Industry-backed poll: Public against new taxes for oil companies

Most Americans believe taxes on the oil industry would be passed along to consumers at the gas pump, an industry-backed poll found Thursday.

Eighty-two percent of registered voters believed increased taxes on the oil industry would be passed along to consumers in the form of high prices at the pump, according to a poll commissioned by the American Energy Alliance.

The poll also said 81 percent agree new taxes on oil companies would disadvantage American companies over foreign-owned oil companies such as BP, while 76 percent said they believe a tax on American oil companies would hurt U.S. companies that are trying to compete against foreign government-owned companies.

The poll was conducted by Voter/Consumer Research on behalf of AEA, the advocacy arm of the conservative Institute for Energy Research, which receives donations from oil companies, among other funding source.

The survey comes as lawmakers mull an energy bill to respond to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and to support increased alternative energy. AEA is hoping to mobilize the public against new taxes for the oil industry and for the companies being allowed to continue offshore drilling.

The poll found 71 percent of responders oppose banning all offshore drilling, and 60 percent oppose banning drilling in deep waters, along the lines of the operations BP had conducted before the accident leading to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Conversely, other polls have shown voters now believe it is too risky to increase offshore drilling, as President Obama had called for in a limited capacity, and for which Republicans have pushed.

The survey, conducted by telephone interview from July 25-27, has a 3.1 percent margin of error.