well that just hurts...

Living is getting more expensive by the day, literally. A lot of people I know have cancelled their vacation plans this year. They're hanging around the house instead, hoping to still be able to to put gas in the tank and get to work everyday. What was a nuisance has become a very serious and compelling problem for a lot of folks. The cost of getting us anywhere and getting anything to us is simply out of control.

One of our local talk radio stations that usually gives away concert tickets and movie passes as contest prizes is now giving away free gas. Car makers have found a fresh gimmick by promising to keep the price of a gallon within reason for a few years if you'll buy one of their models. A really smart airline sorta hid in the bushes and waited it out while most of the others raised their fares. Now the holdout is advertising the lowest ticket prices without all of the added fees and they're filling their planes while the others scratch their heads and wonder what happened.

Businesses are finding ways to cope with the record high gas and fuel prices. Most of them are looking for ways to survive. In the meantime, the companies that supply the pumps are snickering and thriving.

A week or so ago I saw the top guy with Exxon Mobil talking to Matt Lauer on TV. His basic response to every question was something like, "I know the public doesn't like it, but it's not an optional purchase. They have to have it." (loose quote) That just struck me as arrogant and demeaning. We learned later that the exec makes about $12.5 million a year. He can probably afford his company's gas - if he pays for it at all.

I understand there are several factors that contribute to where we are with fuel prices these days. The big oil companies can't control every step from searching to drilling to brokering to transporting to refining to transporting again... But I refuse to believe they are powerless. There has to be something they can do to show some sort of support for all of the hard working folks who are finding it a day-to-day task to just keep up - forget getting ahead.

For one thing, maybe take a look at the top salaries in the business and at least make it look like the people there are willing to sorta sacrifice like the rest of us are forced to. Overall the dollar impact would be nearly nonexistent at the pump, but the act would show us something of a heart in those immaculate board rooms. Next, how about taking a look at those hefty profit figures. I'm certainly not against any business making a profit. They should do well and prosper, but not while our most vulnerable are getting hungrier, losing their homes, limping and dying.

We have to buy gas. Some folks can change their habits. Public transportation is an option for a few. Carpooling is another. But for most there's no way to avoid pulling into a pump and swallowing hard.

I'll say here, I am very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very leery of the government taking any kind of control of the oil industry, or even regulating it with a heavy hand. So, since the top guys at the top companies told our federal lawmakers, under oath, that it was as simple as supply and demand, let's put their excuse for ungodly prices into practice for something more reasonable.

Since a complete boycott is not practical, a partial one can be. Instead of calling for a day to avoid the pumps altogether, which means the day before or the day after sets record gas sales, we should choose a company to stay away from and wait for them to feel the pressure to bring their prices within reason. When/if they respond we start buying their gas again and choose another company to boycott until they respond. When the folks at company "A" sees everyone patronizing company "B" they will hopefully do something to compete - bringing their gas prices down.

It'll take great organization and lots of discipline to do it right, but how long can we afford to do nothing?

P.S. The good folks who work the counter at the stations don't decide how much you pay for gas. Be kind to them.