Pumping to Please

Remember the hoopla over Citgo and 7/11 stores, which severed their agreement for Citgo to provide gasoline to the convenience stores, conveniently soon after Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’ meltdown at the UN?

Now Citgo’s American operations want to set the record straight, tell everyone their not all that evil, and don’t agree with the Venezuelan vitriol.

I wonder how many people missed the first round in the story, and now, as Citgo America brings it up again, more will be educated that Citgo is a Venezuelan government owned entity…and boycott their gasoline?

Which brings up a point that we’ve made in the past when the B-word has been raised against gasoline stations: When you refuse to buy from a local merchant who happens to be a franchisee of a large company, you’re not hurting the corporation.
You’re bloodying the nose of your neighbor.

Do you think Sayed, Nkumbo, or any other stereotypically-named ethnic representative has anything to do with the policies of the governments of Venezuela, Nigeria, or Saudi Arabia, much less the price of a gallon of gas he’s pumping?
Absolutely not.

The American public proved this Fall that the best way to bring the price of gasoline down was to cut total consumption, thus reducing demand, creating higher supply, and lowering prices.