Exxon Oil

[TW]

Dawgs,
I think that the confusion here is that you are using the word "ownership" in the context that corporations use as a buzz word. They want their employees to assume responsibility for their own work area, whatever that maybe. So they encourage you to take "ownership" of that area. One love and others are using "ownership" in it's literal sense, that is you actually own the business being discussed.

The time that we will have to take the mark is not here yet, nor can we do anything to stop it from happening or delay/hasten it's arrival. We can only deal with the "now," and as of "now" capitalism is the best available option. As flawed as it may be, it still beats socialism, communism, or any other "ism." Your experience is in retail groceries and drug stores. You are aware of the margins and markups in these retail outlets, not in the margins and markups in C-store. It is a different world. When I was younger I managed a full service gas station for awhile. No C store products, only gas and oil based products. My margin was paper thin, my prices were set by the Company. Yes the Company made lots of money, but at the outlet level we didn't. Every different type of outlet works on different margins, as every different level within a corporation works on different margins.


TW

[MacUser]

i do not disagree with this statement completely. although it is a general statement and a narrow view when looking at america as a whole.

Sorry.. I don't think abuse of the system is a narrow view in America. It's a national pandemic. Everyone is expecting something for nothing and we're out of money. It's time for the able bodies to take care of themselves or don't eat. Paul is clear on this.

People that have choices on HDTV Large Flat Screens, Expensive SUVs, $300 cell and text phone bills each month ( luxury items etc. ) yet can't be expected to pay for ( personal, family, healthcare, transportation etc ) necessities is absurd.

The insanity has to stop.

[one love]

dawgs could you please answer the question? I would also like to know what kind of business you ran/managed/owned....

i was a store manager with Freds for five years, and a store manager with Eckerd/rite aid for 10 years. and yes, i had complete ownership. the margin, cash flow, profitability, human resources, merchandising, were all my responsibility. i was very successfull. bonused every year. worked 60 hours a week for around 15 years. you cant tell me much that i dont know about retail. thats why i walked away from it.

how can you have complete ownership and be a manager...sorry a but confused.

complete ownership of those things listed. if you have never been a retail manager you would be a bit confused. yes you have supervisors that do punch lists to make sure you are up to standard but in most retail companies are encouraged to have ownership in your store. trust me one love, your attempt to belittle my experience in retail is a waste of your time. i got out of it because i know the markup in retail. i got out of it because i refuse to run stores with part time people while trying to keep them part time for life so we dont have to pay for health care with full time folks. what i would ask one love is what kind of retail experience do have. have you ran a 3 million a year store for 15 years? then dont question me in a way that would try to prove me a liar. i felt the call into ministry and left retail. but my retail knowledge and experience is still there. and i know you make 50 to 60 percent on off brand bottled water which by unit is one of the hottest items at check out coolers. i know that the icee machines are huge profit. the cup its self has a higher cost than the product. i know that there is a reason the candy bars are at checkout. (so the kids will flip out for one, while the parents are waiting in line to buy their 50.00 dollar a carton cigs!!) that the store makes very little on. i know that the reason the stop smoking section is next to the cig counter is because there is a huge mark up in nicotine patches and one day the store wants you to be addicted so you will buy both. do you know what the average mark up on over the counter store brand cough meds are. 60% and higer. its sad what world we are living in when the dollar is more important than people. but the day is coming when the dollar will not be worth a thing. we will take a mark to buy food. all thats coming. so maybe we should just stop worry about making so much money, and start focusing on people.

I did not even have to read the whole post but you are still wrong. You did not OWN the business period. You were a manger, big difference. You could be fired. I have owned a business that exceeded those sales and been a vice president of a couple companies as well. I started my first business at 21 years old.
I am not trying to belittle you I am trying to understand. Could you change prices of material? was the mark up your decision? Was the building yours? Did you own the business? if NO then you still do not understand where Dolfan is coming from.
People are hired for a job and they know what the job consist of. I was hired at pizza hut as a teenager and never complained that I could not get overtime or could not reach 40 hours, i knew that coming in. Never complained about health care because i never thought there would be enough money in the job to get healthcare from them. If you were upset because you could not give health care to part time workers then I again say you dont understand. BTW if you owned the business why did you not give them healthcare???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Because you did not own the company.
I commend you on your experience it is not easy to run a business. I am not trying to belittle you at all but you seem to think it is evil for a company to make profit. THat is the goal. The goal of the business is not to open up to make the best place for a employee to work. Without profits there is no employees.


