Guaranteed Way to Lower Gas Prices!!!

[Seabiscuit]

Forget about a one-day gasoline boycott. It's more of an inconvenience to the consumer than it is a problem to the oil companies.

An Exxon Mobil executive just retired receiving $400 MILLION as a retirement bonus. This is in excess of his pension, his salary and his other bonuses.

So, if Exxon Mobil has that kind of excess cash floating around, let's force Exxon Mobil to lower its prices first.

BOYCOTT Exxon Mobil gas stations until they are forced to lower their price to $1.50 per gallon to stay afloat. As they do so, other oil companies will be forced to lower their prices to remain competitive (plus they'll have record profits from consumers who switched from Exxon Mobil, so they can easily afford to lower their prices). Just tell 5 friends to do so, and tell each of them to tell 5 friends and keep passing the message. If people do this, we won't be paying $3.00 plus at the pumps this summer. We won't even be paying $2.00 a the pumps.

We could target Shell next (and boycott both Exxon Mobil and Shell). Before you know it, we'll force a competitive market on the oil companies.

Oh, and I'm not saying you ever have to buy Exxon Mobil gas again - I'm not going to lose any sleep if we just run them the crap out of busines.

[stepnw1f]

1. I'm On Board

I will go out of my way to get gas at a Citgo station.

[INdemo]

9. I think this will work

Lets say you commute several miles and even if you dont this will cause problems for the supplier and bulk plant...First of all Never fill your tank....buy just the minimum you need to get to your destination..then before returning buy the minimum amount you need for your return trip.(oh and never buy form the same gas station within any three day period) .If enough drivers did this than the gas storage at the stations would soon only need minimal amounts on their scheduled delivery day to top off and this would soon back up all the way to bulk tanks...This would only take about 30 days to be really effective and the supply at the bulk plants would be near overflow status..

[Whoa_Nelly]

2. Same as from the dumb email I got the other day...it won't work

From Snopes:

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

Claim: Boycotting a couple of gasoline brands will bring overall gas prices down.

Status: False.

More at SNopes link

Also, so many people don't realize it's not just about buying gasoline.

It's used for so many things, it would be impossible to put a stop to the prices at the pump just by boycotting.

For example:
Planes would still be flying, semitrucks would still be moving products, agricultural production would continue.

Now, look at this page for a partial list of what one 42-gallon barrel of oil produces:
http://www.ranken-energy.com/Products%20from%20Petroleu...

Use and price of petroleum products is not just about gasoline.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. I know it won't change the prices because petroleum is a fungible

commodity traded in international markets. But I can still boycott Exxon Mobil because I think they suck and their ex-CEO is a greedy asshole.

[Whoa_Nelly]

8. Then stop buying from the other greedy companies, too

Shell, Chevron/Texaco, BP...and when buying gas, first find out which company the local guy actually purchases from.

I agree that ExxonMobil and all involved are corporate monsters with no soul...look how they've treated their people in Nigeria...absolutely criminal.

[Flabbergasted]

10. Ultimately what we are talking about is what tools do we have to work

with. Effective tools. Cynicism is not an effective tool!

[Seabiscuit]

17. Both the boycott and anti-boycott ideas are based on different takes on

the notion of supply and demand.

One interpretation says it will work, another says it won't. Each have their rationales.

So why put the economic theoreticians to the test and just go ahead and boycott Exxon Mobil anyway and see what happens? Maybe it will have the desired effect, maybe not. But meanwhile we get to stick it to one of the meanest, greediest bunch of corporate executives on this planet. If nothing else, it will be bad publicity for them.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. I'm trying to stick to Citgo if possible... but boycotting Exxon Mobil is

a great idea. $3/gallon while some corporate douchebag walks away with $400 million is just obscene. That's more than 130 million gallons of gas dumped down the drain to pay this dick. I could drive my Saturn for over 300,000 years for that.

