Tired of the Price of Gas? Here's a 'fix' IF we all do it.

[CarolU]

(I got this via e-mail, just copy and send on)

GAS WAR - an idea that WILL work

Join the resistance!!!! I hear we are going to hit close to $4.00 a gallon by this summer and it might go higher!! Want gasoline prices to come down? We need to take some intelligent, united action. Phillip Hollsworth offered this good idea.

This makes MUCH MORE SENSE than the "don't buy gas on a certain day" campaign that was going around last April or May! The oil companies just laughed at that because they knew we wouldn't continue to "hurt" ourselves by refusing to buy gas. It was more of an inconvenience to us than it was a problem for them.

BUT, whoever thought of this idea, has come up with a plan that can really work. Please read on and join with us! By now you're probably thinking gasoline priced at about $1.50 is super cheap. Me too! It is currently $2.79 for regular unleaded in my town. Now that the oil companies and the OPEC nations have conditioned us to think that the cost of a gallon of gas is CHEAP at $1.50 - $1.75, we need to take aggressive action to teach them that BUYERS control the marketplace..... not sellers.

With the price of gasoline going up more each day, we consumers need to take action. The only way we are going to see the price of gas come down is if we hit someone in the pocketbook by not purchasing their gas! And, we can do that WITHOUT hurting ourselves. How? Since we all rely on our cars, we can't just stop buying gas. But we CAN have an impact on gas prices if we all act together to force a price war.

Here's the idea:

For the rest of this year, DON'T purchase ANY gasoline from the two biggest companies (which now are one), EXXON and MOBIL. If they are not selling any gas, they will be inclined to reduce their prices. If they reduce their prices, the other companies will have to follow suit.

But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of Exxon and Mobil gas buyers. It's really simple to do! Now, don't wimp out at this point.... keep reading and I'll explain how simple it is to reach millio! ns of pe ople.

I am sending this note to 30 people. If each of us sends it to at least ten more (30 x 10 =3D 300) ... and those 300 send it to at least ten more (300 x 10 =3D 3,000)...and so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth group of people, we will have reached over THREE MILLION consumers. If those three million get excited and pass this on to ten friends each, then 30 million people will have been contacted! If it goes one level further, you guessed it..... THREE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE!!!

Again, all you have to do is send this to 10 people. That's all. (If you don't understand how we can reach 300 million and all you have to do is send this to 10 people.... Well, let's face it, you just aren't a mathematician, so trust me on this one.)

How long would all that take? If each of us sends this e-mail out to ten more people within one day of receipt, all 300 MILLION people could conceivably be contacted within the next 8 days!!!
I'll be! t you di dn't think you and I had that much potential, did you?

Acting together we can make a difference. If this makes sense to you, please pass this message on. I suggest that we not buy from EXXON/MOBIL UNTIL THEY LOWER THEIR PRICES TO THE $1.30 RANGE AND KEEP THEM DOWN.

THIS CAN REALLY WORK.

[Carol Nelson]

I've gotten this email from about five to six different people lately. Now if I remember right, I FIRST got this email about six to seven years ago. Hmmm...seems like gas has gone up a jump since then...and keeps on going and keeps on going. Now I NEVER have bought gas from these two companies so how can I quit??? Also do your homework for people and find out how many smaller companies buy from those two large conglomerates and then they can quit buying from those companies too. It's a great idea...but doubt if it works. ;-) :roll:
You know what would REALLY work...???
QUIT DRIVING!!!!
But of course, since people drive to work everyday, that's impossible too. I feel sorry for you people...your paychecks must've been cut in half by your fuel costs. :(

[GregM]

Not buying gas from one company or another doesn't really help because they can just sell it to "unbranded" stores, we have many more of those here than Exxon or Mobil. However, the industry analysts say if we all drove just 3% less that retail prices would drop noticably. The wholesale "futures" prices go up on specualation that the retail price will be higher in the future than it is now, like buying stocks. If the speculators loose money once in a while it helps keep prices down.
Just drive only 3% less...sounds easy, huh? I wish.

[SandyMM]

There are always at least two sides to every issue - Exxon still pays my mother (87 years old) a modest pension based on my dad's retirement benefits ( he's been gone about 7 years). She gets some medical and some gas assistance from Exxon. She is one of tens of thousands of employees/families that benefit from Exxon. Many companies are hiring lawyers to find ways to dump their employee retirement/pension obligations, Exxon hasn't as far as I know.

Yes, I think most of the oil companies are taking advantage of the current unrest, but if it wasn't them - it would be another industry - it's a free market. I buy where it's most convenient, get the best price I can, and choose whether I can afford to drive somewhere or not - also free market concepts.

Tax the windfall profits, but don't attempt to single out the biggest dog in the pack when they're all guilty... the little guys in the background who can't defend themselves are the ones who will suffer in the long run...