-----

okay read the rest of your post and I am BLOWN away that you ever ran a retail store You think it is a business job to take care of people??? WHAT????
It is there job to make money or they do not exist. Some products have to be marked up to make enough money to survive. If you think that is not the case then look at how many go out of business. I am shocked you feel that they are supposed to help people.
SO in your thinking I should have given away hardwood floors ebcause hey.. it was for the people not for us as a business. BTW My retail was a flooring business. I had 16 crews running everyday. 4 office personal as well. That is neither here nor there.
I think it is great you went in to the ministry, I do. I think it is insane to be mad at a company for doing what it is supposed to do...make a profit.

BTW I gave insurance to all workers because I could afford it.

[dawgs10]

dawgs could you please answer the question? I would also like to know what kind of business you ran/managed/owned....

i was a store manager with Freds for five years, and a store manager with Eckerd/rite aid for 10 years. and yes, i had complete ownership. the margin, cash flow, profitability, human resources, merchandising, were all my responsibility. i was very successfull. bonused every year. worked 60 hours a week for around 15 years. you cant tell me much that i dont know about retail. thats why i walked away from it.

how can you have complete ownership and be a manager...sorry a but confused.

complete ownership of those things listed. if you have never been a retail manager you would be a bit confused. yes you have supervisors that do punch lists to make sure you are up to standard but in most retail companies are encouraged to have ownership in your store. trust me one love, your attempt to belittle my experience in retail is a waste of your time. i got out of it because i know the markup in retail. i got out of it because i refuse to run stores with part time people while trying to keep them part time for life so we dont have to pay for health care with full time folks. what i would ask one love is what kind of retail experience do have. have you ran a 3 million a year store for 15 years? then dont question me in a way that would try to prove me a liar. i felt the call into ministry and left retail. but my retail knowledge and experience is still there. and i know you make 50 to 60 percent on off brand bottled water which by unit is one of the hottest items at check out coolers. i know that the icee machines are huge profit. the cup its self has a higher cost than the product. i know that there is a reason the candy bars are at checkout. (so the kids will flip out for one, while the parents are waiting in line to buy their 50.00 dollar a carton cigs!!) that the store makes very little on. i know that the reason the stop smoking section is next to the cig counter is because there is a huge mark up in nicotine patches and one day the store wants you to be addicted so you will buy both. do you know what the average mark up on over the counter store brand cough meds are. 60% and higer. its sad what world we are living in when the dollar is more important than people. but the day is coming when the dollar will not be worth a thing. we will take a mark to buy food. all thats coming. so maybe we should just stop worry about making so much money, and start focusing on people.

I did not even have to read the whole post but you are still wrong. You did not OWN the business period. You were a manger, big difference. You could be fired. I have owned a business that exceeded those sales and been a vice president of a couple companies as well. I started my first business at 21 years old.
I am not trying to belittle you I am trying to understand. Could you change prices of material? was the mark up your decision? Was the building yours? Did you own the business? if NO then you still do not understand where Dolfan is coming from.
People are hired for a job and they know what the job consist of. I was hired at pizza hut as a teenager and never complained that I could not get overtime or could not reach 40 hours, i knew that coming in. Never complained about health care because i never thought there would be enough money in the job to get healthcare from them. If you were upset because you could not give health care to part time workers then I again say you dont understand. BTW if you owned the business why did you not give them healthcare???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Because you did not own the company.
I commend you on your experience it is not easy to run a business. I am not trying to belittle you at all but you seem to think it is evil for a company to make profit. THat is the goal. The goal of the business is not to open up to make the best place for a employee to work. Without profits there is no employees.


-----

okay read the rest of your post and I am BLOWN away that you ever ran a retail store You think it is a business job to take care of people??? WHAT????
It is there job to make money or they do not exist. Some products have to be marked up to make enough money to survive. If you think that is not the case then look at how many go out of business. I am shocked you feel that they are supposed to help people.
SO in your thinking I should have given away hardwood floors ebcause hey.. it was for the people not for us as a business. BTW My retail was a flooring business. I had 16 crews running everyday. 4 office personal as well. That is neither here nor there.
I think it is great you went in to the ministry, I do. I think it is insane to be mad at a company for doing what it is supposed to do...make a profit.

