ARE OIL COMPANIES "Profiteering"

Gas prices effect us in every fascet of our lives. We are not like Europe where you can just about spit into the next country; we must drive to our work, many don't have a transit system that could getus back and forth to where we need to go and get us there on time.
We have one bus that comes twice a day, in the A.M. and one in the P.M.

Give us your thoughts.

It will get worse, before it gets better. Many, many consumers switching over to the hybrids all ready for the gas mileage. At what point do you switch $4.00 gallon,
$5.00 per gallon, or do we all stop driving? What about all the commuters, that travel from 30-60 miles or more to work? It will have a negative effect on our economy, unless they can get the gasoline prices down.

Simon, now there's a good point. This was a good article. The 15th you say? Gottit marked on my calendar!

"Profiteering"
Oh maybe just a little ;-(

Your question is similar to is water wet.

They need the money to buy another election in 2008!

Nothing will stop the oil companies---they fear nothing as they own our government---both sides so it does not matter who you vote for it will be the same. The only way to is to vote everybody out who is in office and put in a third party that is not control by big oil---sorry to say that will not happen.

John I am ROTHLAMBO; I really had that coming.

I recall the energy crisis in the 70s, when we had a peanut farmer in the White House, so I don't think we can correlate our President's former occupation with the price of gas. That aside, ExxonMobil may have had record profits, but the correct indicator to look at is the profit margin. Larger corporations are going to have larger profits, but profit margins allow you to compare companies and industries on an equal playing field.

ExxonMobil's profit margin was 11.97%, only slightly higher than the industy average of 10.5%. That is lower than other consumer goods that people can't live without these days - Tim Hortons' was 15.64% and Microsoft's profits were 25.86%, more than double that of ExxonMobil's.

What irritates me more is that no one notices the high profits in the financial sectors. Why am I only making a paltry 1-2% on my savings when the financial guys are raking in ridiculous profits? JP Morgan Chase - 26.14%, Bank of America 31.28%, and Morgan Stanley at 23.61%, to name a few. To me they are guilty of profiteering yet no one complains about that. (All profit figures were just looked up on Yahoo Finance).

Spartan; I am glad to hear someone agrees that there is a BIG difference from a geographical stand point from the US and te European countries.

I have heard too that Americans are wasteful and should walk to work, ride a bicycle, etc.

Thanks for your input.

I will participate in this, but I think there are far better ways to address it. One was a boycott of Exxon until they start a price war. Another was to reduce your consumption permanently - buy a hybrid; bundle trips; carpool. These are much more effective than a one day boycott. That said - I'm game.

I think that if we were to all go buy those scooters like they use over in Italy and some other countries, we would see a huge savings in gas. Granted, not all of us could actually use them all the time, like when it rains or when you have a long distance to drive to work. But on the average day we could save a ton on fuel costs. Just a thought.

Amy: "What irritates me more is that no one notices the high profits in the financial sectors."

You make an excellent point! I would just say that Exxon's profit margin doesn't include hidden costs that consumers pay for gas - just not at the pump. Hidden costs are paid in taxes (really, deficits), like half a $Trillion war in the mideast. If we really paid the full cost of gas, Exxon's profits would be substantially lower - and consumers would be paying $15-$20 a gallon.

But you're right! The financial sector is stealing us blind, and no one complains - except maybe about the new bankruptcy laws that make it more difficult for individuals to go bankrupt - but not corporations.

Thanks for the alert. Maybe people should be complaining. Are there any watchdog groups that keep an eye on this - that you know of?

