From skala@u.washington.edu Fri Mar 21 09:48:09 2003 Received: from mxu1.u.washington.edu (mxu1.u.washington.edu [140.142.32.132]) by lists.u.washington.edu (8.12.1+UW03.03/8.12.1+UW03.02) with ESMTP id h2LHm8CK055558 for ; Fri, 21 Mar 2003 09:48:09 -0800 Received: from mxout5.cac.washington.edu (mxout5.cac.washington.edu [140.142.32.135]) by mxu1.u.washington.edu (8.12.1+UW03.03/8.12.1+UW03.02) with ESMTP id h2LHm6CD013698 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=EDH-RSA-DES-CBC3-SHA bits=168 verify=NO); Fri, 21 Mar 2003 09:48:06 -0800 Received: from dante14.u.washington.edu (dante14.u.washington.edu [140.142.15.24]) by mxout5.cac.washington.edu (8.12.1+UW03.03/8.12.1+UW02.12) with ESMTP id h2LHYHEk009690; Fri, 21 Mar 2003 09:34:17 -0800 Received: from localhost (skala@localhost) by dante14.u.washington.edu (8.12.1+UW03.03/8.12.1+UW02.12) with ESMTP id h2LHYGt1089964; Fri, 21 Mar 2003 09:34:16 -0800 Date: Fri, 21 Mar 2003 09:34:16 -0800 (PST) From: "C. Friedt" To: Ania Mitros cc: Brian Rabkin , , Tom Uniack , Tobias Mann Subject: Re: Control Gas Prices In-Reply-To: <20030320144016.P7936-100000@barb.cs.washington.edu> Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII besides, one or two companies can't drop their prices. That isn't the way a market economy works. I am assuming that gas prices are being dictated by the price of crude oil. If you really want to make the oil exporters drop their price, you need to get everyone to boycott EVERY petrolium product When gas prices go up, more incentive is created to do things like develop alternative fuels and use alternative methods of transportation. Very good things. The price of oil may never go down, but if it was actually profitable for companies to research and develope alternative fuels, you could potentially be driving a fuel efficient vehicle that runs off something other than GAS or another oil products. ALSO, with rising gas prices, consumers have more incentive to buy more fuel efficient vehicles, also good for the environment and the price of oil in the long run. I say we should rally to RAISE oil prices. The subsidization of big oil companies and car producers has GONE ON LONG ENOUGH!! We should send the message that we want efficient vehicles and alternative fuels that burn cleaner and are better for the environment and that corporate welfare IS NOT OKAY. I think this will get us a lot further in the long run than some buck fifty gas ever will. ALSO, by todays dollars, gas isn't really that expensive. On Thu, 20 Mar 2003, Ania Mitros wrote: > The big part missing in this idea is how long do we go on. Let's say > the two companies drop their prices to $1.80. Some people would say > "great, we don't need to protest anymore!" and buy gas. Others would > want to wait until $1.75. Any petition or protest or campaign without a > clear goal is bound to fail, as people drop out when they feel a "good > enough" goal has been reached, rather than the "united goal" that makes > a massive campaign of any sort useful. > > Ania > > On Thu, 20 Mar 2003, Brian Rabkin wrote: > > > A Great idea Forwarded to me! > > > > I hear we are going to hit close to $3.00 a gallon > > by the summer 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 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 > > $1.97 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. So email your friends. > > > > > > p.s. Exxon is now Valerio Stations in California. > > P.P.S. Hit them where it counts by using public transport, cycling or walking. > > > > .