Who's Running Things Anyway?

When George W. Bush took office in January, 2001 gas prices at the pump were $1.53 per gallon. Today, they are at and above $3.00 per gallon.

No matter what happens, oil companies are gonna get theirs - it’s like taxation, except they don’t have to bother with a bunch of tax returns & such nonsense. They just raise prices.

When crude prices go up - oil companies raise the price to the consumer;

When crude prices go down - the price to the consumer stays up;

Whenever there is any change or disturbance whatever to be used as an excuse - oil companies raise prices.

Oil companies raise prices during war due to ‘war time demand’;

Oil companies raise prices after a hurricane or earthquake due to ‘damage to infrastructure and shortages”;

Oil companies raise prices during summer because there’s ‘more travel’.

Oil companies raise prices in winter due to ‘heating oil demand’.

Excessive demand is defined as anything over what the refineries can provide - and no US oil company has invested in a new refinery in OVER THIRTY YEARS!

Essentially, oil companies raise prices any time they can get away with it.

Oil companies do these things because they have so many politicians bought and paid for and in their pockets to be pulled out whenever needed.

Exxon for example, made record profits last quarter - more than any corporation or entity in the history of the world, ever.

Exxon raised prices after the Exxon-Valdez spill due to their ‘projected outlay for damage awards’. (which they still haven’t paid these sixteen yeas later by the way, even though found ‘criminally negligent’ in court {besides having a drunken pilot on board - who was in his cabin sleeping it off, the ship was being run by the third mate who wasn’t using a radar which might have prevented the grounding because it was too expensive to operate!}. And, the actual damages they were forced kicking and screaming to pay were reimbursed by insurance anyway!

Exxon continues today to realize $2 million PER DAY in interest on the fine while they appeal the award.

Exxon actually INCREASED PROFITS as a result of the Exxon-Valdez spill due to their criminal negligence. On a personal level, it’s a lot like having an endless supply of ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ cards along with tons of hundred dollar bills you can grab armfuls of anytime you wish.

YET, our government in it’s infinite wisdom, has under this *administration given Oil companies (including Exxon) even more tax breaks - pure pork to them, coming directly out of the US treasury.

*Not to be discriminatory, ALL recent administrations have eagerly handed over largesse to the oil companies, indicating that greedy corporate immorality (and lavish campaign contributions) really does pay when it comes to politics in the US. It is just that this particular administration, and all Republican administrations in general, are invariably especially eager to accommodate energy companies - unless they are the kind that wishes to develop alternate sources.

This interesting study (1995) might give you some idea of the real, and hidden subsidies enjoyed by the big oil companies. And, three guesses as to who is actually paying for these subsidies . . . .

Here's an interesting idea just sent to me a few days ago by a Canadian friend of mine:


Take a look, we have started this in Canada, your turn in the US maybe.

It is rumoured that we are going to hit close to a $1.42 a Litre by the winter. Want gasoline prices to come down? We need to take some intelligent, united action. Someone 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, this is a plan that can really work. Please read it and join.

We all know that we're being controlled by the oil companies. Does everyone remember how they drove up the prices and got the gas prices to where they wanted them, claiming there was a shortage of oil. Well, there isn't any shortage now, and the oil is more abundant than it was 35 years ago when the price of a gallon of gas was 29 cents!!!


Now that the oil companies and the OPEC nations have conditioned us to think that the cost of a litre of gas is CHEAP at $0.78-$0.85, 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 cant 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:

PAY ATTENTION HERE

For the rest of this year, DON'T purchase ANY gasoline from the two biggest companies (which now are one), PETRO CANADA, SHELL. 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 PETRO CANADA and SHELL buyers. Its really simple to do! ! Now, don't whimp out on me at this point...keep reading and Ill explain how simple it is to reach millions of people!!

(In the US we probably want to substitute EXXON)

Again, all You have to do is send this to 10 people. 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 I 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.