I don't feel that not buying gas on the 15th will do anything. So? People will all buy it on the 16th instead? How is that saying anything? We're in the country here, no mass transit at all. We've cut down on our gas consumption quite awhile ago too, by combining errands while we're already out, and doing them all at once. We don't go for "drives" just for the heck of it and we stay home, more often than not. Grocery shopping is done on the same day as either a day we volunteer in town or one of us has a Dr's appointment, and I also call our Aunt to see if she needs anything as she only lives the next town over.
Point being, we "can" save gas and spend less at the pump, just by watching our own habits. Those who have to drive fairly long distances to work, how about carpools?
Buying a hybrid car wouldn't help us really, as most of the time, it'd be stop and go here, so we'd be using gas anyways.
C'mon- don't you think every single Senator, Congressperson owns stock in the oil companies? Party affilation aside? I remember the gas lines in the 70's and not only was it expensive, you were lucky if your gas station got enough gas for you to get some.
And they're all making profits off of us - a lot - though it's the Americans that want everything new and up-to date, so who should we really blame?
Marilyn

I'm not for huge profits for oil companies, but my support for a 'gas out' day would be markedly different from most of you.

We are in very serious trouble.

We have to find ways to cut emissions before we hit the tipping point (454 ppm). We are already at 382 and are on track to hit that tipping point all too soon. Getting to work will be the least of our worries when the world starts to dramatically change.

If you care about your children or your grandchildren, you will do more in your power to end the deadly addiction to gasoline. Despite high prices in Europe, people still use their vehicles excessively. It just costs more. Hiking gas prices is only one way of encouraging changes, but as we can see by Europe's example, not the most effective.

The times they are achanging. And its not going to get better. Not without the collective action of everyone on the planet.

But it begins with one person. You.

And it can't wait.

The financial companies are making a bundle mostly on credit cards and loans that are being used more and more for purchasing gasoline and the related products that are related to high gas prices like transport of goods shipped to the markets ecc.
Another factor to consider is that at a time when demand is increasing due to the summer months many refineries are being closed cutting their overall output just in time for the intense driving season coming up...! "Coincidence"? Higher demand, less output, higher gas prices...! Arrogant S.O.B's....yes I'm in May 15th.

I agree with Mark. It's taken this country decades to get into this situation and we have to work very hard, one step at a time, to get out of it. Look at the situation with our railroads. Fifty years ago you could go anywhere in the country on a train. Now it's pretty much either a plane, a car, or a bus in most of the country.

And while so many Americans, myself included, have to drive a car where they live, nothing says so many people have to drive gas-guzzling SUVs.

I could go on. Suburban sprawl. The ever-increasing size of the average American home. Roads that don't allow for safe bicycling. The oil companies may be powerful and manipulative, but we only have ourselves to blame. We had our first wake-up call in the seventies when OPEC screwed with our economy. Now we have big oil, plus global warming.

Let's wake up!

Steve - I'm not aware of any watchdog groups keeping an eye on the financial sector. I'm aware of it primarily because the big financial houses are now trading oil and gas. They have filled the void left by Enron, Dynegy, and the like when they went belly up a few years ago. They will deny that their commodity trading activities increase our energy costs, but if there wasn't good money in it, why are so many of them entering that market in droves? And why do commodity traders in the energy business have bonuses of half million dollars or more a year if they're not making money through energy trading? Those dollars don't magically appear out of thin air - they're another part of the mark-up that no one talks about. I think the commodity trading middlemen are more to blame and profit more than the original gas/oil producers. Just my opinion.

my only plus is I dont have a car

I am one of those who posted an article on the May 15th "boycott". My oldest daugher asked me, "Well, when are you going to buy your gas, the 14th or the 16th?" She does have a point. But my hope is that ENOUGH people will participate to get the attention of the oil barrons and their political cronies. (Sometimes they are one and the same!)
I still stick with my usual reply to this kind of thing. Americans used to be able to make a difference. Why can we not do so now???

Amy. Thanks for the information. I'm going to check with some of the other groups I subscribe to, to see if anyone is watching this. If I find out anything, I'll write an article.

When gas prices spike, you always hear the same old stuff. Demand is up because of the beginning of the summer vacation season. Some senator or congressman cries foul - the oil companies are gouging the consumer - and they plan to get to the bottom of it. I can see the commodity trading middlemen quaking in their boots now.

