INFLATION is at a 40-year all time HIGH and our Governor is giving out “piece-meals” when WE the People need REAL HELP! But readers need to know, if they didn’t, that Robert Hunter, the Pseudo Scientist, Ezthere are literally QUACKS invoking their opinions, as if they are the greatest authorities on planet Earth, but nothing tangible to HELP the People. In reality, they represent a real disconnect to the TRUE Realities WE face as they don’t have an inkling of facts to prove or support what they are saying. Furthermore, it seems they could care less about our DYER situation. Robert Hunter is very good at “twisting things for his personal intentions of helping and supporting the Governor” but not the People. He was one-of-the-good-guys until he settled his lawsuit and joined the GOP.
But what readers should note is that Robert Hunter continues to plead and beg for me to explain my hiring at PSS back in 1992, that NO-ONE even cares about. Well, I would like to know and so do many readers want to ask Mr. Robert Hunter to please show the People “his qualifications” as a Government Employee. “WHAT are YOUR qualifications Robert Hunter, the Pseudo Scientist, Ezthere, elkapitan, and others who chose to attack me about our Political, Economic & Social issues rather than offer real solutions. What degrees do you guys have and practical experience do you have that proves you know enough to dictate what needs to be done???
The Pseudo Scientist had the nerve to promote Angel Demapan because Demapan had some people bush-cutting the easement in As Lito, as if bush-cutting is going to really help the People and our Economy. Ezthere is asking me “to speak English,” which needs no explanation as WE can see and know what he is about. elkapitan does offer some constructive suggestions & ideas but this time he says to me “you are way off base about our Parties being like their counterparts on the mainland” but he didn’t offer any rationalization for this statement. The Governor is following Trump’s & the GOP’s Playbook and it is so obvious if you watch the REAL news on CNN. Heck, FOX won’t even show the January 6th Hearing trying to deny the Proof and Realities of the Insurrection just like our Governor is trying to deny all of his alleged crimes, as if our Constitution, the JGO, the State Prosecutor and the Feds are all wrong — can’t wait to stop saying alleged and start saying CONVICTED! But I don’t mind people having a different opinion, the problem is when their opinion is really “baseless and driven solely by the goal to attack me,” which is why I LOVE to take them to task in this Public Forum.
Gas prices
The Gas Reality is, WE the People are being PLAYED by Mobil & Shell with their “price-gouging.” EVER-Since there have been genuine concerns as to WHY these two different Service Stations seem to ALWAYS “set the same price & change their prices at the same time.” If they are colluding with each other then they are certainly violating Federal Anti-Trust Law to “control & manipulate the gas prices,” as they are operating like a Monopoly with NO real indicators of competition.
I used to work for an “Inventory Control Company” in Memphis and I can clearly see how WE the People are being CHEATED! There are only three recognized inventory methods (First-in First-Out (FIFO) or Last-in First-out (LIFO) and the Moving Average (MA) Pricing. But Mobil nor Shell are following either of these recognized inventory control methods as each station has a DIFFERENT Inventory on hand when the price is raised. What is happening for example: When a Service Station purchases 5 to 7-thousand gallons of gas and they still have 3 to 4-thousand gallons in their storage tanks when the price goes up that old gas should be sold at the cheaper price. Even with the Moving Average method, there should always be different prices at Service Stations as their reserves of the cheaper gas will always be different. But instead of selling the existing gas in their tanks that they purchased for a lower price, they are selling the cheaper gas at the higher price, which is really not fair to the customers and even ILLEGAL! They are jacking up the price for ALL Service Stations regardless of how much of the cheaper gas was in their storage tanks, which is CHEATING! Individual Service Stations could practice selling the gas at the lower prices until the new purchases kick-in but instead they are just charging the higher price for the cheaper gas they already have in their storage tanks.
What is getting to most people is “Mobil & Shell don’t even TRY to put up the appearance of being genuine competitors when it comes to pricing. WE the People are at their MERCY and need Federal HELP! Monopolies and Monopolists Operations are really ILLEGAL violating Federal Law and if there were some Independent Service Stations in the CNMI we wouldn’t have this problem of price-gouging by the Service Stations as real competition would force prices to always be different. Quote: “The Federal Antitrust Laws prohibit conduct by a single firm that unreasonably restrains competition by creating or maintaining monopoly power,” as Shell & Mobil are purposely restraining competition while maintaining a monopoly of power over our gas.
Inflation is ramped and Federal Regulators may AGAIN be our only hope for fighting this “White-collar Monopoly Crime” that seems to have no-end-in-sight as there should always be Service Stations with different prices like we see on the mainland. The Legislature can also create a Law putting the Service Stations under a similar “Governance System like we have with Liquor” that will “monitor Shell & Mobil to keep them HONEST” because they are clearly operating ALL the Service Stations like a Monopoly. But whatever happens, WE the People are being CHEATED by having to pay a higher price for the cheaper gas that was already in their storage tanks and it needs to STOP!
To be continued: One People, One Direction.
The writer is an Economist, Political Scientist, retired teacher, former CNMI Board of Education Member, James Madison Fellow (U.S. Constitutional Scholar), a Fulbright-Hays & Humanities Scholar who resides in Kagman III.
Ambrose M. Bennett
