Political activists make their point with cheap gas
Precisely 150 Colorado Springs automobiles snaked around a shuttered hotel on the west side of Colorado Springs Thursday afternoon to the entrance of a local gas station, all drawn by the promise of gasoline for $1.84 per gallon.
The discount, sponsored by the conservative political group Americans for Prosperity, began at 4 p.m. and lasted to 6 p.m.,but was limited to 150 cars. Many residents showed up well beforehand and waited up to 2 1/2 hours with smiles on their faces.
A volunteer at the event said the first car in line showed up at 1:30 p.m. And volunteers started turning people away just after 4 p.m. because the line was full.
“It’s a hell of deal. A really nice gesture. Times are tough, and this is a bit of a break for folks,” said Dan Kase, a delivery driver for Phil Long Ford.
The discount was a political gimmick by AFP — its way of demonstrating that gas prices have skyrocketed since President Barack Obama took office.
In 2008, AFP leaders said, gas cost $1.84. Now, gas in Colorado is often double that. But the price falls short of the $4 a gallon mark that was surpassed in the summer of 2008 when George W. Bush was president.
Still, the message about high gas prices resonated on Thursday.
“We want to drill, baby, drill, so we can have prices like this all the time,” said former publisher Debbie Dittmer.
Customers could only get up to 15 gallons at the $1.84 price, but drivers in line didn’t care.
“I’ll take what I can get,” said Mark Montmeny, a self-employed construction worker. Montmeny owns a large pickup with a 25-gallon tank, and he says usually it costs him between $80 and $90 to fill up.
“It’s time for a change. A change of parties in the White House,” Montmeny added.
But plenty of customers didn’t know or care why the gas was so cheap. They just wanted the lower price.
When AFP’s deputy state director, Sean Paige, asked a woman in a mini-van if she knew who was behind the $1.84 price, she shook her head.
“Because policy, politics and prices matter,” Paige told her.
State Rep. Larry Liston, R-Colorado Springs, walked from car to car for AFP, getting names, phone numbers and email addresses from drivers. He said that way they could let people know when they were having more similar events.
“We’ve gotten a great response from people on what we’re doing,” Liston said. “Probably the only disappointment today was you could only get 15 gallons.”
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Americans for Prosperity volunteers Craig Lindal and Melissa Kelly, in the gas suit, advertise $1.84 a gallon gas at the Acorn Gas Station Thursday, October 4, 2012. The conservative group subsidized the gas to offer 150 drivers the chance to buy gas at the price it was when President Obama was inaugurated four years ago. Photo by MICHAEL CIAGLO/The Gazette
Manuel G. Cabrillo fills a Gatorade bottle with $1.84 a gallon gas Thursday, October 4, 2012. Conservative group Americans for Prosperity in conjunction with Acorn Gas Station offered 150 drivers the chance to buy gas at the price it was when President Ob Photo by MICHAEL CIAGLO/The Gazette
Roy Hepler, who just lost his job on Friday, and Acorn Gas Station employee Haley DuBois laugh as Hepler pumps $1.84 a gallon gas into his truck Thursday, October 4, 2012. Conservative group Americans for Prosperity in conjunction with Acorn Gas Station o Photo by MICHAEL CIAGLO, THE GAZETTE