Marsha: "Americans used to be able to make a difference. Why can we not do so now???"

Because the real American citizen now is the multi-national corporation - the American people, not so much, except for the vote. Most do not vote, of if they do, they follow the marketing of the corporate media (manipulation) regarding for whom they will vote. I mean, look at the purpose of this article. Individuals trying to organize to affect corporate pricing of a commodity on which they depend.

Thanks for the support Terry.

It is possibly the hardest message for people to hear, that lifestyles are going to have to change because of the climate challenge. There is a huge disconnect because the consequences seem so remote. And they aren't.

This isn't an aberration. This summer is going to be hot. There will be stress on water and energy supplies. The North Pole ice cap is now expected to be gone completely by 2020 and went it goes, the heating will begin to increase exponentially.

Gas prices. I strongly suspect people at that time will be saying 'why didn't they increase gas prices sooner?'

In the meantime, people will do their best to ignore the situation and look at life in purely economic terms.

First I would like to thank everyone for their comments.

Now some would like to know what good a boycott do? Well it doesn't have to mean just lower the prices. I live in a city of 200,000 and yet the transit system is lacking the service people really need.

If everyone and mean everyone didn't buy gas for one day it would get the attention of not only oil companies but our government to try and make our transit system a service that could really help.

Many people can't just go out and buy another car their thinning budgets do not allow for it when most are having problems just paying their bills and putting food on the table.

America is not Europe and people are spread out some not by choice.

Wow, more emails should go out...maybe the price will drop some more.

Gas prices are very high, I agree. But I still am not as shocked as the rest of you because I come from India where the average middle class person cannot afford to use his/her car on a daily basis. They drive two-wheelers instead, saving car trips for special occasions. Here, even with the rising prices, most people can still afford to drive.
What can I say, I'm an incurable optimist. ;-)

I dont know who is profiting from this but someone is. It sure is not me. It is killing us in our community. we live so far from anywhere that we have to use gas. We have an hour drive just to get to the interstate. I have a 3 hour drive to go to my Doctor (yes he is a specialist). I am afraid that it is just going to get worse.

As Americans we've been pretty well off as a whole for a century or so. As humans, we're going to see some changes.

As for the title of this piece, of course oil companies are profiting and a one day boycott is a farce, although it might feel good. What happened the day after the boycott in 1997? Or the week after? I can't seem to find any substantial data on this subject. Can you provide any?

I like the idea of any of us planning a long trip to organize a boycott the day before we leave. Then we can individually benefit as wee need to, just like the oil companies!

Oh wait, that's pretty selfish.

How about we organize a boycott one day a week, or a month. Car pool anyone?

This is all inconvenient right now, but I think that dwindling potable water is going to be the thing that everyone is really going to freak out about in this century.

Finally - I will agree not to buy gas on May 15th just to see what happens. Do you all promise to vote?

What it is is money in the bank for them. A slam in the pocket book for us. To boycott gas would make a ripple effect I think, I also think this mite be very bad. Oil is our only main source of energy and we don't have enough. The United States uses 50% of all the oil in the World. I think, try to conserve and shoot for electric power.

A one-day boycott could be very effective, but concrete results would be small without the participation of at least a few million people. There are, however, other more intangible results that the May 15 boycott might have. It will spread awareness and make people think.

The point of the boycott is not just to save money by lowering gas prices; it is also to reject a lifestyle that is dependant on rapid consumption. Price is high because demand is high. This is a choice we have made, and we can change our minds. When people stand up for what they believe and refuse to sit down and be quiet, they are always heard. That is why we no longer have slavery in America, why we have the Clean Air and Clean Water acts, why all citizens can vote, why we have a minimum wage and Social Security.

The government and the private sector almost never do what is best for everyone; they do what is best for the interests of the rich and powerful. All the things we love about our country, our freedoms, our rights and liberties, have generally not been given to us but have been won by the struggles of average people.

