Missed Opportunity
Hello all,
Wow, I love an aptly named post. First and foremost, I’d like to take a moment and do something I didn’t do in my last blog, and that is to send out regards and prayers on behalf of this site to those experiencing the aftereffects of Hurricane Katrina. It’s specifically affected those states on the Gulf, but now even farther out we experience differences in life because of an event that may very well be a defining moment of our lifetime, sitting in top tier with the towers falling. Again, prayers and love from B.L.O.G., and as I like to say, love is the remedy.
Now, the missed opportunity I speak of comes in lieu of the gouging of gas prices because of Hurricane Katrina. The last week of August, and fears associated with the hurricane included such rumors as shortage of gas, and the strategic U.S. oil refineries were opened up because of such fears. Because of the imminent demand for gas, gas stations countrywide raised prices 40 and 50 cents to profit off of what I consider for the most part, paranoia. When I woke up August 31st, 2005 gas was around 2.39 in some areas (I’m a resident of South Carolina), and as sure as I’m finishing up this blog, gas is 3 dollars a gallon. This happened in a number of cities nationwide, and of course, people drove, in, well droves to fill up their tanks for fear of running out.
Now, surely gas guzzlers and those of us with SUV’s that can splurge probably were in line, and concede with how easily we as a country can be manipulated by media coverage and fears that we would run out of gas. I’m not so fortunate, and when I saw the rise in prices, the first thing I was thinking was ‘wow, this is the perfect time for a gas strike’. Clearly, gas companies look to take advantage of the situation in New Orleans as an opportunity to raise gas prices, to disregard well-being instead of maintaining consistent prices, seeing how much money will already be spent in rescue and rebuilding efforts.
Concerning the strike, I believe that a session starting on the 1st of September, Thursday, through the weekend would’ve effectively made a collective statement to companies, saying that we as a country understand the dynamics of what they’re trying to do, and we will stand for it no longer. Such rising of gas prices is unacceptable, and it’s funny in the South seeing governors trying to control such outlandish practices. Sadly, this wave of capitalism will go unabated unless barricaded by the power of consumers.
Alas, going through rush hour, I see people tripping over each other trying to fill their tanks, as if they were trying to get the last drops of water on Earth. It’s sad, really, to see us as a nation respond so hysterically to what clearly was companies taking advantage of what we’ve seen on TV and heard on the radio all week.
Long story short, just because you see someone with an SUV or a Ford F-1050 (being facetious), filling up their tanks and throwing 50 dollar bills around like rice at a wedding doesn’t mean you have to break the bank to keep up with an ongoing hysteria. Even though this is the 21st century, you’d be surprised to see that the dollar has more juice than to power a collect call, and all that juice together should’ve powered what would’ve been a country-changing, nationwide strike.
Love you all,
The Good Doctor
Oh yeah, check out my Soul Brother’s website in the links…my man Jig has a site called RomanceXpress…he’s a very introspective brother like myself, and I trust that you will enjoy his site as much as you enjoy the BLOG. Peace and take care.
Wow, I love an aptly named post. First and foremost, I’d like to take a moment and do something I didn’t do in my last blog, and that is to send out regards and prayers on behalf of this site to those experiencing the aftereffects of Hurricane Katrina. It’s specifically affected those states on the Gulf, but now even farther out we experience differences in life because of an event that may very well be a defining moment of our lifetime, sitting in top tier with the towers falling. Again, prayers and love from B.L.O.G., and as I like to say, love is the remedy.
Now, the missed opportunity I speak of comes in lieu of the gouging of gas prices because of Hurricane Katrina. The last week of August, and fears associated with the hurricane included such rumors as shortage of gas, and the strategic U.S. oil refineries were opened up because of such fears. Because of the imminent demand for gas, gas stations countrywide raised prices 40 and 50 cents to profit off of what I consider for the most part, paranoia. When I woke up August 31st, 2005 gas was around 2.39 in some areas (I’m a resident of South Carolina), and as sure as I’m finishing up this blog, gas is 3 dollars a gallon. This happened in a number of cities nationwide, and of course, people drove, in, well droves to fill up their tanks for fear of running out.
Now, surely gas guzzlers and those of us with SUV’s that can splurge probably were in line, and concede with how easily we as a country can be manipulated by media coverage and fears that we would run out of gas. I’m not so fortunate, and when I saw the rise in prices, the first thing I was thinking was ‘wow, this is the perfect time for a gas strike’. Clearly, gas companies look to take advantage of the situation in New Orleans as an opportunity to raise gas prices, to disregard well-being instead of maintaining consistent prices, seeing how much money will already be spent in rescue and rebuilding efforts.
Concerning the strike, I believe that a session starting on the 1st of September, Thursday, through the weekend would’ve effectively made a collective statement to companies, saying that we as a country understand the dynamics of what they’re trying to do, and we will stand for it no longer. Such rising of gas prices is unacceptable, and it’s funny in the South seeing governors trying to control such outlandish practices. Sadly, this wave of capitalism will go unabated unless barricaded by the power of consumers.
Alas, going through rush hour, I see people tripping over each other trying to fill their tanks, as if they were trying to get the last drops of water on Earth. It’s sad, really, to see us as a nation respond so hysterically to what clearly was companies taking advantage of what we’ve seen on TV and heard on the radio all week.
Long story short, just because you see someone with an SUV or a Ford F-1050 (being facetious), filling up their tanks and throwing 50 dollar bills around like rice at a wedding doesn’t mean you have to break the bank to keep up with an ongoing hysteria. Even though this is the 21st century, you’d be surprised to see that the dollar has more juice than to power a collect call, and all that juice together should’ve powered what would’ve been a country-changing, nationwide strike.
Love you all,
The Good Doctor
Oh yeah, check out my Soul Brother’s website in the links…my man Jig has a site called RomanceXpress…he’s a very introspective brother like myself, and I trust that you will enjoy his site as much as you enjoy the BLOG. Peace and take care.
posted by The Good Doctor at 3:18 AM
1 Comments:
Hey Ken,
First off, a question...Do you really think that the gas companies are trying to take advantage of the situation in the Gulf Coast for profit?
We all know that OPEC is the world's biggest supplier of oil, and thus, can have a significant leverage power on the price because they control most of the world's demand. But in the US, gas is a traded commodity, and the price of gas in this country can also be influenced my the way it is traded. Yesterday, the price for a barrel of oil topped $100, before closing around $95 (if I remember correctly). This price can be effected by what people will believe will happen in the future. And, with things looking bad in Iraq, the production halt of refineries in the Gulf, consumers worries and fears for what's to come, and what seems to be an escalating energy crisis in this country, gas prices were inclined to go up. Not too mention the demand for oil in other areas beside the consumer markets, such as in power plants, farming and agricultural, production of oil-based materials and public transportation, which will no doubt lead to higher prices in these and other markets.
I was one of those people who waited in line when gas was $2.69 here in Tallahassee, because I'm a struggling college student as it is, and I depend on my car. Surely, many of us will change our behaviors (going out less, saving more money for necessities and emergencies), but we still rely on cars as transportation, and for some people, as a part of their jobs. So, this is merely an attempt to take advantage of low gas prices before they truly skyrocket; some people are saying $5 a gallon within the next few months. Many people simply want to be prepared, and sadly, some are willing to go to extremes!
But anyways, I think that's all I have to say...lol!! Holla back and let me know what you think!
Peace,
Ramone
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