Mr. Speaker, my office has been flooded with calls because the price of propane has more than doubled since August. Desperate seniors have contacted me to ask how they will afford to pay for heat with their fixed incomes. Some northern farmers are still struggling to dry whatever damp grain they manage to harvest. Those who depend on propane are now spending $100 per week to heat their homes, with further increases predicted.
People believe these hikes represent the gouging of a captive market by the big gas companies. Propane is a byproduct of natural gas production, yet we have not seen a similar doubling of natural gas prices.
Producers say there is a shortage because of a fire in one plant in Mexico. Is this credible? With no adequate explanation or justification from the industry, consumers view these increases as extortion. Reform believes in the operation of a free market but it is free only when there is no price fixing and when anti-combines legislation is effectively enforced.