[Cindy]

Hey, how about drive less. Or get a more gas efficient vehicle. Or drive less. Or don't drive that 8 miles to the gallon SUV when there is NO reason to. Or drive less. Or carpool. Or drive less. Or ride a bike or walk. Or drive less. Hey, has anyone ever thought about driving LESS? Or driving a vehicle that DOES NOT suck the fuel like a vacuum on high. Just a thought. It seems that's pretty much what we did back in the 70s when we had this same problem. Doesn't seem like it was very hard for people to figure out back then either. But here in the 00s we're much too spoiled to even think about changing our lifestyles. No, much better to boycott certain staions on Monday. Yeah, that'll work. :roll: :roll:

[Abejita]

ohh and dont take 3 different kids to 4 different activities every day..drive the SPEED LIMIT ..check your tire pressure..and as Cindy said Drive less.
I also agree with Greg. You have no idea who is supplying the supplier who is supplying the little guy..

[SandyMM]

Lesson from procrastinator/driver - leave early and drive slower - HUGE gas savings.... tested and it works for me! :lol:

[Cindy]

Actually, that depends on your car. Mine gets better mileage at a faster speed on the highway than other cars that I have had. I get better mileage on the highway at about 70 than I do at 55. It's just more efficient at that speed.

[baileyholc]

I fill-up once a week. I drive to my post turn off my car and start it again to take my girls to school and pick them up. Their it is a stop and go for 30 to 45 minutes in the morning and afternoons. We drive my car more than we drive the truck and the truck takes less gas.

[SandyMM]

I get better mileage on the highway at about 70 than I do at 55

LOL - I was thinking better mileage at 70 than at 85 - especially pulling a trailer... ;-)

[Cindy]

Actually, in the car it's more like 80 but, yes, with the trailer, 65-70 is much more economical than 85. :twisted:

[baileyholc]

http://bestsmileys.com/bubble/1.gif

[Serendipity]

What we really need to do is start looking at alternate fuels and make them readaly avalibal right now.Think about all the new jobs that would be created by switching to ethanal or bio disel.

[baileyholc]

I say horses. :razz: Get rid of all the gas and you won't have raising gas price problem. :rofl

[CarolU]

Well believe me, retiring has REALLY cut my gas usage down..from 465 miles per week, down to 0. Now, if that were really an option for everyone! My recreating milage is unchanged. LOL

I admit that boycotting these gas stations here wouldn't help, since neither of them have a local 'presence'....but for MOST people it would work better then boycotting one day/week (which just means gassing up on a different day). It is like when Delta cuts fares, everyone else has to cut fares to stay competitive...so it WOULD work. We're not talking hurting anyone here, just cutting into those 'windfall profits' that they keep posting.

I agree that alternative fuel sources is the BEST answer in the long run...it is just that, the LONG RUN. None will be available to help this summer.

Sooooo, it is just an idea for those who DO want to do something about the price this summer. I guess we can only hope that enough people buy into 'supply and demand' economics to make it happen and make it work.

Best of luck everyone!

[ASB.Immortality]

Here is a fun fact about the current owner of EXXON. This was on the news last Monday. Did you know that last year he made an immortal killing off of us? His salary (after being divided down) was $100.40 a minute.

That makes me not want a dang thing that EXXON has to do with.

[CarolU]

His salary (after being divided down) was $100.40 a minute.



I probably don't want to know this, but does that include minutes he's asleep??? :shocked

[reuben T]

could be 24 hrs a day!!!! :jawdrop



I've fully and determindly decided to boycott all gas stations 90% of the time as soon as i can get this thing finished.
actually the first project is projected to get 400+ mpg and we'll probably run it on coalman lantern fuel to escape the additives.
the oil corp isn't the least worried about boycotting, what they are worried about is those fuel processors that keep popping up, the last one made a jeep cherokee get 138 mpg, they've done everything they can to stop production of them. even to assanating the inventor which was done at least once.

[Monty]

SIGH - :roll: - Doesn't ANYONE ever check out Snopes any more ?



http://www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/gasout.asp

[Abejita]

Carol U is BUSTED ;-) (oh come on Carol you have to admit its funny..you were always the one that pointed everyone else to snopes.com..)Its the retirement thing..No work that doesnt involved horses,cats or husbands....now your mind is already turning to mush :!: :!: :shock:

[Mellifluous]

Hmmm, I have been following the gas stuff from Boortz's site. This is from yesterday.

Why do we hate successful people/companies so much? :roll:

I agree with Cindy - drive less...get a fuel effecient car for commuting (if you have to commute).

from http://boortz.com/nuze/200604/04242006.html

MORE TAXES, CHEAPER GAS...NOT

Pennsylvania Republican Arlen Specter, really just a Democrat with an R next to his name, has proposed a way to "get even" with the oil companies. You see, since they're earning so much money with the price of oil the way it is, he wants to institute a windfall profits tax. Given the overall state of economic ignorance in this country (thanks to government schools) he just might get it through. But it is a terrible idea. Let's count the ways why.

First of all, memorize the following sentence and commit it to memory for as long as you live: corporations do not pay taxes. The shareholders and customers of corporations pay those taxes. So guess what that means? If Senator Specter gets his way, the oil companies will simply just raise prices to cover their loss to the government. So by "punishing" ExxonMobil for being successful, Specter is really punishing the public. Nice going.

