| SpongeOsophy Political Essay An Effective Gasoline Boycott |
Dear Readers: Once again SpongeDaddy gets political. This is not my normal
motivational essay. Oh, it is in that I want you all to do something. But, it has
little to do with overcoming a disability or staying positive. I have written this for
two reasons: 1) I want you all to see the stupidity of the "Don't buy gas on XX
date" movement e-mails, and 2) Show you an EFFECTIVE way to express your
anger at the oil companies. If political talk does not excite you, please choose
another post to read.
motivational essay. Oh, it is in that I want you all to do something. But, it has
little to do with overcoming a disability or staying positive. I have written this for
two reasons: 1) I want you all to see the stupidity of the "Don't buy gas on XX
date" movement e-mails, and 2) Show you an EFFECTIVE way to express your
anger at the oil companies. If political talk does not excite you, please choose
another post to read.
How often do all of us get e-mail telling us that we need to show the oil
companies we are mad? Then the e-mail tells us that we should not buy gasoline
at all on such and such a date. The originators of the e-mail think that said
boycott will shock the oil companies by showing them we are not going to take it
anymore.
You know what happens in this type of protest? If we say don’t buy gas on
September 15th, the oil companies smile and say, “We’ll see you on the 16th.”
They know we have to have the fuel. They lulled us into submission with cheap
gas for so long we got used to and dependant on our SUVs, heavy trucks and
vans. They know we have to have the gas because we have to drive 30 miles to
work. They know we have to have the gas because the mass transit system in
most places is gone or never was. They know we will buy the gas the next day.
Missing one day of filling up will not even be a hiccup in their bank accounts.
However, there is a way we CAN make them feel the pinch.
Do you know how little a Mom and Pop gas station make on each gallon of
gas? About two cents. Do you know where they make their money? Sodas,
tobacco, junk food, etc., that is where the profit is made. In college I managed a
convenience store owned by a “Mom and Pop.” We made about a nickel per
gallon, and we were the same price as others. But our canned soft drinks had
about a 100% mark-up. With fountain drinks we quadrupled our money. The
packs of gum that you buy when you go in to pay for your gas, that is where the
profits come from.
Now your big chains, those owned by oil companies, they make quite a bit more
on gas because they buy it straight from the manufacturer-themselves. They
could afford less margin on other things. They make their profit through the sale
of gas…not just for the store, but for the oil company that owns them.
Our store was never the first to go up on gas. We waited until the other big
chains raised their prices. We did not pay much attention to what the next load of
fuel would cost, we followed the leader.
These days, most stations do just that. You all can think of ONE station in your
area that is the first to go up on their gas prices. Odds are, that station is one
owned by an oil company. When they go up, the other stations all say, “Oh good,
we can gouge before our next shipment comes in.” And I don’t buy this crap that
because oil futures went up two dollars in Singapore overnight my gas has to go
up a dime today. Last-In-First-Out accounting only works if you have the
merchandise in stock.
In our town, that station is SPEEDWAY. In fact, they own three stores in this
town. They usually go up ten or twenty cents, then when others go up to match
their price, they go a penny cheaper so that we think they are giving us a break.
SPEEDWAY is owned by Marathon Oil. For the last few years I have watched
them be the first to go up. Always.
Now then, you might think…get to the point. Okay, I will.
Want to send a message? Boycott SPEEDWAY. Give your business to the
Mom and Pop station. If you have to buy your gas at SPEEDWAY, only buy the
gas. Get your tobacco from a smoke shop. Get your soda from a grocery store.
The overhead in these places is outrageous. We, as a nation of angry
consumers, can shut this chain down. I don’t care if SPEEDWAY is two cents
cheaper than the Mom and Pop. I would rather give Mom and Pop the business
than line the oil company executive’s pockets.
Oh, I know that there are other factors affecting the price of gas; China’s
increased demand for one. But that does not change the fact that most American
Oil companies recorded record profits last year. They are sticking it to us, and
they keep getting away with it.
So, again. Boycott SPEEDWAY and hence, Marathon Oil. Give your business
to the Mom and Pop folks. Don’t even buy a pack of gum from them.
We as consumers can make a difference here. Shut down ONE of these
subsidiaries, and they will notice. Shut down two, and they will be scared.
Then it is US that will have THEM over a barrel.
Be well,
Sponge
08/28/2005
ps. Stop asking the government to "fix" this problem. We as consumers
have more power. If the government steps in, they may never step out!
companies we are mad? Then the e-mail tells us that we should not buy gasoline
at all on such and such a date. The originators of the e-mail think that said
boycott will shock the oil companies by showing them we are not going to take it
anymore.
