS, OIL STATE PRICE AVERAGE, YOUR CITY AVG AND THE NATIONAL AVERAGE AND THE PRICE OF CRUDE.

I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE EXCUSE OF THE DAY AND WHAT EVER ELSE THAT CORRSPONDS TO EACH SPIKE ALONG THE 6 YEAR TREND GRAPH

[mo005]

jumkey: Hate to burst your bubble bubba, But all politicians are crooks and liars. I hope you folks don't actually belive that going back to democrates are going to make it hunky dory. They are a bunch of fu--ups just like the rebublicans are and so on and so on. For them selves by the people.

[cbse3]

GASBUDDY.COM ALSO HAS A CHAT/COMMENTS SECTION ALONG WITH FINDING THE LOWEST GAS PRICE LOCATION IN YOUR AREA. MANY OF THE COMMENTSAND INFO IS FIRST RATE

[factchecker]

The law in question is actually a good thing for small station owners. If there were no regulations preventing large corporate owned gas stations from charging less, they would be able to push independent owners out of the business. You'd end up with monopolies, and at the end there would be higher prices all around. There should be an exception in the law for charitable discounts like the ones mentioned in this article. No such exception exists, and so the state is bound to enforce the law as it is written.

[jester188]

Just goes to show you who's side the government is really on... they only care about your money and your vote.... other than that they could give a rats *** about you....

you vote them in... they spend your money on steak dinners... expensive hotels... and easy women.... and you struggle to make ends meet....

WOW.... who steals from who here

[cbse3]

HEY M0 005
GLAD TO SEE SOMEONE ELSE THAT RECGONIZES HOW OUR POLITICIANS IN BOTH PARTIES ARE LEAVING .......
WE THE PEOPLE .....HOLD A BAG FULL OF C*R*A*P. WHAT IS IT GONNA TAKE FOR WTP TO FORCE THE VALUES THAT FOUNDED OUR COUNTRY, BACK ON THE POLITICIANS

[farmer371]

I thought this was a FREE country!!!!

[hhusted]

There seems to be no doubt we live in a greedy, commercialized, fascist society where the government is only concerned for its own interests and not of its people. This guy should sue the state of Wisconsin for civil rights violations.

[cbse3]

IT WOULD ALSO BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT THE AVERAGE HOUSE HOLD ENERGY % TO GROSS HOUSEHOLD INCOME IS. THAT'S TAKING ELEC, HEAT OIL, NAT GAS, ELEC AND VEHICLE GAS............MINE IS 26% OR $725 PER MO. LETS SEE HOW PEOPLE REALLY START RAISING H*E*L*L WHEN YOUR ENERGY % PUSHES INTO THE HIGH 30% WHAT ARE YOU READY TO GIVE UP FOR ENERGY........FOOD, MEDS, INSURANCE, GO DELIQUENT IN OTHER BILLS,..............IT'S NOT A PRETTY PICTURE.

[bill1fj]

This is just nuts.
Government run amok.
Vote those politicians out of office next election.
In fact if its possible to do a recall, as in some states, start the petitions.

[mscientist]

Yet more government meddling disguised as "protecting the little guy". I get the feeling we are getting "protected" right out of our freedom.

[random_radar]

"I thought this was a FREE country!!!!
Posted by farmer371 at 04:36 PM : May 09, 2007"

It is a free country, but freedom has its price--and you can't get a discount apparently...

[susanhelit]

Yeah, I know what this law is doing. The usual routine, without this law is that you'll have a bunch of big name gas stations, selling gas at 20 cents over wholesale - a ripoff, but you've got no other options. So, an independent moves in, and sells at a fair price - let's say 10 cents over wholesale.

The big name gas stations - they've got money in the bank, so they run the little guy out of business, selling gas at 10 cents under wholesale (losing money) if that's what it takes - then when he's gone, they can go back to 20 cents (or more) over wholesale, and you are back to no choice but to buy from them.

[rudy654-2009]

What's interesting is that these gas companies can price gouge as much as they want, but small independent businesses can't charge less. It's either a gouging or nothing. Either way you lose.

[oleander8]

This law explains why we haven't had a good, old-fashioned gas war since the 60's. For those too young to remember - gas stations used to slash prices to get customers from their competitors. They were a lot of fun for the consumers.

And then the big gas companies would cut their prices below wholesale and drive independants out of business. Don't see many (any) mom and pop stations anymore. Thank the oil companies.

[lastdance2]

Broken and non working, oil refineries.

This is just a tactic in order to bust : " The oil workers Union"

Oil bosses explain :
The Union members, make too much money.
There are too many safety restrictions, placed upon them by the Union.

The oil bosses will claim : they need to hire a larger contingency of
repair workers - but - have no time to train them.

They will hire people, at lower wages and less health benefits.

There was a time, when the workers, of this nation : "Prospered."
Everyone - rode the back, of wage and benefit packages earned by :

The United Steel Workers Union.
The United Auto Workers Union.
The United Teamsters Truckers Union.
The United Mine Workers Union.

