If you watch any of the local TV stations, especially during the local news, you have undoubtedly seen the commercials that Greka Oil has been running in heavy rotation.
They feature Greka President Andrew DeVegvar speaking directly into the camera while surrounded by a group of stone-faced Greka employees sitting around a table. Believe me, those employees do not look like they want to be there. What is this? A commercial or a hostage situation?
Greka has come under fire for numerous spills at its production facility in the North County. While the crude may flow freely at Greka, the money to hire a professional public relations consultant evidently does not.
The target of DeVegvar's wrath in the commercials are the politicians who want to shut Greka down. At one point, DeVegvar glares into the camera and states something along these lines:
"What these politicians fail to tell you is that the reason that Greka has over 50 percent of the oil spills in this county is because we operate more than 50 percent of the infrastructure.
Huh? Add those percentages up and it sounds like 100 percent Greka's fault to me.
There is a bright side to all of this. With ad spending from car dealers, department stores and large retail outlets having all but dried up, Greka's purchase of several weeks worth of ads trumpeting how important they are to the County's economy couldn't have come at a better time for the local TV stations.
© 2009 by Craig Smith and www.craigsmithsblog.com
