Last year on April 30, 1999, a gas out was staged across Canada and the U.S. to bring the price of gas down, and it worked. It's time to do something about it again. This time trucking companies and private businesses have decided to make it for three days instead of just one. The oil cartel decided to slow down production to drive up gas prices. FOR WHAT? Most experts predicts prices will continue to increase within the next six months to around $1.80 (I've heard higher) per gallon. WHY? LET'S HAVE A GAS OUT! Do not buy gasoline from APRIL 7, 2000, THROUGH APRIL 9, 2000. Buy what you need before the dates listed above, or after, but try not to buy any during the GAS OUT. If you want to help, just send this to everyone you know and ask them to do the same. We brought the prices down once before, and we can do it again! Come on North America, let's stand together. WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!!!!

-- cin (cinlooo@aol.com), March 08, 2000

Answers It has been almost 30 years since I studied economics, and things have probably changed since then. Will someone please refresh me as to how we bring the price of something down when there isn't much of something? Wouldn't the suppliers just be happy that they got a breather for a couple of days, and could restock, regroup, and move forward?

I think long term, a gas out would be great! But we have to get rid of a lot of SUV's, and some interesting notions about how much horsepower everyone in the United States needs to drive to the 7-11.

BTW, regular at Arco (cash only) is now $1.5199 and it's $1.60 at Chevron, with each grade being a dime higher. This is in WA state. It was $1.4699 when I left on a trip on Sunday, and the previous Friday it was $1.3799. Previous Tuesday to that, $1.3299. Interesting.

Got seeds?

But please enlighten, because I would really like to be enlightened.

Thanks in advance.

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), March 09, 2000.

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New York State is at $1.61 for regular and at the reservation its 1.39 .This hurts! Last year we paid between .99-1.29. Something has to change.

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), March 09, 2000.

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$1.60 for gas .... it is really something like $1.00 for gas $0.60 in taxes, depending on your state. It will not get any better, has anyone ever heard of taxes going down. Oil from Alaska where does it go? To Japan! Is Japan having a problem with the oil prices? NO. Why isn't that oil used here in the US?

Alternative energy? The budget cuts in the early 80's was the nails in the coffin for many of these technologies. Yes many readers on the forum use alternative energy systems, but does the county on a large scale?

Also the US oil consuption is going up due to the clean air act. Power plants can't burn Eastern US coal, too high in sulphur, some of the powerplant have converted over to oil and gas. That is why unemployment around here is still 10 to 15%, some economic boom, huh?

Maybe it's time to fire-up the still and produce your own alcohol for fuel.

Another thought is this a Y2K computer problem? It was reported by the commerence department last fall that the Arab world was way behind in fixing their systems.

I do beleive that the envirnomnetal laws (clean air act, etc) has all but halted any oil, gas and coal production and exploration in the USA. (Note: I don't believe that all envirnomental laws are bad, however I do thick that the DC'ers has lost all common sense.) Just another way for the Leaders (sic) in DC to send our country down the tube. Turning control of our economy over to someone else. I think that if we the people do not elect someone from outside the the mainstream politics we will only have more of the same.

-- Rich (pntbeldyk@wirefire.com), March 10, 2000.

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the way i see it they raised the interest to cool off the economy and prevent inflation . To much to soon the gas price will inflate the price of every thing. It's time to get off the dependance of forgien oil.Natural gas which we have a great deal of or my favorite is hydrogen refined by solar i think that will work but it's time we quit letting forgein intrest have such a large affect on aer economy Shaun

-- shaun cornish (shaun-terri@juno.com), March 10, 2000.

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There have been a lot of reports that much/some/most of our problems have been related to difficulties at refineries. Maybe someone out there could direct us to a link that lists all the refinery problems since the century date rollover. I think I remember seeing one. Anyway, there's a lot of shutdowns, and unplanned maintenance going on. I think that is having a major impact on gasoline distribution, which is obviously different than just problems with our crude oil imports. Besides not doing a lot of exploration for crude, for various reasons, we (United States) have also not done a lot of maintenance on our refineries, as I have read.

I hope I have understood this correctly. But don't take my word for it, check out the EZboard, the link of which I put in this thread somewhere above or the gas question thread. It's interesting, though sometimes technical, and a lot of the commentary is from concerned investors, and not just ordinary folk like us'uns here at Countryside....

Guess my point is, it's not all OPEC. A lot is refinery problems.

Remember y2K? It's not quite over yet, is it?

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), March 10, 2000.

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Here's a forum that discusses oil markets, refinery shutdowns, cost of gasoline, etc. http://pub3.ezboard.com/fdownstreamventurespetroleummarkets

-- bluetick (coonhound@mindspring.com), March 10, 2000.

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Bluetick, Yup that's the board! Thanks!

-- sheepish (rborgo@gtex.net), March 10, 2000.

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If you think gas prices are hurting your pocketbook, try diesel prices! My husband and I are owner/operators of a 18 wheeler,which is our only source of income. With the price of diesel,and the fact that freight rates have not been raised since the 70's, we are forced to have him drive full time,and I have stayed home (home being living with my mother because we as yet cannot afford our own), and gotten a regular job painting houses. The "big truck" community is in serious difficulty,and are also going to do the "gas out". And if that doesn't get us some relief, we are in the planning stages of an all out shut down for a week. If no one buys fuel for 3 days, it should glut the market,forcing fuel stops to lower prices to move the product,as they are on a regular delivery system,rather than a on call re-fueling system. But more important, if all trucks shut down for a week(and all the big companies are in agreement with this idea), it will in essence, cripple the "go get it when I need it" economy. They slowed fuel production,because the oil cartell wanted to force the price up equal to what the europeans pay. So as the USA sells our oil to Japan, the citizens of this country are beiing held hostage over an agreement with a group of "highway robbers". I for one,will not buy fuel on april 7,8,9. And our truck will be parked,irregardless of what kind of sensitive or needed items we are carrying, when ever the trucking community decides to shut down. Its the only options we have to blackmail.

-- M. Lynn Sloan (medicinewoman97@hotmail.com), March 12, 2000.

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Hey everyone, If the people in congress and our country can't do something about oil prices, then write them and get petitions signed showing them they are not going to serve another term. If they are not going to do the job, get someone else in who will. You have to show them numbers. Look up their email address and email them respectiable letters, showing them that your vote does count. If they see enough something will get done.

By the by the gas that you are using now has been bought and paid for a long time ago, the gas people are using the stored up gas and getting a lot more for their dollar, they have not even touched the gas that has gone up so much yet.

Beth (NC)

-- Beth (craig@icu2.net), March 12, 2000.

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I am with you all on the gas out and emailing everyone I know!! Here in Idaho the prices are a minimum of 1.50/gal and expected to rise about 2.00/gal this summer (for the cheap stuff)!!!!!

-- Lisa (lgh@rmci.net), March 13, 2000.

-- ducky (duxinarow@yahoo.com), June 29, 2001