Letters to the Editor
-
gas price / protest against greed
Attention: News Desk August 26, 2007
Salon
For: Immediate Release
One Man’s Protest
Against Big Oil’s Big Prices
Shell Oil’s Franchisee Enters Stage of Fasting
It began almost two years ago - - gas prices sky-rocketing to $3.00 a gallon and millions of over-wrought consumers moaning and groaning in despair. As a 33-year-veteran of the gas station business in Monterey County, 65-year-old, Iranian-Born Mehdi Shahbazi, who had seen it all before, decided to do something about it.
He placed two home-made signs outside the Shell station he operated in Marina, California, just north of Monterey, right off Highway One. One sign read - - “Consumer pain is Big Oil’s unearned profit! To oppose it see cashier”. The other - - “Big Oil is price gouging and profiteering! To participate in the rollback see cashier”.
Puzzled customers wandering inside were greeted by a courteous, soft spoken Shahbazi who offered them coffee, conversation and stacks of written material - - leaflets, articles and government documents - - detailing the facts behind what he sees as Big Oil’s creation of an artificial ‘crisis’ and suggesting ways of fighting back. See Shahbazi’s flyer on www.pumpinmad.com
“There was/is no shortage, “Shahbazi says, “People were told that smaller supplies of crude and fewer refineries plus a higher demand by the public caused the high prices. This is a lie. It’s all greed and profiteering.”
Also a lie is the idea that there aren’t enough refineries. Last month the American Petroleum Institute (API) released this statement: “The industry has increased refining capacity through expansion of existing plants, adding the equivalent of a new large refinery every year for the past decade. Capacity has expanded over the past two years by more than 300,000 barrels per day.”
Shell Oil retaliated immediately, installing large chain link fences around his pumps, essentially shutting him down, terminating his franchise and then suing him in Federal Court. The outside law Firm, BINGHAM MCCUTCHEN LLP hired by Shell (a 50/50 partnership of the Royal-Dutch Group and the Saudi Oil Company), assigned five of their top lawyers to the case. See Case No. C 05-05102.
Despite mostly empty shelves and at great emotional and financial cost to himself and his family, Shahbazi has kept the main store of his station open, selling dwindling items to loyal customers and friends who stop by to chat, many of whom regularly use his still-open car-wash as gesture of support.
In addition, Shahbazi has been fasting since June 28, 2007, not just to dramatize the seriousness of his cause, but also hopefully to bring about some significant beneficial concessions for the consumer.
Weak but energized, idealistic yet hardly naïve, whatever the outcome of the case, Shahbazi feels his sacrifice has been worth it.
He says “For years I have been watching the collusion and escalating greed of these Big Oil companies. In 1973, the Arab-Oil Embargo which lasted only a few weeks was used by them to create an on-going artificial ‘crisis’ and of course rack up huge profits. The 1977/78 Iranian uprising, the 1990/91 “Gulf War”, the 2003 US invasion - - each was used by Big Oil to introduce, $1.00, $1.50 and $2.00 a gallon gasoline prices to American consumers. The Katrina disaster was the last straw, allowing them a wedge to introduce the grossly unfair $3.00 a gallon and beyond. People simply can’t afford it. It has impacted their lives terribly as well as affecting all other prices”.
Despite pressure from Shell and attempts to force him out, Shahbazi was careful to make sure when he signed his contract that he preserved his “legal rights” - - one of the few owner-operator in the United States to ever do so. He believes that freedom of speech, a concept he treasures, is the issue and that it will win the day. At the very least, he hopes this case helps expose Big Oil’s role in what he calls “a cruel crime against the American consumer”.
Contact:
Mehdi C. Shahbazi
3030 Del Monte Blvd. Marina, CA. 93033
Telephone: 831-392-6374 Tel. / Fax: 831-384-8471 E-Mail: saamkavon@aol.com
-
@Really Stupid Jerk I, II & III - Friday, August 24, 2007 10:36 PM
You have posted here 3 times.
Now Pay Attention:
Really Stupid Jerkoff I:
“Much Ado About Nothing:
I don't for a minute believe that its not important that this soldier is a real person with a real name and life. But is it really significant that Ari Fliescher didn't happen to know the name? Out of all the things that could possibly be criticized about Fleischer, people take issue with this and his use of the "calvary" cliche? When someone harps on insignificant tripe like this, it just undermines their credibility in the times when they actually have important and relevant points or discussions to make. It just seems petty and irrelevant and a missed opportunity to highlight or discuss something that might actually be important.”
