MI Gas Petition

[xxbackhillxx]

Got this in an e-mail:

This is a petition started by Gov. Granholm to lower gas prices...

Follow the link below and find the box on the bottom to sign!

http://www.michigan.gov/som/0,1607,7...1415--,00.html

Sign Now to Lower Gas Prices!

Michigan drivers are again facing the reality of $3-per-gallon gas - it’s time for President Bush and leaders in Washington to stop watching and start protecting us from the skyrocketing cost of gasoline! It's just not right that big oil companies should be allowed to hold customers hostage to outrageously expensive gas; they rake in billions in record-setting profits while consumers are left with no option but to pay ever-increasing prices.

Consider these facts:

* The average price for unleaded gasoline is 64 cents higher than the same time last year.
* ExxonMobil reported a $36.1 billion in profit, making it the largest corporation in the world and larger than the next four companies on the Forbes 500 list combined.
* Oil prices have increased 240 percent since George Bush’s inauguration in January 2001.

Nearly eight months ago, I and a group of concerned Governors urged the President to take action to bring down the sky-high prices of gasoline at America's gas pumps. We urged the President to bring the price of gas down for consumers by capping oil profits and using federal anti-trust laws to prosecute any companies pocketing extra profits in the wake of disasters like Hurricane Katrina. We also asked Congress to investigate energy profiteering and pass legislation requiring oil companies to refund excess oil profits to consumers.

[coupe]

Done

[cavingman]

i've always been a fan of her! im signing even though i dont live there anymore

[pyro]

Originally Posted by cavingman

i've always been a fan of her! im signing even though i dont live there anymore

does that work? if not we need to start that **** down here. Michigan FTW

[coupe]

I doubt it will work but i will try anything

[onesexyga]

So basically people are saying "This is crap, prices are too high. Now im not willing to change my habits or provide any initiative for a price drop, but i am willing to sign a pointless petition." Welcome to supply and demand. Sell your suv, change your driving habits, stfu.

[H.O. Driver]

Originally Posted by onesexyga

So basically people are saying "This is crap, prices are too high. Now im not willing to change my habits or provide any initiative for a price drop, but i am willing to sign a pointless petition." Welcome to supply and demand. Sell your suv, change your driving habits, stfu.

Thats why the gas company's have made record profits the past couple quarters. Its not something one side needs to do, its something all sides need to act on and do something about..

Its a matter of they have the gas and sell it for what they want and no one is stopping them. If one gas station raises its prices the others will follow suit. Not much you can do besides drive, or walk. Your choice.

Oh btw, I wouldn't start bitching yet, gas still costs more in Canada and Europe. If you think the prices are bad now, wait till they raise the minimum wage, another excuse for them to go up, but thats a whole different battle at the moment.


The best idea I have heard so far (which I doubt will happen) is to completely ban a gas company all togethor, like Exxon/Mobile. Don't get gas from them or shop in their stores. Eventually they will have to get to the point of wanting to have income again they will have no choice to drop their prices to get customers back. Once this is done, the gas war will start and places should start to compete for the lowest price again. however, that would be in a perfect world, haha, wouldn't that be nice......

[rennation]

This wont work, prices are way higher in other states ive heard.

[SilverEcstasy]

They can have all the oil in the world, but if they don't have enough refineries making that oil into gas, its pretty much pointless. ExxonMobil's record profits were quite amazing, but only 9% came from gasoline sales. Consider THAT fact.

Some feel that gasoline will continue to rise until people start acting more economically in general. But the honest truth is, people are struggling. Not EVERYONE is struggling, but people in general are struggling. My mom's friend just picked up a brand new Ford GT40. He's not struggling. There are still plenty of people out there that really could careless bout the gas prices and will do anything to drive their brand new Hummer's and Tahoe's. Even if they literally do not need it.

The main problem is, the cost of living is absolutely way too high in Michigan. And the average income does not meet or match that cost of living. People can't afford to save when everything costs more than they can make a year. insurance is high, taxes are high, gas is high, everything is incredibly expensive. And i'll tell ya this, we definitely don't live in paradise. Alot of my friends are considering bailing. Theres really no reason to stay here. My one co-worker picked up and left for Arizona. He found a 1600+ sq ft 4 bedroom apartment for $800 a month! You can't find a 800 sq ft 1 bedroom apartment in michigan for that much!

And, as someone mentioned, this petition means nothing. Gov. Granholm doesn't need the senseless signatures of citizens to have an argument. The entire country feels some pain over this. Until EVERYones in pain, we won't have any support. But when the Gov't and its employees are banking serious cash a year, they don't know what its like to live hard. Its like how it was said about GM and it's high end execs - Like a bunch of score keepers, but they have no idea whats going on in the field. How are a bunch of high class group of aficianados going to understand and feel for middle class and its issues? They can't.

What I don't understand is why we arn't completely self sufficent. How are we supposed to be the Super Power of The World, yet we depend on other countries. Dig in Alaska, do something for christ sakes if you need oil that bad. This war bullsh8t is getting tired and old.

