[Vision2020] seattletimes.com: Poll: Nation split on response

[Pat Kraut]

This seems to mirror just what we see here on this site. Although I believe
that anyone who thinks this is price goughing just does not understand the
complex oil industry. It just isn't that simple.
PK

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <jeffh at moscow.com>
To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Sent: Monday, September 05, 2005 4:28 PM
Subject: [Vision2020] seattletimes.com: Poll: Nation split on response


This message was sent to you by jeffh at moscow.com,
as a service of The Seattle Times (http://www.seattletimes.com).

Comments from sender: As surmised some days ago, there will be blame to
spread around .....
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Poll: Nation split on response
Full story:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/hurricanekatrina/2002470789_katpoll04.html

By Richard Morin and Claudia Deane
The Washington Post



WASHINGTON -- An overwhelming majority of Americans believe oil and gas
companies are gouging consumers in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina but
offer mixed reviews of President Bush and the government's initial response
to the deadly storm, a Washington Post-ABC News poll shows.

The survey, conducted Friday night, found that 72 percent of respondents say
oil companies and gas suppliers have taken advantage of the emergency by
increasing gasoline prices, which spiked virtually overnight to $3 a gallon
or more in many areas. Eight in every 10 fault the government's response to
surging gas prices.

"We're pushing $3" a gallon, said John Snell, 63, a retired boiler operator
who lives in Fargo, N.D. "It's never been legitimate -- it's just an excuse
to raise prices. ... It's gouging, that's all it is."

The survey also found that Americans were sharply divided over the
performance of Bush and local, state and federal governments in the
aftermath of Monday's storm. Slightly less than half -- 46 percent -- 
approve of the way Bush has handled relief efforts while 47 percent
disapprove, a result that might offer some cheer to some beleaguered White
House staffers who feared a stronger negative reaction.

The early response received equally mixed reviews, with 48 percent rating
the federal effort as excellent or good and 51 percent saying it was not so
good or poor -- views deeply colored by party affiliation. According to the
poll, 68 percent of Democrats rated the government's performance as "not so
good" or "poor," while 66 percent of Republicans judged it to be "excellent"
or "good." This finding shows this national emergency has not united
Americans in the same way as did the Sept. 11 attacks.

Slightly more than four in every 10 say the government response revealed
serious problems in federal emergency preparedness overall. A majority (54
percent) disagreed.

A total of 501 randomly selected adults were interviewed after Bush visited
the Gulf Coast region and as National Guard troops, supplies and relief
workers began moving into New Orleans. The margin of sampling error is plus
or minus 4 percentage points.

Looking back at the devastation, two-thirds of respondents said the federal
government should have been better prepared to deal with a storm of this
size. A larger share -- three in every four -- was critical of state and
local governments.

While 46 percent said the deployment of troops and equipment to Iraq has
made it harder to deal with the storm, 49 percent said it had not had much
effect -- a split that mirrored the public's divided views on the war.

Many are questioning the wisdom of rebuilding sections of New Orleans, a
city where many neighborhoods are below sea level. Only half of those
interviewed -- 49 percent -- say the city should be rebuilt where it is but
with a stronger levee system. But nearly as many -- 43 percent -- say
low-lying areas should be abandoned, with those homes and businesses rebuilt
on higher ground. Because as much as 80 percent of the city lies below sea
level, such a radical step would mean many residents would not be able to
rebuild in the city.

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