Since it came up; boycotts

[john_galt]

Boycotts are all the rage it seems today. Do people really understand how boycotts work? I have my doubts so let me do a little explaining.

The most famous boycotts in the US occurred during the Civil Rights era in the south. How did they work then? The black community DID NOT boycott an entire industry or region to make their point. They boycotted only the businesses that were not living up to their obligations. The most famous would have to be the bus lines of Montgomery, AL. They did not boycott the buses in Texas or Georgia. They boycotted the buses in Montgomery, AL. If Al's Lunch counter forced black people to eat outside or would not serve black people at all then Al got boycotted.

A boycott is a very specific thing. You have to target just the guilty and you have to be effective. Like a hunger strike, once you start you can't quit until it is done. If you are going to boycott a local gas station to punish a chain then realize if you are successful then the local station will go away. You may think you are punishing the ones in charge but they will get their golden parachutes and retire. The person owning the local station will go out of business.

In reference to BP the boycotters think they are being tough but it is the investigators who are the tough ones. We want criminal charges and personal fines that can't be passed on to the consumer.

Another thing, the boycott against Arizona is also counterproductive. Many of the businesses being boycotted are owned or managed by Hispanic people. So if the boycotts win then many Hispanic Arizonians will loose their livelihood but, I guarantee, Arizona will continue to exist. Arizona provides 25 % of the power for Los Angeles and Arizona could make their own boycott if pushed.

[Omahan]

I had to laugh when they first started the AZ boycott they include AZ Green Tea. AZ Green Tea is just a name. The company is based in New York.

[Guest052813-01]

IMHO, a boycott is another "knee-jerk" reaction that only those that are not thinking rationally think makes a difference. It does nothing but hurt the local business who may be licensing the name of the national company (as JG stated) not the national company itself.

Fortunately, in the case of BP, there are other providers of gasoline out there, so to not go to a BP station is a matter choice in most cases (besides, BP gas is usually 3 to 5 cents more expensive than QuikTrip or Conoco/Phillips). But, if you do not go to a gas station that provides gas from a BP refinery, you might be searching the area for a while.

O - does this mean that these people will also boycott Arizona Jean Co. (a private label by JCPenney - a Dallas-based company who gets their jeans from Mexico)?

[john_galt]

I really don't mind liberals, I just want well-informed, thoughtful liberals. (Of course if you are both of those you won't be a liberal anymore)

[GneissGuy]

It's really funny to see someone talking about boycotting oil/gas because it's a fungible commodity. If you refuse to buy gasoline because it's labeled "BP," you'll simply end up buying the same gasoline from an Exxon station. BP's cash register still goes "ka-ching." Yes, the poor, hard working local BP franchisee may lose money and have to pay to put up signs for a new gasoline brand on his store, but BP won't be hurt much.

[catnipdipper]

Well I boycott Fox News, but I also boycott MSNBC.

I also don't mind conservatives when I can find one that can go 3 exchanges deep without resorting to sound bites from highly paid conservative commentators of little depth. Human programming of negativity and hate.

It is all marketing in my opinion and creating a perception becomes someone's reality.

Were you the dude with the N Korean midget submarine rumor that Obama let pass in the sea lanes off the Gulf?

[vitokc]

I think boycotts can be effective when focused and done correctly. I boycott everyday; businesses with rude employees, crappy service, mediocre products. That limits my selection, but I stick to those businesses as long as they provide what I want and need. One thing I hate is when cities enter agreements with private businesses stipulating they will be exclusive providers for a specific product or service. That limits our selection and the businesses have no incentive to provide great service.

[catnipdipper]

If the Arizona Law in question was passed by legislature and signed by the Governor and perhaps supported by the people of the state.....Who or what would be the target of a boycott other than the state?

Many Hispanic legislators and civic leaders are supporting the boycott and other than 1 maverick Sheriff the police are appalled at what they are being asked to do.

Why not have John McCain if he survives the primary and John Kyl modify and submit this bill to the U.S. Congress and see where it might go.

