Labor unions protest gas prices
By Sam Shawver, sshawver@mariettatimes.comArticle Photos
Fact Box
At the pumps:- Marietta: $3.95
- Ohio: $3.96
- United States: $4.07
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» Fuel pricesBehind the protesters on both sides of Pike Street, gas stations were selling regular unleaded for $3.99 a gallon.
Wray and fellow protesters were part of a rally organized by the Southeast Ohio AFL-CIO, calling for Republican presidential candidate John McCain and President George W. Bush to boost the economy by investing in energy independence and ending tax breaks for big oil companies.
“We’re talking about the high price of gas and what it’s doing to our middle class, not just union members; this affects everybody,” said Troy Ferrell, president of the Southeast Ohio AFL-CIO.
“People are having to choose whether they can afford health care, groceries or gasoline, and we want to get the message across to the president and John McCain, who will just continue with more of the same tax cuts for big oil, throwing the tax burden off on our middle class.”
The protesters stopped short of endorsing Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, because the national AFL-CIO has not done so, said Liza Alwes, internal communications coordinator for Ohio Labor 2008. Sam Davis, business manager for the Parkersburg-Marietta Building and Construction Trades Council, said fuel cost is one of several important issues labor Americans are facing.
“Add health care to gas costs and you’re talking a huge chunk of change,” he said. “I don’t know how people on minimum wage can afford it — they’re just working to put gas in their tanks.”
Davis said developing alternative energy sources like liquefied coal and biofuels is part of the answer to high fuel costs.
“Oil companies haven’t built a new refinery in this country for years,” he said. “It’s important for us to keep looking. And it’s time for people to speak up, even those who are non-union. You can’t just let someone else do it.” Marietta Republican Allen Brokaw, 73, said he favors efforts to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign oil, including allowing drilling in places like the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge and off the coast of America to increase the availability of oil.
Brokaw said he does not believe blame for the problem can be laid at the feet of any one person — even the president. It will take a bipartisan effort from Congress to solve the problem of record-high gas prices, he said. “They’re going to have to work together to solve this,” Brokaw said. Evan Bevins contributed.
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ohioankev
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06-19-08 10:47 AM
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It's $4.60 a gallon here in CA.
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Harleyrider
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06-19-08 9:07 AM
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Indian, you don't know squat. I am just an informed American.
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Indian
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06-18-08 10:20 PM
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I told you all Harely is an oil man. Mainlines it. He loves the oil people. Defends them like he is one. He has to be.
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hockeypuck
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06-18-08 5:59 PM
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Gee, I guess the democrats will lower the price of oil when they take over. President Bush sits at his desk each day and determines what he thinks is the best price for that day, then calls up the oil companies and tells them what to charge. Sound impossible? Well, my democrat friends told me that. So, what will Obama charge?
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Harleyrider
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06-18-08 2:59 PM
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Oh and acerace, that poster said that we deserve this was right. Want to know why? We voted for it. The politicians that*****up to the tree huggers are why we have what we have. Tell me, who worried about oil prices after that mess in the 70's?
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Harleyrider
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06-18-08 2:30 PM
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acerace, you are clueless. You accuse me of things that I am not, hence get a clue. It appears that your baseless rhetoric would best be pointed at yourself.
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acerace
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06-18-08 1:44 PM
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harley . . it is not what you say, it is how you say it. you talk down to people who oppose your views. plain and simple. as in your last post . . " get a clue". i am not a clueless idiot. i simply have a different opinion and it's just as worthy as yours. get over yourself.
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Harleyrider
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06-18-08 1:21 PM
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acerace wtf are you talking about? I point out facts and ask questions and you think I am upset? Please get a clue ok.
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acerace
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06-18-08 12:44 PM
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wow, you guys are really getting into it now. i feel like i'm in the presence of the movers and shakers of mtta. parrothead, they're after you man, you're outnumbered. i'm bowing out. there's way too much superiority here for me. roflmao
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acerace
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06-18-08 12:07 PM
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Harleyrider, you seriously need to calm down man. an oposing view does not equal stupidity. and you dont need to get all in a wad about it. i'm simply saying this . . gas is $4 a gal., oil execs have annual salaries in the millions, and oil companies are posting record profits. the cost of goods and services continues to escalate across the board. everyone is feeling the crunch. somewhere on here someone said we "deserve" this. excuse me while i throw up! and you, sir (assuming that you are), should take a course on netiquette!
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THETRUTH
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06-18-08 11:54 AM
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Sorry Parrothead I have a bussiness to run and dont have time to explain how unions are like Communisim, and like Communissim they will self destruct as you see happening in America today. Cant wait for Obama, Free gas and I wont have to buy health ins. for my employees, Ha.Ha.
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TXBuckeye
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06-18-08 11:33 AM
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Parrothead, I second the thought, you crack me up! You are so stereotypical as to be laughable. Anybody who knows more than you on a given subject is automatically "arrogant". When confronted with any type of facts or comments counter to yours, you go straight to the insults. I can almost picture you now, all puffed up with righteous indignation. After all, YOU know what best for ALL OF US, don't you?? You are too much of a cliche. You're a hoot, but I have to bow out for a couple days. You see I have to go out of town on business and try to make some money for the evil comapny I am with. One question though. Does anybody besides your fellow Kool-Aid drinkers take you seriously??