Specter is trying to score cheap political points by validating public ignorance about high gasoline prices. He's pretending to buy into the school that gas prices are high because the oil companies are inflating the prices to increase their profits. It's a conspiracy! Well, if that's the case, then it must be a conspiracy that stretches all the way around the globe. Because right now oil is at $75 a barrel everywhere. That's the single biggest factor in the price of gasoline right there. Do the oil companies control the price of a barrel of oil? Nope.

And besides...don't we want American oil companies to make huge profits? Isn't that the idea...to bring that money home? I guess in Arlen Specter's world, facts and common sense don't rate very high. Just another day in the life of a Washington politician. Oh, and check this quote from Carl Levin, Senate Democrat, about the windfall profits tax: "If the president would call the oil companies into the Oval Office and tell them he's going to support a windfall profits tax ... I'll bet that the price of gasoline would come down within a matter of days."

Oh really? Since high oil prices are a big reason George W. Bush's popularity is in the tank, don't you think that if he had control over the price of gasoline that he would do something about it?

Bottom line: Politicians like Specter and Levin can demagogue this issue for political gain because of the ignorance of the American people on issues such as profits vs. profit margins, an ignorance born and nurtured in our hideous system of state-controlled education.

[CarolU]

Actually Mel, I don't believe people resent success in this country. I watched a special on the founder of Starbucks and was really impressed with him (insists on high quality health care for ALL his empolyees, 1/2 his costs is JUST health care).

It's the companies posting record excessive (75%!!!) profits when everyone else is hurting. They tried to say it was needed for rebuilding after Katrina and exploration, but less then 22% of the profits went to that - the rest went to share holders.

And it's not JUST the car you drive or don't drive. These costs will get passed on to consummers in every product and service you pay for. Your hay will cost more to put up, your farrier will cost more to drive to your farm, your vet will charge more...etc. Yes, SOME profit is good - and some is earned, but this is EXACTLY the reason the rich are getting richer (why you see ski resorts in Saudi Arabia) and the middle class (that's US folks) and the poor are getting poorer. Our dollar goes a lot LESS far then it used to.

If ya'll LIKE spending more and getting less, so oil executives can make (i just can't say "earn") 8 figure incomes, that's fine. But I'm going to GRIPE about it. Profit is one thing, GOUGING is something else.

[Cindy]

So, one man owns Exxon? :-?

[CarolU]

So, one man owns Exxon? :-?

I don't believe I wrote or implied that anywhere in my post. I mentioned "share holders" and "oil executives"....both have an 's' on the end.

[motorgypsy]

I don't mind them making huge salaries although CEO's world wide don't pay proportionally any where near what our CEO's get and they don't get these wonderful golden parachutes like ours do when they're fired. What bothers me is when their accountants find ways for them to avoid paying fair taxes on all that income. They use the roads and benefit from a strong armed forces and so on. They need to pay their share of the taxes. Oh but then they might have to give up one of their many fancy cars to do that. Oh well what a shame - we can't have that.

[Cindy]

Wasn't talking to you, Carol. Was talking to the person who wrote about Exxon's owner. If you think that I would get into the discussion that YOU are having you are NUTS. I don't have time to beat my head against the wall.

[motorgypsy]

It's a good thing Cindy. We can't have you knocking walls down! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

[Jane Hurl]

Well, much as the enormous salaries of oil execs bugs me, and the fact that they get away without paying their share of taxes, I have to point something out here, folks: the present price of oil has LESS to do with anybody or anything domestic and a whole lot MORE to do with the new players coming into the game. Suddenly, China, Japan and Taiwan are joining us ... wanting the same standard of living we have ... and, man, when THAT MANY people want the same as us, the price of oil has GOT to go through the roof ... which it has ... and, in my opinion, will continue to do.

And there is SFA we can do about it. :(

Same thing happened to the price of electricity here in Alberta. When NAFTA came in and we deregulated our electricity (because our premiere is a moron), it opened the way for California to buy our electricity. ZOOM! The price of electricity went through the roof up here ... tripling and even quadrupling in price in one year.

[motorgypsy]

WOW! That's terrible. Gotta get off the grid before that happens here!! We do have free water at 50 degrees. That may be one anser to help us out. Very little wind and not enough sun cause we're in a "holler"

[Cindy]

Good point, Jane.

[Serendipity]

I still think these gas outs and don't buy from certain companies won't work.
Because what else does Exxon own? or Mobil? using Pepsi as an example they don't just make pop you could not get them to lower the price on mountain dew if everyone stopded drinking it.they own part of several companys not related to the drinking industry.
If you don'y by gas from exxon only you can bet exxon has its ties with many other companys and other gas companies also.

I don't know about you but the thought of gas hitting $4 a gallon is very scary i know I won't be travling much and the horse shows may go to the way side I filled my truck with gas this weekend and at $2.83 it cost over $90 I filled my car almost up today $30 and did not get a full tank in my v6 camero.its really sad