Any delay in Immigration Reform is on the shoulders of Congress as no one will submit a bill for fear of political reprisal and having to debate this in public and take a stand.

Someone have the guts to do so and let's deal with it in a rational manner.

[lacrew_2000]

I'm boycotting boycotts...that'll show 'em.

We have a local station here in Topeka on Wanamaker. It used to be a Cenex or something like that, but they lost their franchise and took the signs down (sign was next to the dumpster for months). Finally somebody else bought the place, polished the place up, got the stink out, and apparently got their shit together enough to get franchised with BP. I've talked to the guy who manages it, and the owner has several stations in town, but he is a local owner. Now doesn't this owner primarily make his money on soda pop and ding dongs? Isn't the gas sale nearly a wash, and sometimes just break even on credit card sales? Gas is the draw that gets customers there, but the real money is on the 2 cent fountain drink he sells for over a dollar.

I just can't wrap my mind around how a boycott of his station would do anything but hurt the local owner, and the people working there. The cashiers aren't bad people, because they sell gasoline. This station has operated under a different franchise, and even without a franchise name...so I suppose they could just change the name, if there were a serious boycott.

BTW, south of Topeka, on Topeka BLVD, there is a fuel farm. There are cross country pipelines leading to this farm. I see trucks from this place at gas stations all over town...from this one source....so it seems fundamentally impossible to target for boycott oil/gas from one particular company.

I think the only way a boycott would hurt BP would be if enough people bailed on their franchise agreements, in response to the boycotts...but fundamentally that means that local owners would have to be hurt bad first, before BP felt any pinch.....and quite frankly, alot of oil companies are trying to get out of the fillign station business anyway, to concentrate on oil.

[KCJoe]

I've always wondered if gasoline is like natural gas. Refineries all use the same pipeline and what comes out the end is a combination from many suppliers. And it is true that the BP gas stations may have only a small percentage ownership by BP if any and any vandalism on those stations only hurts a local businessman, not BP.

The only thing I would boycott is Fred Phelps church.

[GneissGuy]

Originally Posted by KCJoe

I've always wondered if gasoline is like natural gas. Refineries all use the same pipeline and what comes out the end is a combination from many suppliers.

Essentially yes. Various grades of crude, gasoline, and other petroleum products go into a pipeline and go to a hub. Exxon might put their gasoline into the system in Alabama, and immediately draw it out in Galveston. If some other company is "moving" gasoline from Galveston to Alabama, no gasoline necessarily flows through a pipeline at all. You might even put gasoline "through the system" even between locations that aren't connected with a pipeline at all.

If Exxon is putting more gasoline into the system than they're drawing out, it gets sold at the spot price. If Chevron is withdrawing more gasoline than they're putting in, they pay for it at the spot price.

If everyone stops buying "BP" gas and buys "Exxon" gas instead, that simply means that BP puts gasoline into the hub system gets paid for it, and Exxon buys it from the system.

In reality, the system is more complicated than that with contracts, transportation costs, etc., but that's the basic way the system works.

[Cheaper2buyit]

most gas stations are privite own & the non name brand ones buy from whom every is cheaper. But the big deal is most gas stations only make about 40 to 5 cents on a dollar on gas.

[vitokc]

Thats right Cheaper, they are hoping you come in hungry and buy the coffee, chips, soft drinks, cigarrettes, phone cards, etc..the list goes on and on. The gas gets you there, but most of leave with more. The mark up on some of that stuff is amazing. Like the Little Debbie treats. You can buy a box of a 12 for 3-4.00, then sell them individually for 50-75 cents apiece.

[Guest090920]

Originally Posted by john_galt

I really don't mind liberals, I just want well-informed, thoughtful liberals. (Of course if you are both of those you won't be a liberal anymore)

Now that's a good one and sure to get longermonger riled up!

[john_galt]

Catnipper be careful. I did not come up with the N Korean minisub, I just posted a link because I had heard the story. Don't start putting words in my mouth.