So will the May 15 gas boycott be effective? It matters how you look at it, and it matters how many people decide they care enough to act. If few participate, then effectiveness is strongly limited. If many act, then we can send a clear message to oil companies, auto manufacturers, and our government, that we are tired of paying through the nose for gas. We want fuel efficient cars. We want a mass transit system that works and reduces traffic congestion and our dependency on oil. We want to shape our lives and our society, in the truest democratic tradition. We want our choices limited by real constraints, not by corporate interests. If we continue to act, by extending the boycott and by actively trying to use less gas, we send and even stronger message. Who wouldn't want to drive less if we had an effective mass transit system? Sure it would probably cost more than a trillion dollars to put a good national system in place, but wouldn't we rather spend our money on this than on waging war overseas?

I urge everyone who reads this to not buy gas on May 15.

Boycotting on a certain day will don NOTHING other than hurt the Mom & Pop stores that rely on customer's purchases. The profit the small stores make is a very, very small %. The only people that will be hurt is the "little guy". The companies will NOT feel the "pinch" Also, what about trucking companies, air carriers and shipping companies? They CAN'T go a day without fuel. The big picture is being missed. The day BEFORE and the day AFTER, everyone is going to be fulling up. So, what has not buying gas on one day proven?
NOTHING

The oil companies have their hands tied, they can NOT build new refineries, thank you libs.
They can NOT explore new oil fields, thank you libs.
They can NOT drill, thank you libs.

And the price is set by commodity brokers.

Me, I'm filling up my 20gallon tank BMW on May 15.

BTW,
There was no nationwide "gas out" in 1997. There was one in 1999, but it didn't cause gas prices to drop 30 cents per gallon overnight. In fact, it didn't cause them to drop at all. Despite the popularity of the email campaign, the event itself attracted scant participation and was completely ineffectual.

2. There are over 205 million Internet users in the United States, far more than the 73 million claimed.

3. If, say, a hundred million drivers refused en masse to fill up their tanks on May 15, the total of what they didn't spend could amount to as much as $3 billion. However, it doesn't follow that such a boycott would actually decrease oil companies' revenues by that amount, given that the average sales of gasoline across the entire U.S. is under $1 billion per day in the first place.

4. Whether the total impact was a half-billion, 3 billion, or 10 billion dollars, the sales missed due to a one-day consumer boycott wouldn't hurt the oil companies one bit. Think about it. Every single American who doesn't buy gas on Tuesday is still going to have to fill up their tank on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, making up for Tuesday's losses. Sales for the whole week would be normal, or very close to it.

A meaningful boycott would entail participants actually consuming less fuel -- and doing so in a sustained, disciplined fashion over a defined period of time -- not just choosing to wait a day or two before filling up as usual.

Spartan.....The US is bigger than Europe. People are spread out and we enjoy our freedom, it has nothing to do with the Auto maufacturers If you live in the city, fine, owning a car would be a pain and not worth it. However, people like me who live in the country and commute many miles, public transportation would be impossible. And it's NOT "American Auto makers and Oil companies have made sure Americans are dependent on the automobile." it's our quest and need for freedom, at least for me. And btw, I do not own a GM/Ford/Chevy/Chrysler.......... Nor will I ever again.

I don't think a one day gas boycot is going to put any dent in the pocket of the big-wigs that matter. It would hurt the owners of the local service stations much, much more than it would hurt the big oil companies. Unless we actually use significantly less gas we're still going to use the gas, we just don't fill up on that day. Like someone else commented, so you fill up on the 14th or the 16th, either way we're still using the fuel.
For every person that's out there buying a fuel efficient car there are just as many out buying a "bigger and better" SUV.
I'd like to see the federal government enact much stricter fuel standards but that won't happen under the current administration. This administration not only has a personal interest in the petroleum industry but they are also all about business. They don't really care about the environment, just the economy.

