Chevron Donation Criticized

SAN RAMON, Calif. -- A recent $100,000 donation made to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger from Chevron Corp., was harshly criticized by the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR), a nonprofit consumer group.

In a written statement, the FTCR stated: "The timing and intent of this donation to Schwarzenegger's 'California Recovery Team' seems meant to maintain the Governor's political silence on high gasoline prices."

The group is also asking that Schwarzenegger return the donation and the remaining $665,000 he and his political committees have taken from Chevron, the FTCR claimed.

"It is astonishing that no one in Schwarzenegger's office, or the governor himself, could see that this stinks to high heaven," said Judy Dugan, research director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights and OilWatchdog.org. "California is gripped by the highest gasoline prices in the nation as Chevron has doubled its profit margin on making gasoline in the West. Chevron's donation can only be seen as a big thank-you for the governor's silence on the issue."

Prices for an average gallon of regular gasoline topped $3.48 yesterday in California, according to AAA.

"If Gov. Schwarzenegger keeps Chevron's cash and continues his political silence while Chevron robs California motorists blind, he's not just a girlie man, he's Chevron's girlie man," said Jamie Court, president of FTCR. "It is scandal enough that Governor is still accepting big corporate donations even though he won't be running again for governor or any other state office. But to take $100,000 from Chevron at the same time as gas prices in California surpassed record highs is to spit in the face of Californians."

The $100,000 donation was posted on the state's campaign disclosure Web site, http://cal-access.ss.ca.gov, which also lists additional donations made by Chevron in previous years, including $250,000 in 2005-2006 and $200,000 in 2003-2004.

In other Chevron news, the company will install RedPrairie's BlueCube Enterprise solution at all its North American, company-owned/operated stores and franchise sites to provide consistency when measuring and operating their company-owned sites and ExtraMile franchise sites.

"We are thrilled to have Chevron, one of the Top 5 global oil companies, as one of our premier customers in the petroleum/c-store marketplace. By utilizing BlueCube Enterprise, Chevron expects to have a common platform which will help them achieve better operational excellence," Kevin Saum, RedPrairie petroleum and c-store leader, said in a written statement.
The BlueCube Enterprise is a comprehensive operations solution through a Web-architecture framework allowing operators to manage the scale and price of the solution to meet business objectives including daily budgeting and forecasts of inventory and employees to production planning, fresh item control, recipe management, and employee scheduling and time and attendance.
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