Copyright 1999 Times Mirror Company
Los Angeles
Times
April 12, 1999, Monday, Home Edition
SECTION: Southern California Living; Part E; Page 2;
View Desk
LENGTH: 371 words
HEADLINE: HERE AND NOW;
ADDING FUEL TO THE
IRE
BYLINE: BOOTH MOORE, TIMES STAFF WRITER
BODY:
Nothing gets people gassed like
rising prices. Witness the call to action over the Internet for
a "Gas Out" April 30 in response to the rising prices of fuel.
In California, the average price of regular self-serve gasoline has
jumped nearly 50 cents per gallon in the last six weeks because of an agreement
in late March by major oil-producing companies to reduce exports. To protest, an
e-mail is being forwarded to thousands of Internet users. "Gas prices
are rising despite millions of gallons in storage. The so-called oil
cartel is slowing production by 2 million barrels a day to drive up prices," one
version reads. Laura Gurak, a professor of rhetoric at the University of
Minnesota and an author on Internet protest, praises the populist effort. " It's
an example of the ability of the cyberspace community to gather like-minded
individuals into a group," she says. "When people want to create bottom-up
action, the Internet is a powerful tool."
The proposed boycott is
fueling debate on Deja News (http://www.dejanews.com), an archive of Usenet
postings on the Internet. "If there was just one day when no one purchased any
gasoline, prices would drop drastically," a response from the Bay Area reads.
Says another, " Of course you know the massive increase in gas sales on Saturday
May 1 will cancel out the 'Gas Out' on Friday. What we need to do is to have a
'Great Gas Out Week' or 'Great Gas Out Month.' "
Not everyone is so
enthusiastic. "I think that most Alaskans want the gas price to go up, so that
the current budget crunch due to low gas prices will be alleviated in future
years. You probably just assured that everyone in the state who reads this . . .
will probably buy gas on April 30 to offset your efforts. Realize that not
everywhere does the California mentality exist," says a posting from Alaska.
Susan Carter, a spokeswoman for Mobil Oil Co., said she is aware of the
e-mail and that the corporation has no position on it. "People have the right to
make whatever decisions they choose, including when they buy gas." She would not
speculate about whether a one-day "Gas Out" would have an effect on gasoline
prices, but said Mobil has no plans to change its pricing strategy.
GRAPHIC: PHOTO: High gas prices have prompted a call
for a one-day gas boycott. PHOTOGRAPHER: Associated Press PHOTO: (E1) (No
caption)
LOAD-DATE: April 12, 1999