Another argument someone told me is that we need to all adjust our lifestyles. We don't need huge suvs or fast cars anymore, thats a luxury. Gas and oil arn't luxuries anymore. I contested that "I drive a fast car, because I like to go fast." And he simply responded "Then pay for the cost." Now obviously to me that sucks ass, theres no reason for it. But its almost like are they trying to force us into ridding our vehicles for econo boxes? Are we being forced to the point of where we have no choice but to sacrifice for survival? I know its only gas, but every penny adds up.

[AaronGTR]

I just don't see how gas can get so expensive so fast though. I mean, $.64 higher than the same time last year? Comon', some one is screwing us over here. I remember when gas was still under a $1 a gallon back when I started driving. It was still around $1 a gallon only 10years back. It's $3/gallon now... THAT'S A 300% INFLATION RATE! Maybe everyone is just numb to the price of gas since we're so used to being jerked around on prices, but if the price of anything else went up 300% in 10 years people would be outraged. That far outstripes the inflation rate of everything else in the economy and especially wage and cost of living increases, which means that owning and operating any kind of vehicle, be it SUV or a prius, is more expensive now than it's ever been.

[onesexyga]

congratulation hodriver, you just disagreed with me and then proceeded to prove my point. If its not a question of supply and demand, then why would reducing demand cause them to supply at a lower price?

[botlfed]

Although I think gas prices are high......

The only reason that Granholm will jump on the bandwagon is......
As of Nov. whe won't be governor anymore, so she is trying to save as many votes as possible by making people think she is actually doing something in office.


Granholm FTL

[Ajaxus]

I don't know if you've noticed but as prices skyrocket, people's driving habits DO change. You will see them accelerate slower and begin coasting into stops sooner and try to time it so they don't come to a complete stop. All of these are signs of people trying to stretch out every full gas tank and get as many miles as possible. So even if they are still driving an SUV, drivers that are doing this are getting much better gas mileage.

I've noticed nearly every car around me doing this lately, it is a sure sign that we are learning to not take things for granted.

The government does have the ability to step in and take better control of the gas prices to make sure the companies selling it are not trying to monopolize their prices on us. They were working a few months ago on some legislation that would control prices and enforce punishments on any single gas stations or distributors that took advantage of the market in any way.

I personally do not know what has happened with this legislation, if it is still being worked upon or if it was dropped.

[H.O. Driver]

Originally Posted by onesexyga

congratulation hodriver, you just disagreed with me and then proceeded to prove my point. If its not a question of supply and demand, then why would reducing demand cause them to supply at a lower price?

Dude, I can go both ways on this man. I am just throwing out options for both sides of the fence. But decreasing the demand to just one company could force them to taking less of a profit on all items in order to get customers to come back and buy gas, food, pop, smokes from them since no one would be going to their stations for anything anymore. Like thier conveneince stores, they buy a 20oz bottle of pop from Pepsi for 42 cents a bottle and can sell it for $1.39 a bottle on the shelf. Thats what really makes them money.

Truthfully, I came to the point of "what can I do but not make more trips than I have to." I don't drive any different, I pay what they raise the price to. Well with school and work I only go through $10/week in gas as it is. So I really don't care at the moment, and the shock of the price really doesn't phase me anymore since I have paid $5/gallon for race gas, $3/gallon isn't so bad. We do still have California beat on gas prices yet.

[Ajaxus]

And california has europe beat by a longshot as well, we aren't anywhere as close to painful prices as we could be.

[nascarnate326]

I signed it. It mite not do anythign, but its worth a shot and its free for me to do. I do push the clutch in and coast to stop signs now to save gas. Heck i drive a 4 banger cuz of the gas prices. One thign you have to remember is that Germanys 6.07 for a gallon of gas is actually a little under Cali. If you take out the taxes they are like 30 cents cheaper then our average. If i didnt get 200 dollars a week taken out of my check, I wouldnt be bitching abotu 4 dollar a gallon gas. But with Min wage still low, gas high, and still being taxed we are getting screwed. If Exxon would buy some damn corn feilds and start a ethonal plant, they would really get a better public opnion. All of them would. Im goin to class..

[99blackSE]

Originally Posted by H.O. Driver

Oh btw, I wouldn't start bitching yet, gas still costs more in Canada and Europe.

Approximately $4.15 a gallon for us up here in Manitoba, and that is in my small town, where it is cheaper. I think Manitoba is about middle pack for gas prices in Canada. You'd have to talk to Mike Jung about this stuff, but out in the Atlantic it is around 1.20 a L which is getting close to 5 a gallon.

[Hodge]

i signed up me and like 5-6 of my friends... how many people have signed so far does anyone know?

[H.O. Driver]

Originally Posted by Hodge

i signed up me and like 5-6 of my friends... how many people have signed so far does anyone know?

I would imagine quite a few, I got it in a e-mail from one of my high school teachers 4-5 days ago, so I am sure it made its rounds.

[coupe]

This petition is now going around my company, so expect at least 1200 more signatures.