[iamjoy]

5. Here's The Potential Flaw

Aren't a lot of the Exxon (Shell, etc) stations owned by Joe (or Jane) Average? They set their gas prices based on what the gas company charges them (and other factors including their operating costs).

So, you boycott Exxon, but Joe Average station owner can't lower his prices - Exxon's got him by the short and curlies. His station closes. Lots more may close before Exxon Corp. gets the hint. Meanwhile, you are helping Wal-mart establish a monopoly. They sell gas below cost, but they aren't doing us any favors, it is a strategic move to gain dominance and then screw us.

[Flabbergasted]

7. I think we need to move the campaign beyond lowering gas prices..

Whats really important. What's more important even than having a job?

[PetraPooh]

11. Or in a show of solidarity by the oil companies,

the other companies simply buy Exxon's oil for the shortages they will undoubtedly have because of the increase in demand at their stations. Then claiming price/demand, since their demand will be up, they (the other oil companies) will simply charge more not the less you hope for.

[Seabiscuit]

18. Those consequences don't necessarily follow.

Why would people buy at Wal-Mart just because they aren't buying at Exxon Mobil any more?

I say boycott EVERYTHING Wal-Mart sells anyway. Just fuck 'em.

But that's beside the point.

Who says Joe Average's station closes? He can continue to sell Exxon Mobil's gas at whatever price they set it. And if Exxon Mobil ever gets pinched hard enough to "close" Joe Average's station, who says that puts Joe Average out of work? It's just as possible that BP or Citgo might buy Joe Average's station from Exxon Mobil and retain Joe Average's services.

[Champion Jack]

6. Better yet, print out a small statement

detailing how much the asshole got.
Print 'em on stickers and stick them to the pumps where people can't miss them.
(right by the price)

[Capn Sunshine]

12. Never gonna happen

Boycott whoever you want, until demand is exceeded by supply, the price is going one direction only.

better get on board with the end of fossil fuels instead.

[Seabiscuit]

19. I'm all in favor of ending dependence on fossil fuels. But meanwhile,

wouldn't it be fun to stick it to the bastards that run Exxon Mobil, regardless of the outcome?

[MasonJar]

13. Great idea! Everyone please join in. Stop by and tell the station

how you feel, remind them of Venezuela giving 40% off gas for poor Americans while Exxon got richer and then tell all your friends and enemies that you do not go to Exxon. I began this policy after Exxon Valdez. We need big numbers. We could put some money in and run ads. I'm game. I hate those SOB's

[adriennui]

14. this sounds good

i've been feeling rather helpless about gas prices, but after reading about that fat fuck's retirement package i would love to be able to send some kind of message...tell friends and family, don't buy exxon!

[brmdp3123]

15. I haven't bought Exxon/Mobile in 30 years.

It hasn't worked yet.

[Coastie for Truth]

16. Two Alternatives

1. Buy an econom car - like a Mini-Cooper or an MB "Smart Car", or do the bike or shoe leather thing,

2. Anti-trust class action --- win with Eliot Spitzer.
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[Seabiscuit]

20. Did you hear the 2009 (?) Toyota Prius will get 100 mpg?

[Coastie for Truth]

21. The 2009 Prius is "cheating"

It will have lithium batteries (much more kwhr/mass, kwhr/volume)- and you can charge it from the "grid" - so you can use it as a 100% "electric." I like the idea.

(Somebody made a truck conversion like that in WW2 - may have been "DIVCO" ?)

[meow2u3]

22. Two words: Democratic Congress

Dems have never let Big Oil get away with the price gouging repukes do. They'll put an end to the literal highway robbery going on now.

[NickB79]

23. Gas will never be $1.50 again, no matter where you buy it

Hell, we'll be lucky to see $2/gal gasoline again this winter. After that, it will just keep going up. By next summer, $4/gal is a definite possibility.

Unless all the oil wells in Saudi Arabia and Texas miraculously refill, oil will not drop in price over the next decade. At least, not until the global recession/depression from skyhigh oil prices sets in in a few years.