January 30, 2006
Cheap Oil!
Joining the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the People's Republic of Philadelphia will be receiving oil from Venezuela courtesy of Hugo Chavez.
Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-Philly) was a part of the negotiations.
- Congressman Chaka Fattah today announced a new program that will offer deeply discounted home heating oil to low and modest income residents in Philadelphia and surrounding counties.
The program, which the Congressman brokered with CITGO and Citizens Energy Corp. of Boston as partners, will be available to residents who have exhausted their benefit under the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program for this heating season.
The government of Venezuela, which owns CITGO through its national oil company, will make 5 million gallons of heating oil available for 60 percent of the retail price. Up to 200 gallons of oil will be available to each eligible resident.
“We have developed an extraordinary partnership involving the public sector, the private sector and the nonprofit sector,” said Congressman Fattah. “It will produce real help in the depths of the winter heating season for tens of thousands of people in Philadelphia and the nearby counties.”
The public sector involves the Congressman’s office and the government of Venezuela, which has provided the oil through CITGO, a century-old U.S. petroleum company owned by the Venezuelan state oil company, PDVSA.
Actually it's not Philadelphia, but also the surrounding counties. Not that that really changes the deal.
Though I'm sure there are homes in Philadelphia that are oil heated, I thought the vast majority were heated with natural gas, courtesy of the city owned Philadelphia Gas Works.
And an obligatory link to the left.
- When do you know your President is in bed with oil executives?
...How about when leaders of other Countries start sending places like Philadlphia foreign aid, in the form of oil to heat the homes of poor people?
Imagine a President forcing a company to give their product away at a steep discount.
A taste of the comments.
- I think this is brilliant- shows up Bush, provides real relief and I like a man who consorts with old-school Latin American Socialists.
How much of Chavez's actions are more a stick in the eye to Bush and Americans vs being humanitarian? Oil and Energy Posted by AlexC at January 30, 2006 8:42 PM
I think it is 100% stick in the eye.
Where I am differing from some conservative friends is in asking "Why Not?" Oil is a cartelized commodity. If this loser wants to sell some to my friend AlexC at a discount for PR purposes, it means cheaper oil for me and cheaper oil for my Philly friends.
The moonbat community is amused but is it truly harmful to the United States? I am still thinking -- I loved it when Rudy told the sheiks to stuff their contingent offer, but a little cheap oil? Drink up!
Posted by: jk at January 31, 2006 10:01 AMI heard in an unrelated story on a business program that Venezuela's oil is "high sulfur." Where are the ACID RAIN! howls from the left?
Besides, when Venezuela sells oil at 40 points off they're probably still making a huge profit given their dirt-cheap production costs. Here's my question: "Why is the government of Venezuela gouging these poor, struggling comrades who are poorer than poor?" What a scoundrel!
Posted by: johngalt at January 31, 2006 3:11 PMIt's actually very comical if you think about it. His country's infrastructure is falling apart (See Zimby-land and SA over the water) and he is snuggling up with Iran. He is myoptic (Hate America) and this is primarily due to the tutiledge by Castro. When his neighbors get fed up with his sponsorship of insurgents or the Chinese get shorted due to unfavorable contract terminations he will find himself in a very dangerous place.
Posted by: mdmhvonpa at January 31, 2006 8:45 PMDealing with socialists and their ideas of "forced equality" whether they are Oriental or Latin American seems like asking for trouble.
Even if we're "ripping them off" on the open market.
Could be that whole 1930's Ukrainian Famine thing perculating inside of me.
Posted by: AlexC at January 31, 2006 10:06 PMSurely you're not proposing that a Pulitzer Prize winning, NYTimes reporter was lying about the Ukraine?
Seriously, ac, you make a good point. Any extent that we are propping up and perpetuating his despotism is bad. His oil can be sold anywhere, but if the PR props up socialism and tyranny, it's not worth it.
Posted by: jk at February 1, 2006 10:39 AM | What do you think? [5]