Brenda Morgan
“They need to lower the energy prices and lower the prices for our vehicles because our mode of transportation is threatened. Many people have to decide if they are going to buy gas or if they are going to pay another bill. And they need to lower the gas prices, as well as, they need to use energy efficient fuel from now on.”
Kenyaha Anderson
“What I would like to see the gas companies do is lower the price for consumers. I myself have to drive to work for an hour. The gas prices are hurting me as a consumer, and sometimes you have to make a choice. We should not have to make a choice of whether I should put gas in my car or am I going to eat. As a consumer you should not have to make that choice. So I really think they should have compassion on us and lower the gas prices.”
Cecilia Taylor
“Number one, it’s less than 10 years ago that a barrel of gas was like $17 a barrel. Now, under this administration it’s like $75 a barrel ?” it makes a big difference. Either you’re going to carpool with somebody else or you’re not going to drive. What else is there to say?”
Bonita Parker
(Chief Operating Officer for Rainbow/PUSH)
“What I would like to see our oil companies do is adhere to the fact that we do need to have our oil prices lower. We know that based on the billions of dollars of revenues most of the major oil companies have had, that there is definitely some room for lowering the price of gas. Secondly, we need the participation from a diverse community. Right now, African Americans are not franchise owners; African American’s are not procuring opportunities. African Americans do not have a proportionate number of executive and managerial positions within British Petroleum. If we’re 31-percent of their market-share, if we’re giving them our money, we want some reciprocity.”
Charleston Hendrix
“I’d like to see the oil companies put pressure on the Bush administration and some of those Democrats to stand up and stop the high prices of gas. We’re paying too much for gasoline. They need a cap on it. It should have been capped back at $2 or something gallon because it’s outrageous paying $3. A cap now would be good, but that’s not going to solve the problem. The cap should have been way before now. And the thing about it, we’re wasting all our money in Iraq and should be using it for people below the poverty level and help people with these high gas prices over here in America. So that is why I’m out here. We’ve got to do something about it.”
Jerry Thomas (media counselor)
“Basically, we support the Reverend’s (Jackson) initiative, where we want to make sure that American consumers don’t have to pay exorbitant amounts for gas. We believe that when you look at the profits that have been herded by the oil companies, and you look at the fact that there is no regulation, it seems like the political leaders are not speaking up. We just commend Rev. Jackson for taking on this effort to fight this fight. And it just continues, his legacy will be someone whose committed to the people and who fights for the voice of the unspoken and, once again, this is an issue that’s in everybody’s pocketbook, but nobody is saying anything.”
Atty. Marty King
(Chairman of the Rainbow/PUSH Board of Directors)
“Lower gas prices affect us in numerous ways, one being on our travels to and from work everyday. The amount of expendable dollars could be spent on other items such as groceries, rent, medicine, food and so forth. Gas prices are affecting truck companies, bus companies, cab companies and every ordinary citizens. And we must fight to make an example of BP/Amoco, not just because of gas prices but also because they have such a poor record with doing business with African-Americans and Latinos. Out of their several thousands distributorships across the country, zero of them are African-American or Latino.”
?” Delores McCain
