PORTSMOUTH — Former Gov. and Senate candidate Jeanne Shaheen was in Portsmouth today to talk about the effect rising oil and fuel prices are having on New Hampshire families and what measures she thinks should be taken in the short term to address the crisis.

"Here I am in front of a gas pump ... to call attention to the challenge New Hampshire families are facing because of the high prices of oil and gas," Shaheen said.

Behind her at Tony's LukOil on Woodbury Avenue, the price of regular gas was advertised for $3.57, which she said was 3 cents above the current average price.

Shaheen laid out a four-point plan to address the burden facing New Hampshire families, and not just at the pump.

"Families are struggling," Shaheen said, adding the price of fuel is increasing the cost of food.

But oil companies are not struggling; their profits continue to rise with the price of oil. Last year, Exxon recorded its biggest profit in history, Shaheen said, adding the market manipulation going on with the price of oil needs to be stopped.

Shaheen's plan includes closing the "Enron loophole," a law that allows speculators and large hedge funds to trade in oil and gas without oversight of the Commodities Commission.

Shaheen believes the federal government should create an Oil and Gas Market Fraud Task Force to investigate allegations of oil and gas market manipulation and fraud, similar to the Corporate Fraud Task Force established in 2002 in the wake of the Enron scandals.

Second, she thinks refineries should start refining at full capacity. Refineries, most of which are controlled by the big oil companies, have been utilizing less than 85 percent of their capacity for most of this year.

"We have a president and a vice president with more ties to the oil and gas industry than ever before in the history of our country," Shaheen said. "We are at a place when the president ought to use his ties to the industry and the bully pulpit to refine at full capacity, reduce the cost and stop filling the reserve."

The third point in Shaheen's plan calls for a stop to filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and to release 30 million barrels of oil from the reserve.

Lastly, Shaheen called for pressuring OPEC to increase production and holding it accountable for keeping the supply artificially low.

"They should be subject to the same antitrust laws on manipulation," Shaheen said.

Shaheen said although the issue should be a top priority for the current presidential candidates, the time for action is now.

"We need Washington to act on these issues," Shaheen said. "I think this is a critical issue facing our country. It is not just about national security or the environment, it is also about economic security. It should be the number one priority for the next president, and we shouldn't wait. We should call on George Bush to stop now," Shaheen said.