The head of a company targeted by Senator Bernie Sanders for allegedly overcharging for gasoline says his stations are competitive.
Skip Vallee – president of the company that owns the Maplefields gas stations and convenience stores – says he wants a meeting with Sanders to explain his point of view.
Sanders devoted part of a news conference yesterday to gas companies that he says are overcharging customers.
"You have three distributors up here that control over half of the gas stations in northwestern Vermont and they are keeping prices artificially high in my view simply because they can do that. And what we have seen is that nationally, these gas stations rank at the very highest level of profit margin," Sanders said.
Sanders says the stations in northwestern Vermont are charging 20 to 30 cents a gallon more than those elsewhere in Vermont. And he says the Burlington market is in the top ten markets for profitability.
Sanders has dedicated part of his website to consumer information about gas prices.