You know what happens in this type of protest? If we say don’t buy gas on
September 15th, the oil companies smile and say, “We’ll see you on the 16th.”
They know we have to have the fuel. They lulled us into submission with cheap
gas for so long we got used to and dependant on our SUVs, heavy trucks and
vans. They know we have to have the gas because we have to drive 30 miles to
work. They know we have to have the gas because the mass transit system in
most places is gone or never was. They know we will buy the gas the next day.
Missing one day of filling up will not even be a hiccup in their bank accounts.
However, there is a way we CAN make them feel the pinch.
Do you know how little a Mom and Pop gas station make on each gallon of
gas? About two cents. Do you know where they make their money? Sodas,
tobacco, junk food, etc., that is where the profit is made. In college I managed a
convenience store owned by a “Mom and Pop.” We made about a nickel per
gallon, and we were the same price as others. But our canned soft drinks had
about a 100% mark-up. With fountain drinks we quadrupled our money. The
packs of gum that you buy when you go in to pay for your gas, that is where the
profits come from.
Now your big chains, those owned by oil companies, they make quite a bit more
on gas because they buy it straight from the manufacturer-themselves. They
could afford less margin on other things. They make their profit through the sale
of gas…not just for the store, but for the oil company that owns them.
Our store was never the first to go up on gas. We waited until the other big
chains raised their prices. We did not pay much attention to what the next load of
fuel would cost, we followed the leader.
These days, most stations do just that. You all can think of ONE station in your
area that is the first to go up on their gas prices. Odds are, that station is one
owned by an oil company. When they go up, the other stations all say, “Oh good,
we can gouge before our next shipment comes in.” And I don’t buy this crap that
because oil futures went up two dollars in Singapore overnight my gas has to go
up a dime today. Last-In-First-Out accounting only works if you have the
merchandise in stock.
In our town, that station is SPEEDWAY. In fact, they own three stores in this
town. They usually go up ten or twenty cents, then when others go up to match
their price, they go a penny cheaper so that we think they are giving us a break.
SPEEDWAY is owned by Marathon Oil. For the last few years I have watched
them be the first to go up. Always.
Now then, you might think…get to the point. Okay, I will.
Want to send a message? Boycott SPEEDWAY. Give your business to the
Mom and Pop station. If you have to buy your gas at SPEEDWAY, only buy the
gas. Get your tobacco from a smoke shop. Get your soda from a grocery store.
The overhead in these places is outrageous. We, as a nation of angry
consumers, can shut this chain down. I don’t care if SPEEDWAY is two cents
cheaper than the Mom and Pop. I would rather give Mom and Pop the business
than line the oil company executive’s pockets.
Oh, I know that there are other factors affecting the price of gas; China’s
increased demand for one. But that does not change the fact that most American
Oil companies recorded record profits last year. They are sticking it to us, and
they keep getting away with it.
So, again. Boycott SPEEDWAY and hence, Marathon Oil. Give your business
to the Mom and Pop folks. Don’t even buy a pack of gum from them.
We as consumers can make a difference here. Shut down ONE of these
subsidiaries, and they will notice. Shut down two, and they will be scared.
Then it is US that will have THEM over a barrel.
Be well,
Sponge
08/28/2005
ps. Stop asking the government to "fix" this problem. We as consumers
have more power. If the government steps in, they may never step out!
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
21 months later SPEEDWAY led yesterday's surge in gas prices to $3.39
in our town. This on the day when we were NOT supposed to buy gas.
Perhaps the oil companies were trying to show US who was in charge.
Think what would happen if SPEEDWAY lost 80% of its customers. Don't
you think they would change their marketing and pricing philosophies?
The attorney general of Kentucky is getting in on the act now. There is
a lawsuit he has filed for price gouging by Marathon and SPEEDWAY.
Read the story from a Louisville News Station here.
I still have not bought anything from SPEEDWAY since I wrote the
above essay.
Be well,
Sponge
05/16/2007
in our town. This on the day when we were NOT supposed to buy gas.
Perhaps the oil companies were trying to show US who was in charge.
Think what would happen if SPEEDWAY lost 80% of its customers. Don't
you think they would change their marketing and pricing philosophies?
The attorney general of Kentucky is getting in on the act now. There is
a lawsuit he has filed for price gouging by Marathon and SPEEDWAY.
Read the story from a Louisville News Station here.
I still have not bought anything from SPEEDWAY since I wrote the
above essay.
Be well,
Sponge
05/16/2007