National Drive Off Day

[soundman8199]

NATIONAL DRIVE OFF DAY!



By most familiar comparisons, the $9.92 billion profit earned by Exxon Mobil Corp. in just three months is almost unimaginable. It would cover all Social Security benefit payments for three months. It would pay for an Ivy League education for about 60,000 kids. It would pay the average list price for more than 160 Boeing 737s. It would fund the military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for more than two months.


Yet oil industry representatives and Exxon Mobil yesterday made a game effort to cast the record profit, earned during a quarter in which the Gulf Coast was shattered by hurricanes and gas prices rose well above $3 a gallon, as middling at best.



Friday, Chevron joined the eye-popping profits parade. The nation's No. 2 oil company reported earnings of $3.6 billion. The totals only get bigger: Conoco Phillips made $3.8 billion, BP made $6.5 billion, Royal Dutch Shell made $9 billion.



Exxon made more than any other company, as a matter of fact,” says Howard Silverblatt, a market equity analyst with Standard & Poor's. “Their profits by themselves were more than 492 companies made for the entire year within the S&P 500.”



“I just think it's ridiculous,” says one driver. “It costs me anywhere from $65-75 to fill up the vehicle.”



“I feel cheated,” says one man. “We're all getting cheated.”



"I am on the verge of losing my job", a women from Pennsylvania said. "It would be cheaper for me to stay home and go on welfare". "We have a great welfare system".



SOMETHING VERY DRASTIC NEEDS TO BE DONE!



ON SUNDAY JUNE 10TH WILL BE NATIONAL DRIVE OFF DAY!



DO NOT PAY FOR GAS!



THIS WILL WORK! THINK ABOUT IT, WE GET THE GAS AND THEY DONT GET THE PROFITS!



WE NEED TO SHOW THEM HOW WE FEEL. NOT BY WRITING A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE, NOT BY GOING ON THE NEWS AND COMPLAINING, BUT BY TAKING ACTION!



JOIN THE REVOLT!





REMEMBER: IF WE ALL DO THIS, WE ALL CAN'T GET CAUGHT. AND ITS ONLY A SMALL FINE FOR THE FIRST OFFENSE!





LETS SHOW THEM WE WILL NOT TAKE IT ANYMORE!

-----------------------------------

I don't know how the rest of you feel about gas prices, but i think this is a good idea.

[MeYatch]

wow.

rather than point out the hypocrisy between your last two topics I will just say:

Rick, please stop posting myspace bulletins on here.

[BDR]

Another wow. Breaking the law is no way to solve this problem.

Now, before you ask me what's the right way to solve it, my informed answer is, "I don't know."

r:>)

[J Michaels]

Another wow. Breaking the law is no way to solve this problem.

Who made the law this way? Who keeps the laws in a form that benefits them?

Law is not some magical truth that is bestowed by the heavens. It is created by people. Don't reify what has been legislated.

A little revolution now and then can be a good thing.

That being said, this will never work, because not enough people will go along with it. Besides, we can work legally to change things. In other words - STOP VOTING FOR WEALTHY OILMEN WHO EXPLOIT EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO ENRICH THEMSELVES AND THEIR BUDDIES AT YOUR FUCKING EXPENSE!!!!!!


Rocket science it ain't, folks.

[MeYatch]

Who made the law this way? Who keeps the laws in a form that benefits them?

Law is not some magical truth that is bestowed by the heavens. It is created by people. Don't reify what has been legislated.

I'm pretty sure that soundman8199 would hapilly tell you that "thou shall not steal" is the law, and it was bestowed by the heavens.

Regardless, I don't need anyone or anything to tell me that stealing is wrong.

[mjb]

dude, i'm all for sticking to the oil company if we could somehow. but what you implying is the biggest knuckle-headed, lane-brained idea i think i ever heard! in my life! i mean c'mon, drive off?????? get chased through the streets, gunfire, and what if i got weed on me? i commend you on your effort to try to rally the american people to do something , but maybe you should bump that date up and try to come up with something a little less illegal. good luck with that!

national ride your bicycle to work week, thats the ticket! giv that a shot.
that just came too me off the top of my head and i wasn't even trying

[BDR]

Another wow. Breaking the law is no way to solve this problem.

Who made the law this way? Who keeps the laws in a form that benefits them?

Law is not some magical truth that is bestowed by the heavens. It is created by people. Don't reify what has been legislated.

A little revolution now and then can be a good thing.

The law I was referring to is the one dealing with theft.

r:>)

[DirtySanchez]

and what if i got weed on me?

I can't stop laughing at this.

