Protest high gas prices and profiteering!

[judy]

An email I just received...
I love these spend-nothing protests, and I do think that if they are followed more and more, they can eventually be quite effective!
Plus, they cost nothing...:)

Let's go everybody...let's get this one done and done right with as many
notified as possible!

Subject: FW: DON'T BUY GASOLINE ON 9/1 TO SEND A MESSAGE TO OIL
COMPANIES

IT HAS BEEN CALCULATED THAT IF EVERYONE IN THE UNITED STATES DID NOT
PURCHASE A DROP OF GASOLINE FOR ONE DAY AND ALL AT THE SAME TIME, THE
OIL COMPANIES WOULD CHOKE ON THEIR STOCKPILES.

AT THE SAME TIME IT WOULD HIT THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY WITH A NET LOSS OF
OVER 4.6 BILLION DOLLARS WHICH AFFECTS THE BOTTOM LINES OF THE OIL
COMPANIES.

THEREFORE SEPTEMBER 1ST HAS BEEN FORMALLY DECLARED "STICK IT UP THEIR
@$$ " DAY AND THE PEOPLE OF THIS NATION SHOULD NOT BUY A SINGLE DROP OF
GASOLINE THAT DAY.

THE ONLY WAY THIS CAN BE DONE IS IF YOU FORWARD THIS E-MAIL TO AS MANY
PEOPLE AS YOU CAN AND AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN TO GET THE WORD OUT.

WAITING ON THIS ADMIINSTRATION TO STEP IN AND CONTROL THE PRICES IS NOT
GOING TO HAPPEN. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE REDUCTION AND CONTROL IN PRICES
THAT THE ARAB NATIONS PROMISED WEEKS AGO?

REMEMBER ONE THING, NOT ONLY IS THE PRICE OF GASOLINE GOING UP BUT AT
THE SAME TIME AIRLINES ARE FORCED TO RAISE THEIR PRICES, TRUCKING
COMPANIES ARE FORCED TO RAISE THEIR PRICES WHICH EFFECTS PRICES ON
EVERYTHING THAT IS SHIPPED. THINGS LIKE FOOD, CLOTHING, BUILDING
MATERIALS, MEDICAL SUPPLIES ETC. WHO PAYS IN THE END? WE DO!

WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. IF THEY DON'T GET THE MESSAGE AFTER ONE DAY,
WE WILL DO IT AGAIN AND AGAIN.

SO DO YOUR PART AND SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO EVERYONE YOU
KNOW. MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND MAKE SEPTEMBER 1ST A DAY THAT THE CITIZENS
OF THE UNITED STATES SAY "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH"

PLEASE FORWARD THIS ON TO EVERYONE YOU CAN!!!!

[Squatch]

1. Not this again. Talk about your all-time worthless boycots.

[PuraVidaDreamin]

2. crappy weather here, but I'm riding my bike to work tonight!

[etherealtruth]

5. I don't think it's a "worthless" boycott , but ....

...with only a very small proportion of the population (if I recall the last one, minuscule is more accurate) participating it WAS totally ineffectual.

If there actually was a large scale boycott i think it would send a message, but I have little or no faith in large numbers of people participating.

[Squatch]

6. For a SINGLE DAY???

Wow, that's *really* going to interrupt an entire industry that operates on a quarterly calendar.

[etherealtruth]

10. no, but, couple it with cut backs in driving ....

It is however irrelevant because I don't believe there would ever be cooperation on either front.

[Zuni]

3. I filled up yesterday before work

because I knew major gouging was going to raise prices 20 to 40 cents in the next few days

[evlbstrd]

4. Gas purchases in the days before and after will make up any

theoretical damage to the oil companies. Besides, I for one have no alternative means of transportation to and from my job.

[napi21]

7. I heard this on the radio last night too. It won't work! BUT

I also heard that Citgo is wholly owned by Venezuela oil, and since Chavez has offered poorer Americans better prices on gas and heating oil, I think if we boycotted the other stations in favor of Citgo's, that just MIGHT work!

