With gas and oil prices rising in the face of another Hurricane, Oregon's Democratic Governor Ted Kulongoski and seven other Democratic Governors are calling on Congress to investigate price gouging in the gasolene market. The Oregonian's Joseph B. Frazier reports.

Ted Kulongoski of Oregon, Christine Gregoire of Washington and a half-dozen other Democratic governors released a letter to the Bush administration on Tuesday requesting an investigation into possible gasoline price gouging in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

"We urge Congress to immediately commence an investigation into the excessive profits being made by oil companies who are taking advantage of this national crisis," the letter said.

It urged legislation refunding any excessive profits to consumers. It was also signed by the governors of Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, New Mexico, Iowa and Montana.

The letter cites University of Wisconsin economist Don Nichols, who "published a study showing that gas prices have risen disproportionately in comparison to the price increases per barrel of oil. This study affirms that a large profit is being made at the expense of American citizens."

Historically, Nichols said, the markup between the price of a gallon of crude and a gallon of gasoline is about 85 cents to 90 cents a gallon, including refining, distribution and taxes.

At $50 for a 44-gallon barrel of crude, he said, the pump price should be about $2 a gallon, a little more or less in some states depending on taxes. At $65 a barrel -- nearly identical to the price in Tuesday afternoon trading -- a gallon should be about $2.30.

But as of Monday, the average cost of a gallon of regular was $2.78 nationwide. A week ago, it was $2.95 a gallon.

For gasoline to be $3 a gallon, he said, crude should be selling for about $95 a barrel.

If the Nichols study is indeed correct and the gasolene companies are gouging the public, swift action by the federal government is the only course of action. Now it's entirely possible that the super increase in price is due to the shutdown of the Gulf Coast's refineries in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the possible shutdown due to Hurricane Rita. But these are just possibilities and should be investigated, either by Congress or an inspector general.