As winter once more grips the United States and heating oil still hovers in the $10 per gallon range, many families throughout the northern portions of America are set to suffer another cold and income breaking winter. However it could be much worse.
Citgo, the national oil company of Venezuela, will once again run its donation program for America's poor. Be they villages in Alaska or small towns in Vermont, Citgo has for several of the Bush Regime years donated millions of gallons of heating oil to America's poor.
Venezuela? You mean the lair of the evil Chavez? The man that DC loves to hate? Well one of a large cadre of men the powers of DC and NYC love to hate, all true. However, as much as the US may hate him, as much as the US may condemn him, as much as US pride stands like a wall around the country, it is not stupid enough to not take a hand out. Oh and never mind that for the most part the American One Party Two Branch system of politics has proven much further left of Chavez and more than happy to nationalize so much of the economy that Lenin's withered and preserved mummy is cracking its skin, smiling.
While senators and governors all love to flaunt their "patriotism" and hatred of Chavez, they know better than to pass on this handout. Cold angry and broke constituents will remember who kept them cold and hungry when elections come (at best) or may not wait that long to take matters into their hands (at worst).
So once more, while the rhetoric spills from the lips of warm, well fed American politicos, Venezuelan tankers and trucks will continue to keep their constituents warm.
Hypocrisy or business as usual?
Owner: Stanislav Mishin at stas.mishin71@gmail.com
"Whosoever shall come to us with the sword shall perish by it. Upon this stood and stands the land of Russia".
St Prince Alexander Nevsky, in the 13th century
Romans 8:31
4 comments:
I would like to let you know that heating oil in USA never cost $10 per gallon.
It went from $0.99 in 2000 to $3.00in 2008.In december 2008 it went down to $2.50
The same with the price of gasoline. Prices fluctuated from $1.50 in 2000 to $4.00 in July 2008 and down to $2.0 at present time.
As you can see market economy in USA works. Prices go up or down.
Very small percentage of American homeowners cannot afford heating of their houses. Most of the poor peopple dont own houses - they rent appartments and rent include heating expences.
Thank you.
Mikhail
Sorry Mikhail, but it is $9.80 in Alaska as we speak, regardless of the petro wealth of Alaska.
Venezuela's Chavez offers heat to villages
From the Anchorage Daily News (you need to call them and tell them they're wrong)
With heating oil prices approaching $10 a gallon in rural Alaska and reports of neighbors stealing fuel from neighbors to warm their homes, a Venezuela-owned oil company plans to supply free fuel to villages again this winter.
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Citgo has provided roughly 15,000 Alaska village households 100 gallons of heating oil each for the past two winters.
CITGO's Low Cost Heating Oil (Charity for the US)
CITGO Petroleum Corporation made its first delivery of heating oil of the 2007-2008 winter season in Boston on Dec. 10.
The CITGO-Venezuela Heating Oil Program will provide an estimated 112 million gallons of fuel this winter to be distributed in more than 224,000 households and 250 social service providers in 23 states. These totals include the CITGO-Venezuela Tribal Heating Oil Program.
"I am proud of the fact that CITGO is a very socially responsible company," said CITGO Chairman, President and CEO Alejandro Granado.
The program, being implemented in partnership with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Citizens Energy Corporation, was created in 2005 to offset a perfect storm of catastrophic events within some of the poorest and most vulnerable communities in the United States. Decreased supplies, resulting from hurricanes Katrina and Rita, led to steep increases in fuel costs while cuts in the federal Heating Oil Assistance Program placed unbearable burdens on family budgets already stretched thin.
How much has the price of home heating oil increased?
The average retail heating oil price has increased from $1.18 a gallon in 2000 to $3.21 a gallon in November 2007. That is a 172% increase -- almost triple the cost. In one-year alone, average retail heating oil prices have increased 35% from $2.37 a gallon to $3.21 a gallon.
How many people does the program serve?
In 2006-2007, the program served:
180,000 households
250 shelters
37 Native American tribes
As you can see market economy in USA works.
No it does not because the US has been far from a Market Economy ever since communist FDR took over and every year since it has come less and less to resemble one.
The spectical for the world to see, on stage in DC every day for the past 5 months only proves that point.
If this is proof that the US "market" economy is working, there are major problems. A true market economy does not have $8.5 trillion in handouts given out in 5 months to the mega rich.
What is government doing to relieve the burden of high energy prices?
The federal government provides limited help through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to low-income families struggling to stay warm during the winter. But this assistance reaches only 16% of eligible families, providing heating and cooling assistance to 5.6 million households annually.
Two years ago, when millions of households sought relief from rising energy prices, Congress increased LIHEAP funding from $2.1 billion in 2005 to $3.2 billion in 2006. But last year, the federal government reduced LIHEAP funding to $2.1 billion, resulting in states cutting grant levels, eliminating crisis assistance, and closing programs to new applicants.
Earlier this year, the Bush Administration proposed slashing LIHEAP funding further, requesting only $1.78 billion in 2008 -- a 44% ($1.38 billion) reduction from 2006 levels. Under this proposed budget, states will be forced to cut benefit levels and eliminate aid to an estimated 1 million families from the program.
Congress recently proposed slightly higher LIHEAP funding in 2008 -- $2.41 billion -- up $250 million over 2007 levels. President Bush, however, vetoed this appropriations bill. Whatever the outcome of this budget debate, the ultimate funding level will fall short of the program's authorized funding level of $5.1 billion
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