An oil industry representative doesn't think much of Governor Jim Doyle's proposal to tax "big oil." Erin Roth is executive director of the Wisconsin Petroleum Council, which represents large oil companies in the state. Roth says other industries in Wisconsin, such as banking and insurance, should be concerned about the proposal. Doyle would impose a tax, amounting to about $1.50 a barrel, in order to raise some $270 million over the next two years for the state's transportation needs. Roth says that amounts to a hidden tax, but Doyle wants to prevent big oil from passing the tax on to motorists, with fines and even jail terms for executives. "We believe that it would be unconstitutional for the state to try to do that," said Roth. The tax proposal is expected to be part of the governor's state budget, which he'll unveil to a joint session of the legislature on Tuesday.