The bicycle thing would work, if people weren't so goddamned lazy.
The key is to not USE the gas. Stealing it, or not buying it for one day would only cause prices to go up to compensate.

[Skate Toad]

You wouldn't be screwing the big gas companies. You would be hurting the local companies that hire local people. Do you think the gas is given to companies like sheetz to sell? Hell no they have to buy it and then sell it just like any other product. So driving off on sheetz you think the gas companies will be like oh you lost x amount of dollars in gas oh ok well we will take the hit better luck next time. Big oil still gets paid either way sold or given out for free! No it's the small companies that hire our friends and family that take the hit and too much of that means they fire layoff and go out of business. So you think you are hurting big oil when all it really does is screw the local economy. If you want to hurt big oil, get ALL of these greedy jackass politicians out of office.
I must say it takes alot for me to respond but that was the most dumbass thing i have read in a long time!
End Rant

[J Michaels]

I'm pretty sure that soundman8199 would hapilly tell you that "thou shall not steal" is the law, and it was bestowed by the heavens.

I'll argue it was bestowed by Moses, a supremely intelligent and wise man who carved wise edicts into stone and, knowing his words wouldn't carry as much weight as "God's" words, he told everyone God gave him the stones.

Regardless, I don't need anyone or anything to tell me that stealing is wrong.

The law I was referring to is the one dealing with theft.
r:>)

And I was referring to the fact that charging ever higher prices and taking more of your money and my money and everyone else's money is classified as "business" and not stealing. It's all in the definition. Where does the line between "profit" end and "stealing" begin? At the accountant's desk? We all know how clever corporate America has become with the stroke of a bookeeping pen.....

Again - NOT advocating stealing. Just trying to prompt some thought about how things are defined as legit and illegit, who gets to make those decisions and definitions, and who has to live with them no matter how adversely it affects your life.

Look - crude oil prices are lower right now than the end of March - but gas is more expensive. Why? Why has gas gone up to record highs in the last 2 weeks (up 11 cents / gal to an national avg of $3.18 )? Because oil companies have us by the shorthairs, and they KNOW it. If crude goes up, gas goes up. NOW - when crude goes DOWN, gas goes up. Oh, well - production is down. Yeah - and SO many gas stations are running out, aren't they.... It's ALL BS.

Look - Profits = Costs - Revenues, right?

Oil companies say costs are up because crude is more expensive, production is down because they lost refining capacity and have to fix their refineries since Katrina and Rita, further raising costs.... If costs were up so darn much, then the difference between revenue (how much $$ they get for selling their gas) and costs would be SMALLER without raising the price of gas. So you raise the price of gas and keep your profit margins.

But oil companies are making Record Profits - not just oil industry records - ANY BUSINESS EVER. Did you get that? ANY BUSINESS EVER. And not record revenues - record PROFITS.

So who is robbing whom?

I would never advise anyone to do something to get thrown in jail, and I don't think this drive-off idea is wise. But it stirs an interesting debate if you think about what I have said about how thigns are defined as right and wrong, and whose interests are served by those definitions. Just think about it, OK?

[J Michaels]

Not to mention this is a good point....

You wouldn't be screwing the big gas companies. You would be hurting the local companies that hire local people. Do you think the gas is given to companies like sheetz to sell? Hell no they have to buy it and then sell it just like any other product.

[bassist_25]

“I just think it's ridiculous,” says one driver. “It costs me anywhere from $65-75 to fill up the vehicle.”

Nobody says that you have to drive a freakin' Chevy Suburban. I really don't have much sympathy for people who drive gas guzzlers when they don't need to and then bitch about the price of gas. I get about 33 mpg and $3.09 gas still really sucks for me. I can still haul two Aguilar 4x10 cabinets, a ten-space gator rack, two basses, a bag of misc. items, a passenger, and still have room to spare. One time, Rob and I fit all of that, minus one cabinet, plus a full PA in my car. Some people may need larger vehicles because they haul trailers - or in a lot of our cases, gear - but the idiots who buy vehicles that get 11 mpg, and the only cargo they are hauling are passengers, don't get any love from me.

[J Michaels]

And I will reiterate my earlier point.

We can work legally to change things.

STOP VOTING FOR WEALTHY OILMEN WHO EXPLOIT EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO ENRICH THEMSELVES AND THEIR BUDDIES AT YOUR FUCKING EXPENSE!!!!!!

That was the second main point of my first post. Rob - I know you're on board with THAT one....

[J Michaels]

“I just think it's ridiculous,” says one driver. “It costs me anywhere from $65-75 to fill up the vehicle.”

