By Mark Scott
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wbfo/local-wbfo-817416.mp3
Buffalo, NY – US Senator Charles Schumer says he will press the new chair of the Federal Trade Commission to speed up an ongoing investigation into why Western New York had the highest gasoline prices in the nation last Fall. Schumer says he expects a new FTC chair will be in place by March 1st.
At a news conference outside a Mobil station at Wherle and Cayuga Drives Monday morning, New York's senior senator said he was not pleased with the response of the Bush Administration's FTC.
"What I believe is the investigation was not as deep and thorough. If you're not making it public, what's the point," Schumer said. "Furthermore, the history of this previous FTC was that they worshipped at the feet of the oil companies. They didn't go after them."
Schumer was joined by Congressman Brian Higgins, who announced in December that local retailers were making excessive profits on gasoline sales. Since then, the price of gas in Buffalo is more in line with national and statewide averages.
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