I don't think we can blame the current administration for poor fuel economy. We've had poor fuel economy for years and under many administrations from both parties. I was at a tour of Ford's Rouge Plant a few weeks ago and they had a display with cars from the past 100 years. The Model A got 20 mpg, and just about every car since has gotten 20 mpg. So the way I see it, the automobile industry has done nothing to improve fuel economy in 100 years. You can't blame the oil companies or the current administration for the past century of inaction.

No, I am not Simon. I live in the woods. The closest feed store is 20 miles away, the closest food store is 15 miles away. I love the land I live on. I love my house. I love my home. I am NOT going to move or change my driving or give up my freedoms. And I shouldn't have to. I live very green. I am very self sufficient, I recycle, compost, even have worms. I live more "green'' than most people I know. I live this way because it makes sense, it less expensive and I enjoy it. I have lived "green" since the '70's "Ice Age Scare"

I won't buy into the liberal scenarios and scare tactics they use to attempt to take away individual rights. I don't get caught up in the fever of the liberal crisis of the week. And I will NOT sacrifice my freedom. Will you?

It's not a matter of freedoms. Such freedoms as still exist will mean nothing in the face of what is coming. This isn't a scare tactic. It's a reality check. Ignore it, by all means. It will probably not be you that pays the price. But I do applaud all efforts you do make to live 'green'.

Mark, I DON'T ignore "it", I just don't fall for the hype and propaganda that the liberal left spews about "global warming". I'm all for more exploration and building new refineries to ease our dependence on buying oil from countries that hate us. I'm for fuel cells, nuke power and other alternative energy sources.

The liberal agenda has always had a hidden political agenda, hiding behind scare "tactics". Scare tactics like, the coming Ice Age in the '70's, the demise of the Spotted Owl (which are thriving now) the hole in the ozone layer (havent' heard much about that lately), acid rain (hmmmmm, we still have trees), and the latest scam, Global Warming.

Oil is a commodity. The commodity brokers raise and lower the prices inaccordance to supply and demand. The President has no more effect in raising and lowering the price of oil as he does on the effect of tornadoes and hurricanes.

The blind biased hatred the liberal left has of this administration is apparent in how they ignore facts and truths and hard data that disagrees with their theories.

BTW, his name is spelled Arte.

Wanna a walnetto?

ROFLMAO!!!

I do not get my "news" from the main stream media. Besides that, I'm on my way to work by the time the main stream biased media comes on. I work for a living.

I don't see any hatred from his own party.

What is GW ignoring? Polls? Good, anyone who makes decisions that effect the world based on meaningless polls is showing good judgement. If you think he is "ignoring" the wishes of the American people, lets put it to vote.

Liberals are just po'd that he doesn't kow tow to worthless polls like their hero Clinton, who would drop his pants if the polls suggested he do that. Oh wait.........

People pay MORE for their morning latte and Evian than they do for gas.

Don't worry, all.
Gas prices will come PLUMETTING down.

Sometime in October 2008.

I can guarantee it.

Time/CNN Dated January

Repubicans revolt against Bush

Though Democrats are now in charge of both houses, the lawmakers to watch are the Republicans, who for the first time are charting their own course on Iraq. At least a dozen G.O.P. Senators have expressed opposition to Bush's "surge" plan, and one-- potential presidential contender Chuck Hagel of Nebraska--is even working with leading Democrats to pass a resolution against it. Hagel, a twice-wounded Vietnam veteran, has said Bush's plan to increase U.S. troop strength in Iraq by 21,500 represents "the most dangerous foreign policy blunder since Vietnam, and I intend to resist it."

WashingtonPost.com
Bush's Bubble Breached

By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Thursday, May 10, 2007; 4:30 PM

The significant breach in the Bush Bubble being widely reported today may be a sign that the president can no longer count on members of his own party to shield him from the ugly realities he has created.



