Didja get a copy of this e-mail?
LET'S DO IT!
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 WEDNESDAY MAY 19TH HAS BEEN FORMALLY DECLARED "STICK IT TO THEM" 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 TWO 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 MAY 19TH A DAY THAT THE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES SAY "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH"
There is just so much wrong with this I don't know where to begin. This must have been written by a Dimocrat. This is just as bogus as the other e-mail that said not to buy gas from Exxon or Mobil.
First off the writer assumes that this must be some sort of conspiracy by the oil companies to raise prices and all we have to do is to not buy gas for a day and the price will magically drop. This totally disregards the law of supply and demand, but then, most liberals and socialists (redundant) constantly try to bypass the law of supply and demand.
The only way this boycott could have any effect on the price of gas is if everyone parked their cars for a day and took a bus, rode the subway, used a bicycle, or walked. Otherwise, the gas they didn't buy today, they would buy tomorrow. The demand for gasoline would still be there.
Do you want to see the price of gas go down? There are only two ways for that to happen: Increase the supply or decrease the demand. That's it. There is no other way. It's just like watching all those weight loss commercials that promise incredible results just by taking a pill. There is only one way to lose weight: Expend more calories than you take in. That means eat less or exercise more. Better yet, do both.
Do you want someone to blame for high gas prices? Blame an environmentalist. It's the environmental wacko's who will not let us drill in ANWR. It's the environmental wacko's who keep campaigning against offshore drilling. If you cannot drill for more oil, you cannot increase the supply.
Another reason we're paying more for oil is all the boutique blends we have to have for clean air. Atlanta is paying 5 cents more per gallon in the summer due to the special blend we have to use because of EPA mandates. Have you kissed an environmentalist today?
Even if we had more oil available, our refinery capacity is stretched to its limits. We have not built any new refineries in over thirty years. Have you hugged an environmentalist today?
That pretty much takes care of the supply. How about the demand?
The last time we experienced high gas prices, we decided we didn't want to pay them and sold off all of our gas guzzlers and bought fuel efficient cars. Voila! No more high prices! Gas has been cheap for so long (and adjusted for inflation it's still cheaper than it was at its highest, which was during Jimmah Carter's administration) that we went back to buying gas guzzlers with our love affair with SUV's.
The last thing I want to hear is some asshole who drives an SUV drinking a $3 Starbucks bitching about gas prices.
You know what's coming next dontcha? The gummint is gonna increase gas mileage standards on SUV's.
Why do many people drive SUV's? Most of them will say because they feel safer. They're higher up (Which actually makes the SUV less stable than a regular sedan) and they're surrounded by all that wonderful heavy metal so if they get in a crash, they're gonna be better off than the other cars in the crash (unless they're also SUV's).
How are the car companies gonna increase gas mileage in an SUV? They're gonna need smaller engines. Just like they did in sedans and coupes when they put smaller engines in them, they're gonna have to decrease the weight. There goes some of that wonderful crash protection.
Now I don't give a shit whether or not anyone buys an SUV or not. I own two BMW's and a pickup truck. I don't bitch about gas prices because I know why they are high. If they were too high for me (And that would take a bit because I am after all one of the eeeviiil rich!) I'd sell off my 25 mpg cars and get a Honda or some other fuel efficient car.
Ya see due to the wonderful environmentalists and our love affair with gas guzzlers we are responsible for high gas prices. It's not the oil companies or the gummint. It is us.
As Pogo said, "We have met the enemy and it is us."
Posted by denny at May 19, 2004 07:36 PM
I read it was $2.92/gal (inflation-adjusted) in March 1981, after Reagan removed the price restrictions in late January.
I don't really know who really deserves more blame (if either president does) but I'm pretty positive, looking on the web, that it was at its highest at the beginning of the Reagan administration.
Posted by: Eric on May 19, 2004 09:03 PMI believe you are correct and this is what happened. During the Carter administration, Congress put a ceiling on energy prices. As any Econ 101 student could tell you if you cap the price without doing anything about the demand, shortages will occur. There's that pesky law of supply and demand again. That's what happened in California during their electricity shortage. They capped the retail price, but let the wholesale price float. Only a liberal could call that deregulation. A sane person would call that a recipe for disaster. But I digress. What Reagan did admidst the howls of Ted Kennedy and all the other liberals was remove the price caps. Gas initially went up, people decided it was too expensive, sold off their gas guzzlers, and the price went down. The market worked just as Econ 101 said it would. What I'm worried about now is that the people will cry out that gummint do SOMETHING and since this is an election year, the gummint will do sumpin' stupid like price caps and we'll have gas lines again. Let the free market do its job.
Posted by: Denny Wilson on May 19, 2004 09:14 PMA similar email went circulating 'round Aust a while back. The only effect it had was to use 0.000000001% more bandwidth of the Internet.
A joke.
Jim
(who is also happy with my full-size, gas guzzlin' SUV)
I was actually against ANWR, until some readers on this web site schooled me a little. Wow, do I feel stupid.
