Doyle's Gas Tax

Wisconsin residents aren't swallowing Gov. Jim Doyle's line that Big Oil would pick up the tab for his tax on the oil companies.

They are smart enough to know that they will be the ones paying at the pump for Doyle's tax increase.

Madison -- Four out of five Wisconsin residents polled think they -- and not oil companies -- would end up paying Gov. Jim Doyle's tax on oil companies through higher gasoline pump prices, a consulting firm said today.

A Wood Communications Group official, Kennan Wood, said his firm paid to survey 600 Wisconsin residents between May 29 and June 4 on whether they believe Doyle's promise that state officials can stop oil companies from passing on his tax on the gross receipts on oil companies to drivers.

Overall, 82% of those who responded said consumers would ultimately pay the tax, 14% said oil companies would pay it, and 4% weren't sure or didn't know, Wood said. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 4%, Wood said. Men were more likely than women to predict that the tax would boost gas-pump prices, he added.

Groups opposing the gross receipts tax on oil companies insist that it would amount to a 5- to 7-cent increase in the gas tax, now 32.9-cents per gallon.

Four out of five Wisconsinites understand Doyle's shell game.

They realize that Doyle is raising their taxes. The oil companies aren't taking the tax hit.

He's not fooling anybody.

Well, he is fooling one out five, but Doyle's not fooling 82% of the people.