Economists and other smarty pants people: would this work?
Quote:
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 it and join with us!
By now you're probably thinking gasoline priced at about $1.50 is super cheap. Me too! It is currently $2.75 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 whimp (sic) out on me at this point... keep reading and I'll explain how simple it is to reach millions of people!!
I am sending this note to about thirty people. If each of you send it to at least ten more (30 x 10 = 300)... and those 300 send it to at least ten more (300 x 10 = 3,000) ... and so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth generation 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 and DON"T purchase ANY gasoline from EXXON and MOBIL. That's all.
How long would all that take? If each of us sends this email 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 bet you didn'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.
PLEASE HOLD OUT UNTIL THEY LOWER THEIR PRICES TO THE $1.30 RANGE AND KEEP THEM DOWN. THIS CAN REALLY WORK
_________________ cirlces they grow and they swallow people whole half their lives they say goodnight to wives they'll never know got a mind full of questions and a teacher in my soul and so it goes
It doesn't matter if we don't buy gas on a certain day. If we continue to drive the same amount, our total demand for gasoline remains unchanged.
but if the major gas stations are not selling, then won't they be forced to lower their prices? then won't all the getty's and the citgo's in turn be forced to lower their prices?
i understand that the total demand for gas will stay the same, but...
_________________ cirlces they grow and they swallow people whole half their lives they say goodnight to wives they'll never know got a mind full of questions and a teacher in my soul and so it goes
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:26 pm Posts: 3859 Location: Jersey
kiddo wrote:
Quint wrote:
Won't work.
It doesn't matter if we don't buy gas on a certain day. If we continue to drive the same amount, our total demand for gasoline remains unchanged.
but if the major gas stations are not selling, then won't they be forced to lower their prices? then won't all the getty's and the citgo's in turn be forced to lower their prices?
i understand that the total demand for gas will stay the same, but...
Nope. It's a chain e-mail. Chain e-mails are totally ineffectual. How many people would read this chain e-mail and actually follow through with it?
And if they did... and if everyone stopped buying from those 2 major companies, the massive increase in demand on all other companies would cause them to increase gas prices even more than before the gas strike. It's a rediculous idea.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:22 pm Posts: 4715 Location: going to marrakesh
there's also only a certain amount that a gas station can lower it's gas prices before they start losing money when they sell it. the last time i worked (about a month ago), we were purchasing gas at $1.989 a gallon and selling at $2.199 a gallon. in theory, my boss could lower his gas to $1.30 a gallon, but he'd be losing seventy cents. he'd either have to raise the price on his already over priced goods or reduce everyone's wages to avoid going out of business.
it's certainly a nice idea, especially if you're a fan of the whole stick it to the big guy thing, but i can't see how it can possibly work.
_________________ and our love is a monster, plain and simple though you weight it down with stones to try to drown it it floats it floats
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 4:52 pm Posts: 10620 Location: Chicago, IL Gender: Male
LittleWing wrote:
How about demanding a temporary lift on gas taxes, which make up an enourmous chunk of the money at the pump. At least in NYS anyway.
Sorry, but Illinois is already facing a $500 million budget deficit. Suspending the gas tax so people can afford to fill their SUVs and get 10 miles to the gallon would put the state in a hole another $60 million over 6 months. George Ryan tried that 3 years ago -- and was promptly forced from the Republican ticket for governor. The rest is history.
Last edited by Chris_H_2 on Tue Aug 23, 2005 2:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
what f-ed up is that if you have a AAA card you get a discount and if you shop at kroger you get 10 cents off a gallon, this guy said he saves 22 cents a gallon, you who is really the culprit, all these stores and companies are making to much money. We need to stop using gas period, we need public transportation and car pooling.
Gas stations, which are not owned by exxon-mobil, make more money when prices are lower. They make less when prices are higher. Why do think they are constatly trying to sell cigerettes, sodas, and maps? That's the only way they can stay in business.
Its f**king stupid to punish station owners from the rising price of gas. They would lower it to sell more if they could. Want to lower gas prices? Decrease taxes. The difference in gas between Potomac, Maryland and Tyson Corner, Virginia is close to 20 cents. Why? Maryland has higher fuel taxes.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:25 pm Posts: 3567 Location: Swingin from the Gallows Pole
Chris_H_2 wrote:
LittleWing wrote:
How about demanding a temporary lift on gas taxes, which make up an enourmous chunk of the money at the pump. At least in NYS anyway.
Sorry, but Illinois is already facing a $500 million budget deficit. Suspending the gas tax so people can afford to fill their SUVs and get 10 miles to the gallon would put the state in a hole another $60 million over 6 months. George Ryan tried that 3 years ago -- and was promptly forced from the Republican ticket for governor. The rest is history.
If you really want to stop dependence on oil, raise the gas tax!!! Reward those who conserve oil.
Just wait until winter when natural gas prices which have risen more than crude oil.
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Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:25 pm Posts: 3567 Location: Swingin from the Gallows Pole
jacktor wrote:
what f-ed up is that if you have a AAA card you get a discount and if you shop at kroger you get 10 cents off a gallon, this guy said he saves 22 cents a gallon, you who is really the culprit, all these stores and companies are making to much money. We need to stop using gas period, we need public transportation and car pooling.
We have a Kroger (King Soopers) gas station across from our house. Yeah we get $.10 off per gallon. I didn't know you can use your AAA card also. I gotta try that.
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Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 4:43 pm Posts: 7633 Location: Philly Del Fia Gender: Female
Quint wrote:
Won't work.
It doesn't matter if we don't buy gas on a certain day. If we continue to drive the same amount, our total demand for gasoline remains unchanged.
Um, i dont think that they mean for 1 day - they mean not at ALL - go to an alternative brand, and stay away from the biggest company, who essentially, sets the price rates.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 6:44 am Posts: 14671 Location: Baton Rouge Gender: Male
NaiveAndTrue wrote:
Quint wrote:
Won't work.
It doesn't matter if we don't buy gas on a certain day. If we continue to drive the same amount, our total demand for gasoline remains unchanged.
Um, i dont think that they mean for 1 day - they mean not at ALL - go to an alternative brand, and stay away from the biggest company, who essentially, sets the price rates.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 4:43 pm Posts: 7633 Location: Philly Del Fia Gender: Female
Mitchell wrote:
NaiveAndTrue wrote:
Quint wrote:
Won't work.
It doesn't matter if we don't buy gas on a certain day. If we continue to drive the same amount, our total demand for gasoline remains unchanged.
Um, i dont think that they mean for 1 day - they mean not at ALL - go to an alternative brand, and stay away from the biggest company, who essentially, sets the price rates.
the biggest company does not set the price
That's what the article says, I don't think it would work either. They're not driving up the prices simply for more profit, the oil is costing them more. Plus, I like my mobile station. I don't have to explain to them anymore why I bother to put super-grade in my 91' sunbird.
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