BTW I gave insurance to all workers because I could afford it.

not true. the customer can fire dolfan. most people can be fired. thats silly. the fact is i know retail. i know what it takes to make a profit. the profit in my store was up to me. did i set prices. yes, in many ways i did. many vendor prices were set at the regional level and we had input every week. i dont think it is wrong to make a profit. i do think it is wrong to make a profit with some product. like medical treatment and fuel. i do think it is wrong to mark up something 75 to 100% to make a profit. and again very silly about hard wood floors. cannot compare to the health care field and fuel and many basic food items. some are living in a fairy tale land of money at all cost. if you notice dolfan and i are not facing off about this anymore. i hope it is because i made myself clear to him and he understands that i was making general statements and not pointing to him.. but onelove, if you dont think a store manager owns their own store in day to day operation of that store you dont know alot about retail management. sorry but true. and the fact is i know we have to make a profit to stay in busn. but when in store mark up is 50% or higher we are robbing people.

[dawgs10]

dawgs could you please answer the question? I would also like to know what kind of business you ran/managed/owned....

i was a store manager with Freds for five years, and a store manager with Eckerd/rite aid for 10 years. and yes, i had complete ownership. the margin, cash flow, profitability, human resources, merchandising, were all my responsibility. i was very successfull. bonused every year. worked 60 hours a week for around 15 years. you cant tell me much that i dont know about retail. thats why i walked away from it.

how can you have complete ownership and be a manager...sorry a but confused.

complete ownership of those things listed. if you have never been a retail manager you would be a bit confused. yes you have supervisors that do punch lists to make sure you are up to standard but in most retail companies are encouraged to have ownership in your store. trust me one love, your attempt to belittle my experience in retail is a waste of your time. i got out of it because i know the markup in retail. i got out of it because i refuse to run stores with part time people while trying to keep them part time for life so we dont have to pay for health care with full time folks. what i would ask one love is what kind of retail experience do have. have you ran a 3 million a year store for 15 years? then dont question me in a way that would try to prove me a liar. i felt the call into ministry and left retail. but my retail knowledge and experience is still there. and i know you make 50 to 60 percent on off brand bottled water which by unit is one of the hottest items at check out coolers. i know that the icee machines are huge profit. the cup its self has a higher cost than the product. i know that there is a reason the candy bars are at checkout. (so the kids will flip out for one, while the parents are waiting in line to buy their 50.00 dollar a carton cigs!!) that the store makes very little on. i know that the reason the stop smoking section is next to the cig counter is because there is a huge mark up in nicotine patches and one day the store wants you to be addicted so you will buy both. do you know what the average mark up on over the counter store brand cough meds are. 60% and higer. its sad what world we are living in when the dollar is more important than people. but the day is coming when the dollar will not be worth a thing. we will take a mark to buy food. all thats coming. so maybe we should just stop worry about making so much money, and start focusing on people.

I did not even have to read the whole post but you are still wrong. You did not OWN the business period. You were a manger, big difference. You could be fired. I have owned a business that exceeded those sales and been a vice president of a couple companies as well. I started my first business at 21 years old.
I am not trying to belittle you I am trying to understand. Could you change prices of material? was the mark up your decision? Was the building yours? Did you own the business? if NO then you still do not understand where Dolfan is coming from.
People are hired for a job and they know what the job consist of. I was hired at pizza hut as a teenager and never complained that I could not get overtime or could not reach 40 hours, i knew that coming in. Never complained about health care because i never thought there would be enough money in the job to get healthcare from them. If you were upset because you could not give health care to part time workers then I again say you dont understand. BTW if you owned the business why did you not give them healthcare???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Because you did not own the company.
I commend you on your experience it is not easy to run a business. I am not trying to belittle you at all but you seem to think it is evil for a company to make profit. THat is the goal. The goal of the business is not to open up to make the best place for a employee to work. Without profits there is no employees.