Anyway, $2.34 today in Bellevue, WA, for 87 octane. I'm taking a vanpool to work more often now so I can conserve money. This Summer is going to suck for us. We have a big Chevy truck to pull the boat. Add the Chevy 5.7 to the Sea Ray with a Mercruiser 5.0, and there's $100 in fuel! I actually use these toys for what they are designed to do. I don't commute in the Chevy! Damn. There are sooo many commuters on the road in their big SUV's, and they aint hauling anything! Makes me a little mad. When I don't ride the vanpool, I commute in a Chevy Cavelier, and it achieves about 28+ mpg.
There was a gas line behind me today. Some guy in a Hummer bitched me out because I was at the pump too long. I yelled back. "Hey Asshole. You're part of the fucking problem. Bet that Hummer hasn't seen anything taller than a curb!!"
Posted by: Paul on May 19, 2004 11:47 PMYou raise a good point.
However, can't you still bitch about gas prices if you drive fuel-efficient cars? Lol!
Everyone wants to feel like they can do something to make a difference; I guess that's one of the reasons for those types of emails.
Sure, you're using less gas...but the prices are still a problem. It's not like I can tell someone else to sell their SUV because I want lower gas prices! Well, I could, but...that doesn't mean they'll actually do it. It's like telling someone they should give their baby up for adoption or to quit smoking ;)
I remember, a few years ago, my old geology teacher (a real wackjob, but nonethess) saying that we only have about a 50 year (known)supply of oil left in the world. If that is the case (I haven't looked into it any further, am curious), is it no suprise that gas prices in inevitably have to go up, since price and supply are inversely related? Or have I got my economics screwed up. Some combination of supply, demand, and price is inverse, I tell you!
If that's the case, I'd be more concerned about R&D on other types of fuel, finding more oil, etc.
I'd be willing to pay a few extra cents a gallon towards that.
Denny is right. There are only 2 ways to reduce the price of gas, use less or refine more. The problem with refining more is that there has not been a new refinery built in the US in 30 years. (Thank you econuts!) What needs to happen is Confress needs to get off their collective asses and pass an energy bill. Tapping the SPR will have no real impact.
Sailor
Posted by: Sailor in the Desert on May 20, 2004 01:11 AMMichelle - I definitely don't want people to sell their SUV's just to lower gas prices. I love big machines just like everyone else. They also serve as symbols of our Capitalist might. BUT!!!!!!!!! People should use their big toys responsibly. Don't fucking commute in these things.
Here is my theory. People should purchase a used fuel efficient vehicle in addition to their SUV, and commute in the little one. The amount of fuel saved by not commuting in the SUV will pay for the little car in a short period of time. And this whole garbage about feeling safer in the SUV...bullshit bullshit bullshit. An SUV cannot save one from stupidity.
Posted by: Paul on May 20, 2004 10:02 AMI, too am one of the "evil rich" and drive a gas guzzling SUV. How else would I tow my gas guzzling boat and gas guzzling motorcycle?
Posted by: pamela on May 20, 2004 11:07 AMI hope you do not mind this plug, Denny.
For those of you interested in debating the political issues of the times, I do run a political board. All Politics can be found at Chat Area. You will need to join Chat Area, but it is free. The URL for the board is: http://www.chatarea.com/AllPolitics.
I hope to see some of you there.
Thanks again, Denny, I hope I was not out of line with the plug.
Posted by: Sailor in the Desert on May 20, 2004 02:38 PMI happily filled up my tank at the rate of $2.07/gallon yesterday morning.
I think it would take $3/gal. to push me to drive less or think of a less-thirsty vehicle. Or perhaps a motorcycle for all non-inclement travel or grocery shopping.
(Forgot to tell you I'm driving this little Mercedes now and it--and I cannot stress this enough--drinks gasoline.)
Posted by: addison on May 20, 2004 04:04 PMFor those who rode the short bus to school:
1. Reduce the 15 or so different formulations of gasoline used throughout the country to one.
2. Build refineries while we
3. Drill anyplace we think there's domestic oil - ANWAR, CA offshore, FL offshore, etc.
4. Invest heavily in fuel cell (the only potentially viable 'alternative' technology) R & D.
Posted by: Tim on May 21, 2004 01:01 AMMy response to the email:"Well, I guess this means I better fill up today". However, I don't think the sender got it. How many college grads flunked ECON 101 or never got within shouting distance?
Posted by: pettydemon on May 21, 2004 04:27 PMjust catching up on your posts and wanted to add my 2 bits on the gas prices. I drive a mid size SUV for my safety - I need to really watch for those BC yellow plates, they forget their in CA now, and heck, CA's giving the state to them anyway. Gas hasn't been under $2.50/gal for 87 in years - right now 2.87 and diesel's running is 2.39. Truckers are threatening strike if added "fuel charge isn't added to the bill" and I'm thinking their picking brocolli and onions right now, if they're not trucked out, and it was only 97 today, the smell will level all of us. they pay, so we pay more, as we pay more at the pump too. Circle of life??
Posted by: Pat on May 23, 2004 10:41 PM