Recordpub.com - Brimfield man is organizing boycott

By Deborah Guziak

Record-Courier staff writer

BRIMFIELD -- Like almost every motorist, Dan Compton is fed up with gasoline prices. Now, he's taken matters into his own hands in an attempt to drive down the cost of gas.

Compton, a Brimfield resident, has started "Fed Up Energy League," or FUEL for short. He points to the cost of gas at the pumps, roughly $3.50 a gallon, and then points out that the major gas companies are recording record profits that run into the billions.

A car salesman who has served in the U.S. Marines for several years and who has held executive positions in three communications companies, Compton believes the gas prices at the pumps is a result of the lack of competition among the oil companies.

"FUEL's goal is to force competition back into the industry by continuing not to buy from one major oil company until they significantly lower prices," he said.

Which of the three major companies -- Exxon/Mobile, Texaco or Shell -- the group shall boycott has not been determined at this time.

"We're not out to put the mom and pop stores or the convenience stores out of business," he said. "We want people to still stop and buy things in the store, just not the gas. We're hoping the stores will switch suppliers."

It is the group's thoughts that boycotting one major gas company would cause the company to lower its prices to get its customers back; thus, forcing the other two large companies to lower their prices to compete.

Currently, the group is seeking members. Membership fees are minimal and will be used for advertising. For more information, visit www.angryatthepump.org.

33.	Posted by geoff varvy June 8, 2007
	You are all sounding like squabbling children arguing over who's smarter than who. "Ohh you're too liberal." "No you're a jerk and I know what I'm talking about." "I know the solution if you would all just take a look at my figures here." The truth of the matter is gas is expensive. But as long as it not wreaking economic havoc on the country nothing major is going to be done. (yes I'm sure you could argue it IS wreaking economic havoc but its not really) I'm saying what we need is alternative energy sources. A new paradigm of eco-friendly power using existing technology and a conversion away from oil and natural gas dependence. The science is there. we just need the impetus to make huge changes and I'd rather it not be because the non-renewable resource dries up or because the middle East stops selling us oil. And I'm sorry if that sounds too left-wing hippie fantasy but that's just my opinion on what would be best in the long run. Oh and boycott? no not gonna work.

32.	Posted by Liberal_Exposer May 31, 2007
	hhrlover06 What gives you the right to decide that someone shouldn'd own something that they can afford to buy? Do you have a more than one TV, a cell phone, a microwave oven, a computer, air conditioning...I could go on and on with people owning "unnecessary" things that people own that are wastfull and luxuaries that aren't really needed. There is a reason that 'thou shalt not covet" is one of the Ten Commandments.

31.	Posted by hhrlover06 May 30, 2007
	OK, less ******* more action!! I bought 2 4 cylinder vehicles because I have to get to work and it is hard to carpool with 2 children that need to go to daycare. Why is it that people still drive around in the big Ford Excursions and Chevy Suburbans? Please tell me why you need a vehicle that big? I am not impressed with your gas guzzling POS. You are wasting precious gas. Get over yourself and think about what you are doing. If you have so much money then by a moped or motorcycle for summer to save gas. And, it isn't just the president making the decisions in the white house-it is called congress. Get your stories straight before posting crap. And if we the people don't get organized and fight nothing will ever change. I am signing up for this FUEL thing so I can say I did what I could. And if this guy does accomplish his goal- what will people bitch about next?

30.	Posted by CCIII May 29, 2007
	Liberal exposer makes the most sense than anybody else on this subject. I think too many people aren't willing to do the research on this problem and are too willing to be brainwashed by by the lies they are fed by the media and the socialists. Anybody who blames the President for any of this mess is an uneducated brainwashed fool. I think you are the ones with the blinders on. Go liberal exposer. You are running rings around these robots.

28.	Posted by Jenna May 28, 2007
	How can you say that the president of our country has no responsibility for our gas prices. He is clearly too busy wasting his time with trying to control other countries to pay attention to the one he is supposed to be running. The gas prices are a crisis in this country right now and you can't tell me that he has no control over what is happening. There has got to be something he can do but thats just never going to happen so if in every state someone starts something like this they CAN make a difference. I am a stay at home mother with a one year old son and my husband works his ass off every day to spend a third of his paycheck on just getting to work. Throw in healthcare and that is half of his paycheck gone every week. Families simply cannot make it this way and something needs to change. I bet you our officals spend enough money on fuel in their own private jet planes a year to build a refinary or two. and so they preach to us about how we need to conserve this and save that but what the hell are they doing to conserve..?

27.	Posted by Liberal_Exposer May 28, 2007
	patmcroyn Your statement is a little bit harsh. Yes we are lying in the bed we have made, but it just isn't a bed that Ohioans have made; it's a bed we have all made. Moving to a city and riding bikes and taking mass transit aren't the answer to the fuel problem. Everything that we buy is transported over highways, so even those in cities will pay more for everything from food, clothing, you name it. The answer is to increase production and build more refineries because oil isn't dead yet. I agree that our ultra liberal elected officials (Ted Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, Charles Schummer, Harry Reid, Diane Feinstein, Dennis Kucinich, Tim Ryan, Sherrod Brown, and all of the enviro-idiots they are in bed with and who control them) are directly to blame for the mess we are in and should be held accountable. I'm still waiting to see what Ted Strickland is going to do, but based on his history, I'm sure he will tow the line of the rest of them.

26.	Posted by patmcroyn May 28, 2007
	why don't all you fat pasty ohioans quit your complainin about gas. you made your bed now lay in it. do what any sensible person would do and move out of that backward state that could willingly elect someone who clearly wants to run a police driven monarchy. you are arranging deck chairs on the titanic. oil is dead be brave for once and think progresively.move to a city, use bicycles or mass transit and dont worry about crude oil.