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.

[popsecret25]

I thought that we lived in a free enterprise society, this law violates that premice. It should be up to the individual market owner to decied how much of a profit that he makes. I can see having caps on the price of gas to prevent gauging, but if an operator decides to discount the price to help out a local organisation or the elderly on fixed imcomes, he should have the right to do what he can to be more competitive.
I think he should be commended for what he is doing not penalized for doing something good for his fellow citizens. Maybe more operators should take a similar stand and not cave in to the rule of an unjust system. ( Or are the other operators of the area singling him out because he is middle eastern? ) just a thought.....

[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.

[aretham]

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

[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.

[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.

[aretham]

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

[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.

[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.

[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!

[jacksteen1]

BOYCOTT WISCONSIN !

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

[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

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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...

[mscientist]

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

[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.

[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.