Jesse Ventura: Let's Boycott Gas Pumps

Gov. Jesse Ventura suggested Wednesday that Midwestern motorists take a one-day gas holiday.

Appearing on ABC TV's Good Morning America, Ventura said consumers should rebel against oil companies over high gas prices.

He said he would like to see everyone in the Midwest pick a day this summer and not buy gasoline.

"Nobody purchase a dime of gasoline, and throw that back at the oil companies for a change," he said.

Ventura said he thinks oil companies are to blame for high gas prices.

"I don't know if they're gouging or whether it was a case of bad management, but someone wasn't paying attention in the Midwest."

Ventura, who was in this northwestern Minnesota city as part of a two-day tour of the region, has resisted Republicans' urging him to call a special session to temporarily lift Minnesota's 20-cent-a-gallon gas tax. He is afraid lawmakers would open the session to other issues.

In a related story, President Clinton said Wednesday that the oil industry has to know ``we're running a serious investigation'' into soaring gasoline prices. He noted pump prices have dropped by about 8 cents a gallon since the Federal Trade Commission inquiry was ordered.

``We need a long-term energy policy'' to avoid recurring price spikes in the future, said the president, speaking at a White House press conference.

``Inherently there's nothing wrong'' with suspending all of part of the federal gasoline tax to ease prices," said the president, "but Congress would then have to deal with the impact of lost revenues on highway construction projects."