A Bowling Green man is asking Kentucky's top law enforcement officer to investigate why gas prices in the city are always 20 to 40 cents higher than in surrounding communities.
Edward Caston, a retired businessman, says he's not against businesses making a profit, but he thinks Bowling Green residents are being treated unfairly. Caston has gathered more than 25,000 signatures on a petition and believes that's enough to warrant the attorney general's attention.
"I'm gonna ask him if he wants ten thousand or 20,000 names. We'll just take our time and get the names," says Caston. "We want an investigation. "We want to know why and how they can get away with this for so many years."
Economists contend that price variations are are not necessarily indicative of price-gouging or price fixing.
Caston plans to deliver the petition to Attorney General Jack Conway's office on Wednesday.
The AG's office investigated gas prices statewide in 2008 and concluded that Marathon Petroleum has a monopoly on the wholesale gasoline market in Kentucky, which has led to higher prices. The study did not look specifically at Bowling Green.
The attorney general forwarded the investigation to the Federal Trade Commission, which took no action. The FTC was recently asked again to look at the findings.