-----

okay read the rest of your post and I am BLOWN away that you ever ran a retail store You think it is a business job to take care of people??? WHAT????
It is there job to make money or they do not exist. Some products have to be marked up to make enough money to survive. If you think that is not the case then look at how many go out of business. I am shocked you feel that they are supposed to help people.
SO in your thinking I should have given away hardwood floors ebcause hey.. it was for the people not for us as a business. BTW My retail was a flooring business. I had 16 crews running everyday. 4 office personal as well. That is neither here nor there.
I think it is great you went in to the ministry, I do. I think it is insane to be mad at a company for doing what it is supposed to do...make a profit.

BTW I gave insurance to all workers because I could afford it.

not true. the customer can fire dolfan. most people can be fired. thats silly. the fact is i know retail. i know what it takes to make a profit. the profit in my store was up to me. did i set prices. yes, in many ways i did. many vendor prices were set at the regional level and we had input every week. i dont think it is wrong to make a profit. i do think it is wrong to make a profit with some product. like medical treatment and fuel. i do think it is wrong to mark up something 75 to 100% to make a profit. and again very silly about hard wood floors. cannot compare to the health care field and fuel and many basic food items. some are living in a fairy tale land of money at all cost. if you notice dolfan and i are not facing off about this anymore. i hope it is because i made myself clear to him and he understands that i was making general statements and not pointing to him.. but onelove, if you dont think a store manager owns their own store in day to day operation of that store you dont know alot about retail management. sorry but true. and the fact is i know we have to make a profit to stay in busn. but when in store mark up is 50% or higher we are robbing people.

[one love]

dawgs could you please answer the question? I would also like to know what kind of business you ran/managed/owned....

i was a store manager with Freds for five years, and a store manager with Eckerd/rite aid for 10 years. and yes, i had complete ownership. the margin, cash flow, profitability, human resources, merchandising, were all my responsibility. i was very successfull. bonused every year. worked 60 hours a week for around 15 years. you cant tell me much that i dont know about retail. thats why i walked away from it.

how can you have complete ownership and be a manager...sorry a but confused.

complete ownership of those things listed. if you have never been a retail manager you would be a bit confused. yes you have supervisors that do punch lists to make sure you are up to standard but in most retail companies are encouraged to have ownership in your store. trust me one love, your attempt to belittle my experience in retail is a waste of your time. i got out of it because i know the markup in retail. i got out of it because i refuse to run stores with part time people while trying to keep them part time for life so we dont have to pay for health care with full time folks. what i would ask one love is what kind of retail experience do have. have you ran a 3 million a year store for 15 years? then dont question me in a way that would try to prove me a liar. i felt the call into ministry and left retail. but my retail knowledge and experience is still there. and i know you make 50 to 60 percent on off brand bottled water which by unit is one of the hottest items at check out coolers. i know that the icee machines are huge profit. the cup its self has a higher cost than the product. i know that there is a reason the candy bars are at checkout. (so the kids will flip out for one, while the parents are waiting in line to buy their 50.00 dollar a carton cigs!!) that the store makes very little on. i know that the reason the stop smoking section is next to the cig counter is because there is a huge mark up in nicotine patches and one day the store wants you to be addicted so you will buy both. do you know what the average mark up on over the counter store brand cough meds are. 60% and higer. its sad what world we are living in when the dollar is more important than people. but the day is coming when the dollar will not be worth a thing. we will take a mark to buy food. all thats coming. so maybe we should just stop worry about making so much money, and start focusing on people.

I did not even have to read the whole post but you are still wrong. You did not OWN the business period. You were a manger, big difference. You could be fired. I have owned a business that exceeded those sales and been a vice president of a couple companies as well. I started my first business at 21 years old.
I am not trying to belittle you I am trying to understand. Could you change prices of material? was the mark up your decision? Was the building yours? Did you own the business? if NO then you still do not understand where Dolfan is coming from.
People are hired for a job and they know what the job consist of. I was hired at pizza hut as a teenager and never complained that I could not get overtime or could not reach 40 hours, i knew that coming in. Never complained about health care because i never thought there would be enough money in the job to get healthcare from them. If you were upset because you could not give health care to part time workers then I again say you dont understand. BTW if you owned the business why did you not give them healthcare???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Because you did not own the company.
I commend you on your experience it is not easy to run a business. I am not trying to belittle you at all but you seem to think it is evil for a company to make profit. THat is the goal. The goal of the business is not to open up to make the best place for a employee to work. Without profits there is no employees.


