Jimmy Valentine Flashfax Excerpt (May 19, 2004)

WITH GAS at $2.50 and climbing there is a sense of outrage in our community. Of course we've been gouged and taking it in the shorts in San Diego for years so we're more adaptable than most to rising gas prices.

Our outrage actually verged on having impact a couple of years ago. Remember when ROGER led weekly gas protests at the highest priced gas stations in the county and campaigned for a county-wide "divorcement" ordinance that would have severed the oil company's chain of gouge from well head to gas pump? We had to get all of our county cities to pass an ordinance and actually did that.but got stiffed on second reading at the San Diego City Council. We were about to make history and then the oil companies threatened to sue the city of San Diego and they put on the knee pads and begged and bailed. We actually were that close.

And every Friday we'd be out, several hundred strong, in front of the highest price gas station of that week, posters, banners, yelling and honking and labeling stations as gougers. Shades of the 60's.

But thanks to SD City we failed. Which brings us to today and gas at record levels and nobody is doing nothing except exercising jaws. And the best part is that we're getting used to the gouge. Even 3-bucks won't faze us because we've been trained to be screwed. Serious. San Diego Business Journal of this week quotes T. Somosundaram, a University of San Diego Associate Professor of marketing. She sez "society adapts to gradual changes.we absorb that into our lifestyle." Oh, the best quote be this one: "Across the board, this city has shown itself to be remarkably resilient to the price of gasoline." You love that quote, right? Translated from the academic it basically means we're accustomed and now accepting of being screwed. Dare to differ with the good professor? Thought not!! Pain becomes a companion. We are born to suffer!!

WE KEEP LOOKING FOR LEADERSHIP ON THE GOUGE!! Senator Barbara Boxer is near solo. She at least is using her bully pulpit and writing scathing letters and cattle prodding the FTC. She's fighting to keep the Bakersfield refinery open that an oil company wants to close to tighten supplies up even more and push the pump prices higher. Anybody else that you know of yelling and screaming about our plight? Governor? State lawmakers? Mayor Yellow jacket? Maybe we're getting deaf but we're not hearing anything. There is one effort afoot via the internet and email. Folks are telling us not to buy any gas on May 19th. It's something but you've gotta figure that everybody will fill up on the 18th (today) so the demand will stay level and impact of oil companies negligible.

AS FOR US.we are still driving the same amount. We've talked about van pooling at Clear Channel but nobody wants to ride with the folks from 91X. And others have reservations about being in the same van with fellow workers from 95.7 who are likely to demand the radio play country western.

I would have a problem car pooling from Dehesa Valley. Oh, I could make it work but it would be real complicated. Lorie down the hill could get me started. She drives her kids to school in the morning. I could get up to Dehesa Elementary at the Harbison Canyon intersection with her. I know a guy named Jake who lives nearby but he takes Willow Road so he'd have to drop me off at Singing Hills golf course. I could hitch a ride up the hill. I know some folks at Kurdish Watch on Washington.one guy there goes to SDSU and could get me to the College Ave exit on the I-8. Over time I've come to know Oscar who works that off ramp begging for change. He hides his 1995 Cadillac on a side street and he gets done with his morning shift about 10am. He'd be willing to drive me up to Granite Ridge for a couple of dollars a day. On the way home at night I could ask Macarena to drive me down to Friars Road.see it gets real complicated. It's easier to just bend over and get into my own car.