Boycott BP Part II

Yesterday I told you why I am still boycotting BP and I still had some questions.  I found out the answers to some and formed more questions.

1.  "The independents will be the people that feel [the boycott] first," BP spokesman Robert Wine commented. "These boycotts are far more painful to the independent retailer," said Brandon Wright, manager of regulatory affairs and communications with the Petroleum Marketers Association of America. "When you stop filling up at BP stations, you're really hurting that community's economy." source  The first thing I want to point out to you is who is making these statements:  BP spokesman and big oil spokesman.  I am really not inclined to believe what they say.

2.  "I understand people are angry and upset, and they have a right to be. But they're taking their anger at the wrong people," Scaramella said (owner of 22 BP stations.) source  Okay so the argument, to reiterate, is that boycotting hurts our neighbors not BP.  So why doesn't owners just drop the brand?

3. "The franchise agreement is 20 years and requires sites to be supplied with BP or ARCO branded fuels for the term of the 20-year contract."  source  Wait, so they do sell BP gas...  

Does this all get very confusing, or what?  They are just talking in circles.  It makes it difficult to write a linear blog post.


So, we are hurting our neighbors not BP because BP doesn't own the store, and therefore doesn't make much money off of them.  But, the owners are in a 20 year contract with BP to sell their oil and brand.  So they are connected...


4.  

Our success depends on your success... BP offers significant advertising support, regional sponsorship programs and onsite promotions to build brand awareness, cultivate consumer loyalty and help drive more traffic to BP sites. We utilize radio advertising, direct and online marketing, as well as events and sponsorships to move consumers to a more purposeful and intimate interaction with the BP brand... This significant, ongoing consumer following brings greater value and incremental revenue to your site as a BP Branded Marketer. We even guarantee our fuel quality in writing – with a money back promise – the only major energy company to do so. 

This is all from BP's very own site.  So, obviously, the owners are receiving assistance on many levels from BP and in exchange has a contract with them to sell their fuel.

5.  If the owners and BP were separate entities, as they would like you to believe, why would BP be so insistent that they do not own these stores?

Scaramella and other station owners along the Gulf Coast aren't sitting still. They have reached out to BP for assistance -- and help is arriving.  Independent owners of BP gas stations in Georgia and states along the Gulf Coast will be receiving signage, paid for by BP, early next week that clarifies that these gas stations are not owned and run by corporate BP.  According to preview images provided to gas station owners and managers, the signs that will be put up at the gasoline dispensers will read: "Part of your community. This BP station is owned and operated by people from this community. Your neighbors, your friends, your family. Thank you for your loyalty."  BP spokeswoman Sherry Boldt said they are also advising owners on how to answer questions from the public. "We think it's important to connect. They are the face of BP on the street," Boldt said.  source

So, our neighbors are not going to be hurt by the boycott.  They will be receiving help in many forms, including monetary aide:

Russ Scarmella, managing partner of US Oil Holdings, (which is the largest franchiser of BP stations in the US) let slip in an interview on CNBC yesterday that he expects BP to pay for the revenue losses station owners incur due to this disaster. Though he didn't explain why in this short interview, obviously either BP has promised to compensate station owners who have documented sales losses, or more likely, the station owners will take it upon themselves to sue BP over such losses, and cite BP's own gross negligence in damaging the BP brand.  source

6.  "Think about all the plastics that require petroleum as an ingredient. There's really no way to tell where the petroleum came from that went into making that plastic," Wright added. "Given the number of products that use petroleum, avoiding BP's products is nearly impossible."source  Okay so now the argument is BP is so big, including unbranded oil and plastics, that you are going to buy their products whether you like it or not.  Does it not just feel like they are just scrounging for reasons not to boycott their stations?

7.  "If they want to have a protest at the park or somewhere else, super. But to come to my station to do it, and tell people not to buy my products or come inside my stores, to bash my business without even knowing us is hurtful,"  said Scaramella.  source  What?!?  Now that is just ridiculous.  "Okay guys, today we're gonna do something a little different:  instead of standing outside BP to boycott BP, we're gonna stand in that park on the other side of town.  You with me?!?" 