Gas was $1.70 a gallon May 23, 2001.

How much was a house in 2001? A pair of pants? Your electric bill? A car? A loaf of bread? A gallon of milk? How much was gas in 1930? That is the LAMEST question you liberals ask. I

Bush is not getting a dime from the gas prices people. You are naive to think so.

Talk about taxes, it the Democrats that RAISE them. Clinton = the HIGHEST tax rate EVER! No US president raised taxes higher or more then Clinton.

We need to build new refineries. We need to explore and drill for more oil. Before you all Gasp in horror, do you have a problem with Venezuala drilling for more oil, in the GOM?? Do you have a problem with Chavez stealing the refineries from private businesses and profiteering and putting the money in HIS pocket while Venezualians starve?

CNN? NYT?? Washington Post? The Rolling Stones?? Surely, you people don't really believe what those stellar publications say!!

LMAO!! can't type

laughing

tears

laughing

funnest ...............posts................................. ever

why not quote Doonsbury while y'all at it!

Mitch:

It is simply impossible to reason with the intellectually challenged. People who feel that Faux news is the only source of news without a liberal bias, and completely unaware that the media is not liberally biased . . . who believe in their hearts that an oilman in the whitehouse cannot profit from war or increased oil prices . . . people who believe Faux news is fair and unbiased . . . I think it cannot be done.

As to the question posed by the article? Please! I payed $3.44 this morning. Record profits . . . unsurpassed in history are being reported. Lease revenue goes uncollected. Why, one must wonder, if they are reporting RECORD profits do we hear the tired supply / demand argument? A refinery off-line results in price increases within hours. It comes back into production and weeks later prices MIGHT start to drop. How freekin' naive can people get??

Is the water wet was a generous analogy. More accurate would be to ask "Is the water water?"

Regards,
Doyle I <~~~~~

Thank you Cindy .... vs Mich and anyone else, sorry Cindy its just the way it comes across ...and thank you Doyle.

If we can not get on the same page here how in Gods name can we make changes.
Cindy do you remember Dick C talking oil in the east. He was trying to setup contracts. The US government doesn't want us using different sources for energy, too many of their supporters would lose money.

This article is about showing our government we want options, we want to be able to pay bills, put food on the table, and yes I am pretty most want cleaner air and water for our children and to save the ozone. There are already so many people cutting back and yet it is not helping.

If you think the boycott should be longer, give us some ideas. Some could ride bikes to work, just don't get run over.

LETS HEAR YOUR IDEAS .........

Lets join others to fight these inflated prices or we're all going to be pretty much living on the streets.

wiaka.....boycotting will NOT work. Less consumption is the answer, how ever.....again, the prices are NOT determined by GW or Cheney. It is supply and demand and commodity brokers.

IF the oil companies could build new refineries and drill for more oil (ANWR & Gulf of Mexico & Gulf of Maine) we could have lower prices. It is not hard to grasp this simple concept. However, thanks to liberals, the oil companies can NOT build new refineries, can not explore and drill for more oil. A refinery has not been built in over 25 years, yet the world, yes, the world's demand for oil has increased due to India and China become more and more industrialized.

That IS my idea and MY thoughts. Sorry if you don't like them or agree with them. You asked and I answered.

As far as using different sources, what happened to all the nuclear power plants? Oh, that's right.....the libs didn't like 'em, so, now a source of cheap, clean reliable energy can't be used here. Coal? Only in China and India can you use coal. HMMM< let's see now......wind farms!! Oh, they decimate the bird population and are ineffecient and no one wants them in thier backyard, not even Ted Kennedy. Well, until fuel cells become a reality, we are pretty much stuck with oil.....MY idea is to go ahead and drill the crap out of ANWR, GOMx, GOMe etc..... Build new and effecient refineries. Build a decent car that is practicle that gets over 100 mph....oh, that's been done but Cheney killed the guy who invented that engine.....right?......