Although you posted this gem twice (concerned your sagacious “contribution” might be overlooked?); I’ll count it as one.
This post is so condescending and obtuse that it actually warrants no response on its merits. If you think that Fleischer’s callous revelation that he was unaware of the name of the person he’s using as a prop in this despicable ad is “insignificant” or “irrelevant”, then you are truly unworthy of engagement on any intellectual level. Just google “Ari name kriesel” and then read some of what comes up. Clearly, the people at Salon are not the only ones who were offended by Ari’s ignorance.
Okay, that was your first post on Salon. Most readers here, I’m sure, were willing to cut you some slack. That wasn’t a problem even though you go on to imply that the focus on “insignificant tripe like this” detracts from the ability to “have important and relevant points or discussions”. It did seem curious, however, that after that little pearl, you then contributed nothing “important” to the discussion in that post. Most did not react.
But, as is true in any public discussion forum, not everyone is mannerly and genteel in dealing with pretentious posts or pointing out errors posted. This is usually directly proportionate to the degree of stupidity in the post and sometimes includes addressing spelling, grammar and syntactical “transgressions” by the poster. That would be Garry Owen’s “nimrod” advice to you about the spelling of “cavalry”, after which you responded to that post and another post from Garry (the FerrIgamo entry) with:
Really Stupid Jerkoff II:
“Nimrod?
To paraphrase yourself, "It's FERRAgamos, nimrod. Not FERRIgamos." But should pointing out typos really be a relevant part of an intelligent discussion? And if you don't have something relevant to say, why say anything at all?”
So after pontificating about “missed opportunity to highlight or discuss something that might be actually important”, you chose to engage in truculence with another Salon poster on something you’ve already conceded is irrelevant. You have now demonstrated not only obtuseness, but a thin skin as well. Really getting off to a good start towards engagement in discussion about “important” matters. At that point, I admit I was still aggravated by what you said in your first post and couldn’t resist any longer. Hence, my posts as represented in these permalinks:
A)http://letters.salon.com/opinion/walsh/iraq_war/2007/08/22/fleischer_again/permalink/8c348b7ff4fccf96d65d31324f5f6861.html
B)http://letters.salon.com/opinion/walsh/iraq_war/2007/08/22/fleischer_again/permalink/8c348b7ff4fccf96d65d31324f5f6861.html
And Garry’s post per this permalink:
http://letters.salon.com/opinion/walsh/iraq_war/2007/08/22/fleischer_again/permalink/754d18a44680a03cbd81fe5a77b73131.html
That resulted in:
Really Stupid Jerkoff III:
“Jackass I and II
WTF? Are you kidding me? Your beef is that I mis-typed "calvary"? Which is asinine to begin with, but then you get bent when your own typo is sarcastically pointed out, and defend it with your marginally-veiled homophobic quip? Don't know why you're so sure I'm male, but if I am, it goes without saying that I'm not half the tough-guy you are.
And what's Mosby's problem? Not sure how you could read all of the postings and then jump on my ass, but at least you're bright enough to spell "Vince" without my help. Thanks for helping me realize that harping on typos and misspellings *are* an important part of any discussion. I'd thank Garry to, but odds are, you're the same jackass.
You both(?) just confirm why discussion in a public forum like this is usually not worth the effort. Freakin' ridiculous. The threads all yours, feel free to "Springer" it all up, I'm sure there are just the one/two of you left.”
I can’t speak for Garry (my alleged alter ego/clone in this diatribe); but I did read all the postings and stand by what I posted. Salon is a forum for ideas and fearless exchanges. Not just empty posturing and condescension devoid of actual content. You still think your feedback is about spelling and typos, don’t you? I thought EVEN YOU might be capable of actually contributing something useful to this thread. Sometimes goading helps. Obviously, I was wrong. If “jump(ing) on (your) ass” means intolerance for lecturing others that what they think is insignificant and irrelevant while demonstrably FAILING to contribute anything significant, relevant OR important, then I plead guilty.
Don’t let the door hit you!!