I don't know who refines this oil, and with the shutdown of 12 refineries due to Katrina, I don't know if there would be any difference, but at least business would be steered toward one supplier who appears to be cooperating with us, and against the GREEDY ONES.

[Ian David]

8. And Hess Gasoline is 98% "Blue." I only buy Citgo and Hess. n/t

[judy]

9. Good idea!

No Citgo around here, unfortunately...
You all can say whatever you want about this being worthless, etc.
I will do it, just because it makes me feel good to do it! So there!
:)
I depend on a car to go to work too, as there is no public transportation in my area.
OK, so I'll get gas before that day, and hope that there will be a slight dip on that day's sales.

And for those who make fun of the single day idea, it might seem stupid to some (and definitely won't happen this time) but a single day dip does create movement in oil futures, and might eventually create a drive less movement for those who can afford to do it.

There is no need to put down ideas that cost nothing and make people feel a little better...is there?

[napi21]

11. No, of course not. I suggest we all "not buy gas" on 9/1.

I'm willing to do anything to draw attention to the unrest of the Am. people with the greed and mismanagement of the oil industry!

All I meant was that if people simply switch the days they buy the same amount of gas, it won't matter much.

We've already eliminated unnecessary driving. I don't drive anymore at all, and we used to go shopping or somewhere on both of my husband's days off each week. NOW, we only go out one of those days, and don't drive anywhere farther than necessary. We go grocery shopping, and that's about it. He also has to drive to work since there is no public transp. here, but it'w about 9 miles each way and not through any rush hour traffic. This morning, he told me if gas keeps increasing, he's going to request a transfer to one of the two closer stores owned by the same company. They are smaller, and his annual income will probably be reduced because they all get a quarterly bonus based on department profit dollars, but the loss would be less than the savings, since both those stores are less than 3 miles away.

We really are trying to do everything we can!

[judy]

12. Eventually, napi21,

something will work!

All tyrants fall...
And that day, we'll all be dancing in the streets! :)

[Freddie Stubbs]

13. Here is a great resource on 'Don't buy gas day'

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

[judy]

14. Some good stuff in there...

"Not buying gas on a designated day may make people feel a bit better about things by providing them a chance to vent their anger at higher gasoline prices, but the action won't have any real impact on retail prices. An effective protest would involve something like organizing people to forswear the use of their cars on specified days, an act that could effectively demonstrate the reality of the threat that if gasoline prices stay up, American consumers are prepared to move to carpooling and public transportation for the long term. Simply changing the day one buys gas, however, imparts no such threat, because nothing is being done without."

I agree with that, definitely!

However, the article says it hurts the gasoline stations, which would not be a good thing. But I am asking, if it really doesn't impact anything because to not buy gas for one day you would have to buy it the day before, how then does it impact gas stations?

And secondly, if we are trying not to hurt the gas station operators, then, suspending auto driving for one day (which I do support 100%) would definitely hurt them even more, wouldn't it?

I think we are miles away from organized boycotts of any kind at this point. So might as well do what makes you feel slightly better for whatever reason...
At some point, truckers and taxi drivers will have something to say. We'll stand by their side then.

[lostinacause]

16. Truckers and taxi drivers are eventually going to have to include it in

their price. Unfortunately in the short term they will suffer, but that is what happens when the price of fuel increases fairly quickly.

[lostinacause]

15. At least the "no gas day" doesn't make the problem worse.

Predatory consumerism, in an investment heavy industry like the oil industry, will only increase the long term risk on investments increasing prices in the long run. The typical one used is to boycott the two largest producers. It’s possible that a producer which was not one of the two largest producers initiated that one. It would be a good strategy if they did.

[lectrobyte]

17. If you really want to decrease demand for gas, then perhaps one or more of

the following might work:

A monthly no-travel call-in-sick day where everybody vows to consume no gas for the day. Drastic? Perhaps, but drastic times call for drastic measures.

Everyone drive the speed limit or slower to save gas. This'd be dangerous in most parts of the country from what I've seen, but if enough folks started doing it maybe it would catch on.