Posted on 04/26/2006 6:25:51 AM PDT by freakboy
BEEVILLE — Texans don't like to be messed with, especially in this rugged South Texas county not far from some of the state's major independence battlefields.
So, it was only a matter of time before Bee County Judge Jimmy Martinez said someone had to stand up to tackle a national epidemic striking at the heart — and pockets — of local residents: Rising gas prices.
This week, Bee County became the first in the state, possibly the country, to pass a resolution asking motorists to boycott fuel pumps beginning Monday.
County elected officials said they would ask others in the state to follow suit.
"Hey, the American people are tired," Martinez said. "What we did is we simply took action instead of complaining.
"We're offering our residents a beacon of hope."
The resolution adopted Monday echoed the nation's anxiety over skyrocketing fuel prices that have now topped $3 in some states. Last week, average prices at the pump climbed 13.1 cents to $2.91 a gallon, according to the Energy Department.
But the boycott call is targeted only at Exxon Mobil gasoline until retailers agree to drop the price to $1.30 a gallon. Martinez said he's especially miffed about reports that former Exxon Mobil CEO Lee Raymond received a retirement package worth $400 million.
The median annual income here is about two-thirds of the state average of almost $40,000. Many can't even afford to travel to nearby hospitals for treatment, he said.
The resolution perplexed Leticia Muñoz, whose family owns the three Bee County Pantry Convenience Stores that sell Exxon Mobil fuel.
"I don't know what they are trying to accomplish," she said. "It's not going to make a difference on the cost of fuel, but it is a direct impact on us. It's ridiculous. There's nothing we can do about (gas prices)."
Muñoz said dropping the price of gas at the family's stores from $2.79, as it was Tuesday, to $1.30 would leave them bankrupt.
But the concerns don't stop at the county government level.
In Washington, there's widespread grumbling about why the federal government is handing out billions in subsidies and tax breaks to oil companies that continue to raise prices on taxpayers.
Martinez said he hopes Bee County's resolution will further spark discussions in the board rooms of the nation's largest oil companies.
"The Commissioners Court said, 'Enough is enough,'" the judge said. "We have to stand up for our people."
Not everyone in the county is embracing the resolution.
"I think it's crazy," said Katryna Rincon, 32, who was filling up at The Pantry South. "I don't think it will really work."
Rincon said she would continue filling up at the gas station even after the boycott begins next week.
County officials said they targeted Exxon Mobil because they are the largest oil company in the United States and hoped competitors, like San Antonio-based Valero, would be motivated to enter into a price war, driving the cost of fuel down.
Both the National Association of Convenience Stores and the American Petroleum Institute said Tuesday the county's efforts were misguided.
API spokeswoman Jane Van Ryan said major oil corporations own fewer than 10 percent, or about 16,000, of the nation's convenience stores.
And, she said, the price of fuel is determined long before it reaches the pump. Van Ryan said the bulk of its cost, about 60 percent, is determined by the price of crude oil, which rose to record levels last week.
"I understand politicians wanting to show action on behalf of their constituents," said John Eichberger, the NACS' vice president of governmental relations. "But, boycotts are the least effective and most destructive outlet for consumers in regards to the markets."
Van Ryan and Eichberger blamed the higher gas prices on instability in oil producing nations, regulations that determine how gas is manufactured and increasing demand.
Martinez said Bee County didn't pass a resolution to hurt local businesses, but to "protect the masses."
"We've been conditioned to think that we can't do anything," he said. "We're beyond that now. Somebody needs to bring it up at the grass-roots level, to light the fire here so it can move on."
I think as many people should boycott as possible. That would leave more gas for the rest of us who understand economics.
Oh boy.
has anybody wondered why this POS in Iran keeps stirring things up? Maybe to keep the volatility and the price of oil artificially high? I mean who really benefits from all this uncertainty. OPEC!!!
Wonder if they will boycott Honda? They made money last quarter.
I've never visited Bee County, but it sounds like it is run by a nest of idiots.
Complaining about gasoline prices at these levels is quite natural, but boycotts won't solve the problem. More refineries are needed as well as more exploration and more nuclear plants. Anything short of that is useless hand wringing.
I wonder if they are boycotting wheat in India:
Apr. 22--NEW DELHI -- Wheat futures have started hitting record highs.
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2006/04/25/1609648.htm
Those evil Indian farmers!!!
About $0.50 / gallon is for taxes, so they want the untaxed gasoline to be $0.80 / gallon. Since the price of the crude oil is about $1.80 / gallon, they want Exxon to lose $1.00/gallon on the oil plus refine it, ship it and run the station for free.
Maybe they can make up for it in volume.
Sure, screw the hell out of the local retailers, the likely only people who would get hurt by such an idiotic proposal.
SA - any comments?
I got this same message thru an email, specifically pointed at Exxon-Mobil. Passed it on to all my email friends, just as others have done.
It's spreading like hot butter on toast.
Do you want to buy a bridge too? :) http://www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/gasout.asp
I guess I should have read closer. I thought they were boycotting gas in general.
Why do we have to "urge" people to boycott a product whose price has become "too high". When Cable TV got too expensive for me, I didn't need anybody to urge me to "boycott". Don't people have enough sense to make their decision for themselves?
$1.30 a gallon??? LOL!
Hey, Mr. Plumber, I want you to charge me only $5 an hour instead of $85.
And you, Mr Lawyer... I insist that you charge me legal fees of only $3.50/hr.
What? What do you mean you can't do that? I DEMAND it!
What are so many politicians rushing out to investigate why Americans are having to fork out an extra $5-10 a week for the luxury of personal travel????
Seriously folks, what is the deal? We'll spend $5 for a Big Mac value meal without batting an eye. We buy Starbucks coffee for $4 a cup.
"Martinez said Bee County didn't pass a resolution to hurt local businesses, but to "protect the masses.""
Hmmmmmmm.......Sounds a little marxist there does it not?
What a joke. Are they also planning on boycotting the government which makes more per gallon than Exxon?
And I really flamed the two who sent it to me last week. Not a personal attack, but a reply giving them the facts.
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