Pain at the Pump

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: MONDAY 6:00 P.M. MAY 8, 2006

All references must be sourced WNBC/Marist Poll

Contact: Dr. Lee M. Miringoff

Dr. Barbara L. Carvalho

Marist College

845.575.5050

This WNBC/Marist Poll of New York State residents reports:

· Many New Yorkers expect the price of a gallon of gas to be nearly $4 by Memorial Day: New York State residents do not see any relief in gasoline prices by Memorial Day, the unofficial start of the summer season. Residents think a gallon of gas will cost on average $3.80. This is fueled by New York City residents who expect to see gas prices top $4 in the next few weeks.

Question Wording: What do you expect the cost of a gallon of gas will be by Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer?

NYS Residents	Cost Per Gallon
May 2006	$3.80
Region
Upstate	$3.63
New York City	$4.03
Suburbs	$3.70

· Who’s to blame? With plenty of blame to go around, many New York State residents point to the Bush Administration and U.S. oil companies as most responsible for soaring gas prices. Democrats and Independents are more likely to hold the President and his administration accountable for the gas crisis than are Republicans who see U.S. oil companies as the number one culprit.

Question Wording: What do you think is most to blame for the high cost of gas today:

	NYS Residents	Democrats	Independents	Republicans
The Bush Administration	36%	42%	43%	16%
U.S. oil companies	28%	28%	27%	37%
The situation in Iraq	16%	15%	14%	11%
OPEC	13%	11%	10%	23%
State and local taxes	7%	4%	6%	13%

· Regardless of whom New Yorkers blame, most think the hikes have been unfair: 82% of New York State residents believe the increase in the price of fuel is the result of price gouging, not the added costs incurred by U.S. oil companies passed on to consumers.

Question Wording: Do you think oil companies have been price gouging, that is setting prices unfairly or passing along added costs to consumers and setting prices fairly?

NYS Residents	Setting Prices Unfairly	Setting Prices Fairly
May 2006	82%	18%

· New Yorkers give mixed reviews to Congressional proposals for relief: Many New York State residents believe the one-time $100 fuel rebate, the suspension of environmental rules on gasoline blends, and the opening of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling are proposals that do not make sense for dealing with the current gas crisis. Adding new taxes to oil company profits, suspending the federal gas tax for two months, expanding tax credits for new hybrid cars, and expanding research for alternative fuels receive more positive reactions from residents.

Question Wording: Do you think each of the following proposals being debated in Washington to deal with the problem of rising gas prices makes sense or not:

NYS Residents	Makes Sense	Does Not
Give taxpayers a one-time $100 fuel cost rebate	35%	65%
Suspend environmental rules on gasoline blends	35%	65%
Open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge drilling	44%	56%
Add new taxes to oil company profits	56%	44%
Suspend 18.4 cent/gallon federal gas tax for 2 months	59%	41%
Expand tax credits for purchase of 2006 hybrid cars	70%	30%
Expand research for alternative fuels like ethanol	86%	14%

· Not surprisingly, this blue state thinks the Democrats are better able to develop an energy policy: 59% of New York residents are more likely to trust the Democrats than the Republicans to develop a sound energy plan.

Question Wording: Who do you trust more to develop a sound energy policy for the U.S.:

NYS Residents	Democrats	Republicans	Unsure
May 2006	59%	27%	14%
Party
Democrats	82%	11%	7%
Republicans	26%	62%	12%
Independents	55%	27%	18%

How the survey was conducted:

The survey of 726 residents was conducted May 1^st through May 5^th, 2006. Adults 18 years of age or older were interviewed by telephone in proportion to the adult population in each county in New York State. Results are statistically significant at ±4%. The error margin increases for cross-tabulations. Interviews were conducted in either English or Spanish.