-----

okay read the rest of your post and I am BLOWN away that you ever ran a retail store You think it is a business job to take care of people??? WHAT????
It is there job to make money or they do not exist. Some products have to be marked up to make enough money to survive. If you think that is not the case then look at how many go out of business. I am shocked you feel that they are supposed to help people.
SO in your thinking I should have given away hardwood floors ebcause hey.. it was for the people not for us as a business. BTW My retail was a flooring business. I had 16 crews running everyday. 4 office personal as well. That is neither here nor there.
I think it is great you went in to the ministry, I do. I think it is insane to be mad at a company for doing what it is supposed to do...make a profit.

BTW I gave insurance to all workers because I could afford it.

not true. the customer can fire dolfan. most people can be fired. thats silly. the fact is i know retail. i know what it takes to make a profit. the profit in my store was up to me. did i set prices. yes, in many ways i did. many vendor prices were set at the regional level and we had input every week. i dont think it is wrong to make a profit. i do think it is wrong to make a profit with some product. like medical treatment and fuel. i do think it is wrong to mark up something 75 to 100% to make a profit. and again very silly about hard wood floors. cannot compare to the health care field and fuel and many basic food items. some are living in a fairy tale land of money at all cost. if you notice dolfan and i are not facing off about this anymore. i hope it is because i made myself clear to him and he understands that i was making general statements and not pointing to him.. but onelove, if you dont think a store manager owns their own store in day to day operation of that store you dont know alot about retail management. sorry but true. and the fact is i know we have to make a profit to stay in busn. but when in store mark up is 50% or higher we are robbing people.

WRONG they are the same. I am arguing that you feel it is wrong to make such profits on certain products, that is a business model that we all have to follow...PROFIT. It does not matter what kind of business. I had 20 employees, dealt with hiring , firing, the money, mark up everything.
BTW you were not a owner at all. You were a store manager. You did not start that business at all. It is a little belittling to some that have worked long and hard to start a business and you toss the word around so easily...

DOLFAN can not be fired, he can close down that is it. People can not fire him. If they choose to not go there and his profits are down he chooses to leave.
MY point it you do not understand because there is a bigger picture when ALL the pressure is ON YOU. When 20m peoples jobs are depenpent upon your decisions. When your life's work depends upon what you do...... Keep on arguing but you are defending a socialistic idea....

[one love]

BTW did you say 50% mark up? that is not high at all... actually a little low.
As a matter of fact a 70% mark up is only a 30% MARGIN.. Most business work off of a 30% MARGIN.....

NOW THAT IS THE MODEL FOR MOST RETAIL STORES i AM NOT SURE ABOUT PHARMACIES ETC. IF THEY GO BELOW THAT I WOULD BE SHOCKED HOW THEY COULD MAKE IT.

[dawgs10]

BTW did you say 50% mark up? that is not high at all... actually a little low.
As a matter of fact a 70% mark up is only a 30% MARGIN.. Most business work off of a 30% MARGIN.....

NOW THAT IS THE MODEL FOR MOST RETAIL STORES i AM NOT SURE ABOUT PHARMACIES ETC. IF THEY GO BELOW THAT I WOULD BE SHOCKED HOW THEY COULD MAKE IT.

let me give you the break down on all retail stores that sale over the counter rx, food/, soft goods or apperal, photo labs. the photo lab GM is around 85-90 percent. yes 85-90 percent. over the counter rx, brand name is around 50% store brand is 75-100% percent. food, is 30-50% and soft goods are normaly over 50%.thats the margin. add it up.

[dawgs10]

there are a lot of free countries that do not make huge profits on health care. (and see us as barbaric that we do) also, the fuel prices in some countries if the tax were taken off would be much lower that 1.99 a gallon. but i would rather pay a tax that goes to help someone with medical treatment rather than pay 3.50 a gallon to send a busn. owner on vacation this summer. so what ever you think one love. if we show the love of Jesus we will care for those that are not cared for.

[one love]

there are a lot of free countries that do not make huge profits on health care. (and see us as barbaric that we do) also, the fuel prices in some countries if the tax were taken off would be much lower that 1.99 a gallon. but i would rather pay a tax that goes to help someone with medical treatment rather than pay 3.50 a gallon to send a busn. owner on vacation this summer. so what ever you think one love. if we show the love of Jesus we will care for those that are not cared for.

care...hmmm so business owners should let their families starve so you can save pennies??????????? You dont get it.