8. "Michael Monahan, who was protesting at the BP gas station in Atlanta, said: 'I feel kind of sorry for them; they're stuck in the middle. But there's not a headquarters for me to stand under today; there's just that sign.'" source  Exactly.

Passions

Today's prompt from Mama Kat is:

What lights your fire? Describe five things you are most passionate about.

1. Family - Not just being a mom, everything about family.  Extended family and friends that feel like family.  All are so important to me.  (Click the link, it is one of my favorite posts)
2. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - I know that there is no 'saving' the environment, but I can help lessen the damage.  I want there to still be beautiful places when my son is old enough to enjoy them, and then when his children are old enough to enjoy them.  I try to incorporate these principals into all areas of my life.
3. Busting Stereotypes - I am not an idiot.  I know that there is some truth in stereotypes; they came from somewhere.  There are Jewish bankers, flamboyant homosexuals, bad woman drivers, lazy poor people, and some African Americans do like grape soda.  But I want everyone to understand that not everyone is like that.  Not everyone follows the stereotype.  I actually find it a bit annoying when people do.  Like that kid in high school that everyone said was gay, but he adamantly denied it, then turns out that he is.  That makes me a little sad.
4. Conscientious Consumerism - I do not support large corporations.  Especially the ones that treat their employees poorly.
5. Health Care - So many people I know and love have been affected by the crappy health care system we have here.  I know how many times I was sick and could not go to the doctors because I could not afford it.  Seeing people I love struggle with disease and medical bills.  It is not right.

So, if anyone knows of any ways that I can make money doing any of these things (without going back to school), I am open to suggestions!  

I Think You've Got Some Corporate Greed on Your Shoe

This summer one of the largest Walmarts opened in my little hometown of Sanford, Maine. It was the talk of the town. Literally. I had refused to go. But I went yesterday.

Monday I was at my parent's house printing some pictures for a future scrapbook when the ink ran out. Damn. What was a girl to do? Where could I find an ink cartridge? Surely Walmart, but since I refuse to support that mammoth I had to find another option, without driving 45 minutes.

Ryder and I hopped into the car and drove to the shopping center. Sure enough there was a computer store. We walked in and a cute guy came over to help us. No, he didn't have the one we needed, had we tried Walmart? I told him how I didn't want to go there. He agreed but figured it was my only option within 15 miles. *sigh*

Okay, in and out. We go in, put on our blinders, get the ink and get the hell out.

This Walmart sits on 30 acres of land. The Walmart itself is 198,000 square feet. It has a full sized Dunkin Donuts, hair salon, nail salon, and grocery store. It is disgustingly huge. You know those directories in malls that tell you where the stores are? Yeah. They have one of those at each of their three entrances.

We went straight to the electronics department and looked and looked and looked and wouldn't you know, they didn't have the cartridge that I needed. I was annoyed and relieved at the same time. At least I didn't have to buy anything at that monstrosity.

All I kept thinking about was how one guy (well, not any more) owned the whole thing. One guy (family, whatever) built a store where you could get anything that you needed. You never needed to go to another store again. Batteries? Check. Lettuce? Check. Toilet bowl? Check. Wii? Check. Fish bowl? Check. Bras? Check. It makes me unbelievably sad. And the worst part? This giant has already taken such a hold on my little town that it is the only option. So many smaller stores went out of business when Walmart first opened back in '92 and it is only getting worse.

And don't you let anyone tell you that working at Walmart isn't that bad. It is. I worked at the original Walmart in Sanford. It sucked. They were assholes. I got paid shit. Ugg, it was terrible.

So Ryder and I left and walked around the parking lot for a bit because I had lost my car. When we did eventually find it, I made sure that Ryder wiped the corporate greed off of his shoes before he got in.