Nobody says that you have to drive a freakin' Chevy Suburban. I really don't have much sympathy for people who drive gas guzzlers when they don't need to and then bitch about the price of gas. ... but the idiots who buy vehicles that get 11 mpg, and the only cargo they are hauling are passengers, don't get any love from me.

Fair enough. But think about the fact that the CEO of Exxon could commute in the freaking Valdez if he wanted to and be able to afford the fuel.

[bassist_25]

You wouldn't be screwing the big gas companies. You would be hurting the local companies that hire local people.

That reminds me - A friend I have use to work for a major filling station, I believe it was Uni-Mart, and company policy was if anyone drove off without paying, the employee during the shift would have to pay the amount stolen if the person was not caught. That's total bullshit if you ask me. The only thing an attendant can do is write down a license plate number and give it to the police. What's he or she going to do, chase after a car that pulled away from the pumps?

That seems a bit illogical to me. Then again, just because your some dude with an MBA and a fancy corporate title doesn't mean that you always make policies or decisions that make sense.

[Hawk]

National "Drive Off Day"

or

National "Don't Buy Any Gas Day"

to be followed by another

National "We're Raising Gas Prices Day" !

[Hawk]

You can't fight Big Government when Exon owns the government.

[Hawk]

Lobbying is a polite political correct term for BRIBING. And it should be outlawed !

What do you do for a living ? Well, I used to be a congressman, but now I make a ton of money by bribing politicians ! Ah, I mean lobbying.

[Rich]

So right you are "Hawk"... Everyone should get use to it. It's the great American way and it will never change till the "bottom" fall out of the economy and there is another depression.That is, If we don't kill each other first. Within the next 2/3 years...

[RobTheDrummer]

It shouldn't be "drive off" day it should be "lose your license day cuz you're and idiot" day.

[Jim Price]

I'm waiting to see if we reach the breaking point like in the early 70's when the truckers pulled their big rigs off the road. If the Teamsters get pissed off and park their trucks, then the fun begins...

[lonewolf]

"I am on the verge of losing my job", a women from Pennsylvania said.

Heh, heh, heh. She said:

THE VERGE

Heh, heh, heh.

[lonewolf]

Gas was getting really cheap there for awhile. It didn't start going up again until those damn new politicians took over Congress. It must be their fault. {read disclaimer}

In reality, its not big oil or politicians driving up gas prices this time, its the refining companies*. The rotten bastards shut too many refineries down for maintenance a few months back and a few others went offline unexpectedly, so gas supplies dropped.

Unfortunately, there is no incentive for these companies to build new refineries. It is extremely expensive and between the environmentalists and the "not in my backyard" crowd, there has not been a new refinery built in the U.S. in 31 years. Until a few years ago, there was no profit in it either.

http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12227

Rick: If anybody actually steals gas and they mention this thread, you could actually be charged with "inciting to commit a misdemeanor". Be careful what you post.

*some refineries are owned by companies perceived as "oil companies".

[Hawk]

Gas was getting really cheap there for awhile. It didn't start going up again until those damn new politicians took over Congress. It must be their fault. {read disclaimer}

In reality, its not big oil or politicians driving up gas prices this time, its the refining companies*. The rotten bastards shut too many refineries down for maintenance a few months back and a few others went offline unexpectedly, so gas supplies dropped.

Unfortunately, there is no incentive for these companies to build new refineries. It is extremely expensive and between the environmentalists and the "not in my backyard" crowd, there has not been a new refinery built in the U.S. in 31 years. Until a few years ago, there was no profit in it either.

http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12227

Rick: If anybody actually steals gas and they mention this thread, you could actually be charged with "inciting to commit a misdemeanor". Be careful what you post.

*some refineries are owned by companies perceived as "oil companies".

Then I say we all chip in and build a refinery here in Central Pennsylvania.

Read sarcasm.

I'm sick of all the excuses for their record setting profits ! "Things are so bad we keep making more and more money. We just can't help it that all of these things go wrong, and we just have to raise prices. Really , It's not our fault. And when things are going well......We have to raise prices because we have to be ready for something to go wrong. "

If anyone believes their spin, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I can sell you cheap.

[lonewolf]

My post was not about excuses. It is the only legitimate explanation on this thread about how these companies manipulated their assets to create perceived supply shortages. Namely, shut down gasoline production under the guise of maintenance and create a gas shortage. The free market traders freak out and unleaded gets bid up on the open market. I just didn't think I'd have to explain it in so much detail.

See what happens when beliefs get in the way of facts?