There was one (1) wage earner in the family.
Mother - raised the children.
The family unit was : Intact.

No more - -

When those jobs, left the United States.
Nothing replaced them ! !

When that wage and benefit package left.
The tax base of the : "Internal Revenue Service" also left.

Research :
Sen. Prescott Bush (Guardian Unlimited)
(copy and paste google)

The first thing " Hitler" did - when he came to power.
Was to : Have the labor unions : "Banned"

If the Nazis - had won World War II.
There would have been a different : Dictator - Bush - in the White House.

The White House would be in Texas - Not - Washington DC

It is not a matter of politics.
It is however - a matter of the :"Ideology"
That the dictates, the mind style of : That Political Party

Lastdance

[lastdance2]

Broken and non working, oil refineries.

This is just a tactic in order to bust : " The oil workers Union"

Oil bosses explain :
The Union members, make too much money.
There are too many safety restrictions, placed upon them by the Union.

The oil bosses will claim : they need to hire a larger contingency of
repair workers - but - have no time to train them.

They will hire people, at lower wages and less health benefits.

There was a time, when the workers, of this nation : "Prospered."
Everyone - rode the back, of wage and benefit packages earned by :

The United Steel Workers Union.
The United Auto Workers Union.
The United Teamsters Truckers Union.
The United Mine Workers Union.

There was one (1) wage earner in the family.
Mother - raised the children.
The family unit was : Intact.

No more - -

When those jobs, left the United States.
Nothing replaced them ! !

When that wage and benefit package left.
The tax base of the : "Internal Revenue Service" also left.

Research :
Sen. Prescott Bush (Guardian Unlimited)
(copy and paste google)

The first thing " Hitler" did - when he came to power.
Was to : Have the labor unions : "Banned"

If the Nazis - had won World War II.
There would have been a different : Dictator - Bush - in the White House.

The White House would be in Texas - Not - Washington DC

It is not a matter of politics.
It is however - a matter of the :"Ideology"
That the dictates, the mind style of : That Political Party

Lastdance

[jacksteen1]

BOYCOTT WISCONSIN !

Let these filthy farmers eat their own cheese and sausage - and choke on it.

[merrillscks]

I live in Merrill and I wanted to take the time to tell Mr. Bhandari keep up what your good work. It is not you it is the city and state that you live in, they are flawed. I think his program was a great idea. But if memory serves it was going on long before he owned his gas station. Why is the state having a problem with this now? Is someone in the local community forcing this to be an issue by reporting this to the state? I hate to say it, I feel there is something is rotten in Merrill!

[merrillscks]

I live in Merrill and I wanted to take the time to tell Mr. Bhandari keep up what your good work. It is not you it is the city and state that you live in, they are flawed. I think his program was a great idea. But if memory serves it was going on long before he owned his gas station. Why is the state having a problem with this now? Is someone in the local community forcing this to be an issue by reporting this to the state? I hate to say it, I feel there is something is rotten in Merrill!

[tomster1960]

I guess I will mark Wisconsin off of my summer vacation tour. It looks like their state government is shooting theirself in the foot.

[edjohn66]

Let's not forget who the real enemy is: Big Oil and their supporters in D.C.

Wisconsin's law is designed to keep prices at the pump fair and equal.

Its not the owners of the individual gas stations that are getting rich off of $3/gal gas prices. Don't hate them, and don't hate the states that regulate them.

If we really want to hurt Big Oil, then buy smaller cars and move closer to work! Boycotting Wisconsin (whatever that means) won't do anything to solve the problem.

[aretham]

don't buy gas on the 15th!!!....

[rushman71]

lastdance2: Eventhough I am a Republican supporter, I totally respect and agree with what you brought up. Those were true remarks about the labor unions. I regret voting for Bush in 2000, and to tell ya the truth, I DID vote for John Kerry in 2004.
The gas prices slowly trickled in an upward fashion the first few years of his presidency, then doubled around the beginning of his second term. If a Democrat wins, which I have no doubt will win, I hope the number one issue to focus on getting back in order is the gas prices down to $1.50 range or less. The price of oil per barrel no more than $20. Remember the good ol' days.

[demssuck]

Big Oil works for themselves. If you think one political party or the other is the only one in their pocket, think again. ALL politicians are corrupt and if they aren't going in, congress (DEMS AND REPUBS, SOCIALISTS, LIBERTARIANS, etc.) will turn them rather quickly.

Start voting these idiots out of office and MAYBE you'll see a change. Don't hold your breath though, you'll turn blue.

[aretham]

don't buy gas on the 15th!!!....

[klgw74]

Why is it OK for Wal-Mart, Ingles, and Kroger to discount gas and not this guy? We have got to stop allowing, nay requiring, our governments to control us. We the people are supposed to be governing ourselves. We have given them too much power.