But again, until then....we are stuck with oil.

It doesn't matter to me personally what the price of gas is, it won't stop me from driving the way I do. We still have it WAY better and cheaper than they do in EU.

If you end up living on the street because the price of gas goes up....you either need to budget better or get a better job.

Cindy fyi; I am disabled and it is not something I like to let everyone know; however there are some people that don't have a choice of better income.

I hope you are always able to keep up with inflation.

Thank you all for commenting.

I will work two or three jobs if I have to. I dont' have to anymore, but I used to, while I was going back to school. 3 jobs AND working on a dissertation that took me a total of 6 years to finish. I'm well off now, but I worked very very hard for it. And I still work hard. I am sorry you are disabled. I don't know what it is and you don't have to tell me, but, I know many people with disabilities that do have a choice of better income. It's hard, but it can be done.


As far as blaming Bush for the price of oil? In the late 1970s, prices of most petroleum products were subjected to Federal Government price control regulations. On January 28, 1981, all remaining product and crude oil prices were decontrolled, establishing a free market for petroleum pricing. Refiner, distributor, and retailer pricing decisions for petroleum products are now based on the operation of a free market economy and may, therefore, differ not only from region to region, but from STATE to STATE, and even from one area to another in the same State. The average cost of crude oil to U.S. refineries (referred to as the "composite refiner acquisition cost") greatly affects the final cost of petroleum products.

With blind hatred, blame Bush.

Thank you Eileen, I believe they are ripping us off too.

Well the 15th has come and gone, w/o much ado though it did make the news barely.

Gas keeps rising ......

Interesting statistics you present in your article wiaka - too bad I see from your comment that the boycott did not have any effect. Looks like it may be time for a different plan - but I'm not sure what that will be. Thanks for the information and thoughts on this popular topic :)

Thank you Lisa for dropping by and commenting.

As long as the people don't have to tighten their belts so to speak they will not be a force for change.

Blessings

Oh definitely. Gas is now up to $3.20 here. It will all come crashing down soon enough. Such things always do eventually. Everything has its season and eventually passes. I imagine this one will be quite dramatic, rather like the fall of Rome!

..
U

Quinn, I don't know where you are from, but here in California gas has been 3.40-3.57 a gallon for a while. : (

Thank you for dropping by and commenting.

Blessings

First thing:

I would like to say sorry for taking a while to get to your article. I have been away from gather for a while and I am finally getting to the 3000 plus emails I have awaiting me on here to go through. so I am starting from the most recent received to the first I ever received.... So now I am finally able to read your piece. Thank you for sending me the link to this article.

Now second thing:

Sorry dont have much to say currently and anything thought provoking... Starting to run of energy right now. Thanks for sharing the article with us. Great work.

!!!Please Read And Repost!!!

**Don't Speed On June 1st**

As you may have noticed, the price of oil, gas, and food has begun to skyrocket. This has really made life difficult for most of us. What I propose is that we make June 1st, 2008 a day in which we don't speed while driving. Yes, you may have to leave a little earlier, but the benefits are great. If we all decide not to speed on June 1st:

Our fuel usage will be lower (your gas mileage goes up when you slow down).
The demand for gas will be lower and will help drive down gas prices (the "don't buy gas on May 19th" scheme didn't work since people would either buy gas the day before or the day after, which only raised prices and didn't lower demand).
The price of food will be lower (the increased fuel prices affect truckers and raise the price of our food).
There will be fewer accidents (with more people driving slower, the roads will be safer).
You will help fight global warming (by decreasing the amount of gas we burn, we will lower the amount of carbon dioxide that goes into the atmosphere).
You will save money (by helping to lower the price of gas and food, you will save money and help others to save as well).
For all of these reasons and more, I would like to propose that we make June 1st, 2008 a day that we don't speed. Pass this along to everyone that you know and get the word out!

Thanks!!

--Dan H.

!!!Please Read And Repost This As A New Article!!!