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Parrothead
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06-18-08 10:19 AM
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Or did you mean held responsible by the stockholders and that they could be fired if they ran their businesses with integrity and saw profits drop a little because of that?
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Parrothead
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06-18-08 10:18 AM
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Name one time that a CEO has been held responsible for anything? H*ll those responsible for the whole ENRON mess got off scott free!
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Harleyrider
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06-18-08 10:14 AM
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Parrothead, you crack me up. You really are clueless as to who I am and what I do. Nice to know that is what you think. lol. I did not say I had a high opinion of them I just said that some require a specific skill set that is hard to find. Bottom line, they are the ones held responsible.
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Parrothead
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06-18-08 10:02 AM
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Harleyrider – you have a very high opinion of CEO’s don’t you. Makes one wonder if you may not be a CEO or at least are aspiring to be one. I can not speak for all CEO’s but the ones I have know do not do the tasks that you credit them with – their employees do. Yes they may sign off on the deals, budgets, operations plans, but they do not actually do the work. The ones who actually do the work get paid a penitence of the one that signs the bottom of the paper. Once again you prove that your screen name should be “RUB” not Harleyrider. For those who do not know “RUB” stands for “Rich Urban Biker” and they are usually individuals who do not understand what the true biker culture is. One can’t understand that and also be a member and follower of the Church of Corporate America.
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Harleyrider
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06-18-08 9:08 AM
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acerace, I will answer your question about the CEO. 1st and foremost it is his job to deliver profits to the stockholders. They do that. The CEO also has to be able to negotiate deals with some of the most ruthless dictators and govts. of the world. He also has to work out deals where his employees can work in realative safety in these harsh countries. So tell me acerace, how many people have those skills and what do you think they are worth? You complain about CEO's, do you complain about sports figures too?
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Harleyrider
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06-18-08 8:59 AM
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acerace, do you have any clue as to how many dollars Exxon takes in on a single day? Do you know how many barrels of oil we consume? Go any idea what it costs to install a drilling rig and maintain it in the ocean? Look, I am telling you the facts. You can believe me or not, but it is the truth.
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acerace
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06-18-08 8:01 AM
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your information is impressive but, if true, then why are the oil companies making record profits??? there again, i am relying on the accuracy of internet news.
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acerace
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06-18-08 7:47 AM
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TXBuckeye - no, I did not watch the senate hearings. i read about it on yahoo news. i also read that the oil companies said if they lose their tax breaks, the price of oil will go up because they will not have the revenue needed for oil exploration. so, if I am misinformed, the culprit is yahoo. now, how about that 12.5 mil annual salary. you did not explain that to me. i'm waiting . . .
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Parrothead
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06-17-08 10:55 PM
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TXBuckeye you need to stop watching FAUX News!
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Parrothead
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06-17-08 10:53 PM
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Their eyes will open someday!
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Parrothead
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06-17-08 10:53 PM
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TXBuckeye & Harleyrider – It amazes me that such prominent business men as you 2 have time to read & post on a board like this. I say that because you both come across as arrogant republicans who like what we have all had to endure over the last 8 years. Either that or you are to stupid to work and then go into the voting both and pull the lever for the party that wants to take away your livelihood. Either way you are out of touch with the average American! Acerace – you are correct! Big Oil gets take credits that they claim they use to develop new energy sources. Kind of like hiring a know pedophile to work at the pre-school. I also watch the CEO’s before the senate committee and it was so reminiscent of when the CEO’s of big tobacco set in those chairs and told us that cigarettes were not addictive, un-healthy or that the nicotine in them had been enhanced. I am sure that TXBuckeye & Harleyrider didn’t see it that way, but just like puppies – their eyes will open som
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TXBuckeye
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06-17-08 10:48 PM
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acerace, there is simply way too much to go into in this limited space. A little research might go along way with you, as you are obviously getting most of your opinions from the likes of NBC or CNN. Start with the annual report of the evil Exxon, then go research info from the API (American Petroleum Institute). Note the reserves of the evil Exxon, then note the reserves of companies like PDVSA, Saudi Aramco, Petrobras, PEMEX, Gazprom, etc. You will see the overwelming majority of oil & gas reserves is owned by foreign countries. Research the deals American companies get in foreign countries, where it is common for the govt to take 75% to 90% of the income from oil produced by the Exxon's of the world. Above all, question the network news as they have their own agenda and it doesn't include giving oil companies a fair shake. You obviously didn't watch much of the Senate hearings, because there were 5 execs and the only embarrassingly stupid performances were by the senators.
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acerace
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06-17-08 9:59 PM
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TXBuckeye . . where would one review those tax rates? I was under the impression oil companies were granted huge tax breaks. and, as I recall, when the big 3 appeared before a senate committee a few weeks ago, they stuttered and stamered over why they are making record profits these days. i disagree with you - the population does not deserve these gas prices. they have us "over the barrel" and they know it. i did not believe 5 years ago that iraq was about oil. i think differently now.
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