Again most companies (not sure about conv. stores) work off of 30%margins not mark ups. That is actually approx 70% mark up
(economy has driven those cost down which has resulted in a lot of companies going under) Doing it your way..dropping prices has put 2 companies out of business this past few weeks that i know.. there has to be profit to pay the bills. You want low profits, free health care, high wages, how do you configure that math as a Business expert?????

Point being you want to make 30% off of the selling price of a product, according to you that is robbery! Margin/mark up

Brother I appreciate your intentions and kind heart I just think you are missing the big picture. If the rest of the world looks at us so bad then why do they ALL ENVY America? I am sooo tired of hearing how bad we are when we are the nation that everyone desires to come to.

Yes gas taxes are way to high i live NC tell me about it, But stores are not making it rich on selling gas. There have been more gas conv. stores go out of bus. in the last 3 years then in hist.


When gas prices go up credit cards make more, oil companies make more, taxes are higher but the stores make less.... believe it or not. I have heard in some states they are lucky to make 10% Dolfan can feel free to correct that

[Full Quiver]

i do think it is wrong to make a profit with some product. like medical treatment and fuel.

Well when you convince the ARABS to hand over all their oil for the good of all Earthlings then we will talk.

[dawgs10]

i do think it is wrong to make a profit with some product. like medical treatment and fuel.

Well when you convince the ARABS to hand over all their oil for the good of all Earthlings then we will talk.

if we would drill in alaska and off shore it could help lower the prices if the profit wasnt billions to exon.

[oletimer]

Full Quiver Posted:

i do think it is wrong to make a profit with some product. like medical treatment and fuel.

Well when you convince the ARABS to hand over all their oil for the good of all Earthlings then we will talk.

dawgs10 Posted:

if we would drill in alaska and off shore it could help lower the prices if the profit wasnt billions to exon.

I don't believe that it is the Arabs that is the problems, but more so Exon and the other oil companies. Its not the local stores so much all though I know one or two that make two to five cents more then others, as they have to raise or lower their prices with the influx from the big oil companies. Our Problems seem to more us doing it to our selves so to speak then the fault of others. The Exons, Shell, and the other big oil are the ones that dictate what we pay for our gas and I believe that Dolfan can verify this. Same as the markets our other prices general speaking.

[dolfan]

The Exons, Shell, and the other big oil are the ones that dictate what we pay for our gas and I believe that Dolfan can verify this. Same as the markets our other prices general speaking.

Well, yeah I can but you already know that's true anyway. Wal-Mart sets the price you'll pay for milk and CD's if you buy from them. And, in most small communities, at least, that's THE price you'll pay for those items because Wal-Mart is THE place everyone goes. But, I get your drift. You're saying it's a small cartel of price-setters in the oil business. Yeah, it is. And, I guess it just is what it is. Wal-Mart is its own sort of one-company cartel, too, in a lot of places. But, companies find ways to compete. Personally, I think Dollar General is a great example of competing with the big boys and their neighborhood store (even in the sticks) model seems to be working. That's what smaller oil companies must do, and they do. But, there are limits there, too. The 600 pound gorillas aren't going anywhere.

[one love]

The Exons, Shell, and the other big oil are the ones that dictate what we pay for our gas and I believe that Dolfan can verify this. Same as the markets our other prices general speaking.

Well, yeah I can but you already know that's true anyway. Wal-Mart sets the price you'll pay for milk and CD's if you buy from them. And, in most small communities, at least, that's THE price you'll pay for those items because Wal-Mart is THE place everyone goes. But, I get your drift. You're saying it's a small cartel of price-setters in the oil business. Yeah, it is. And, I guess it just is what it is. Wal-Mart is its own sort of one-company cartel, too, in a lot of places. But, companies find ways to compete. Personally, I think Dollar General is a great example of competing with the big boys and their neighborhood store (even in the sticks) model seems to be working. That's what smaller oil companies must do, and they do. But, there are limits there, too. The 600 pound gorillas aren't going anywhere.

You are very correct! The owner of the dollar tree lives in va beach and is the 5th richest man in VA.

Business's all have to adapt to their surroundings and this horrific economy. Not charging for gas or dolfan making no money on gas would be insane on his part.