Venezuela Continues to Warm US Homes

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

W*GS' boogeyman in action...

12-14-07, 9:29 am

WASHINGTON, December 12.— Venezuela continues its program to help low-income US families get through the cold winter season. This year’s heating oil donation plan began Wednesday in a poor neighborhood in the US capital, reported ANSA news service.

A total of 224,000 families in 23 states will reportedly benefit from the program backed by US $100 million.

The program is administered by the Citizens Energy non-profit organization which takes care of the logistics and processing requests to participate. CITGO, the US subsidiary of the Venezuelan national oil company PDVSA, provides the heating oil.

Citizens Energy founder Joseph P. Kennedy II was on hand Wednesday to fill the tank at the home of Sophy Hallen, a 67-year-old woman living in Anacostia, a predominantly Afro-American neighborhood in Washington D.C.

The former congressman thanked Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez for donating the fuel to poor US citizens and criticized President Bush for spending "millions of dollars on the war" instead of helping the poor in the United States.

"We have called all the companies encouraging them to collaborate with the program and none have responded," said Kennedy. He highlighted the case of Exxon, which last year recorded profits of US $100 billion.

This is the second year that Washington D.C. residents will benefit from the CITGO program. It all began at the end of 2005 when the US Senate called on oil corporations to donate part of their profits to the neediest so that they can heat their homes in winter.

http://www.politicalaffairs.net/arti...ew/6276/1/300/



The anti-democracy/pro-corporatocracy right must be livid about this.

How dare this Chavez upstart give Bush's oil away to the poor and the needy?

[ant1999e]

He's such a great guy.

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

Bush apologists everywhere can feel good knowing that poor people in America had to get aid from a foreign government on their hero's watch.

Way to go, Smirk.

[W*GS]

LABF, you're just a dupe.

[Bronco Bob]

Any American who buys gas from that ass is an anti-Bush commie.

Oops, meant anti-American commie.

[Bronco Bob]

Originally Posted by W*GS

LABF, you're just a dupe.

Yep, everyone knows Chavez is just doing this to make Bush look bad.


Of course an apple hanging on a tree makes Bush look bad,
the guy is such a total screw-up.

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

W*GS is just a dupe for the same corporatist thugs who put "friendly" dictators like Pinochet in power.

W*GS' takes re: Chavez read like ExxonMobil-approved right-wing talking points.

[W*GS]

Originally Posted by Bronco Bob

Yep, everyone knows Chavez is just doing this to make Bush look bad.

He's doing it as a bit of political theater. He honestly doesn't give a **** about poor people, here or in Venezuela.

[W*GS]

Originally Posted by L.A. BRONCOS FAN

W*GS is just a dupe for the same corporatist thugs who put "friendly" dictators like Pinochet in power.

W*GS' takes re: Chavez read like ExxonMobil-approved right-wing talking points.

Don't you ever get tired of being a bald-faced liar?

[Dudeskey]

Originally Posted by Bronco Bob

Any American who buys gas from that ass is an anti-Bush commie.

Oops, meant anti-American commie.

They're everywhere- probably near where you stay! But hey, its a free market

From the gasoline that helps your family take vacations to the advanced medical equipment at your community hospital, CITGO is there at every turn.

It's amazing the difference petroleum-based products make in our everyday lives. Based in Houston, Texas, CITGO is a refiner and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals, refined waxes, asphalt and other industrial products. In addition to these products, there's probably a CITGO in your neighborhood, a convenient place to fill up with gas and grab a quick snack.

The company is owned by PDV America, Inc., an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Since 1985, CITGO has sold its various products through independent marketers. Our relationship with these people is really what makes CITGO different from other petroleum companies.

Welcome to CITGO.

http://www.citgo.com/AboutCITGO.jsp

[cutthemdown]

Chavez is a tool but it's a good thing that poor people are getting some help with heating oil. But to say America doesn't have any entitlement programs for the poor would be misleading. Our govt gives tons of money to poor people in our country and aid to many countries overseas.

[Bronco Bob]

Is Jerry Lewis a commie? Otherwise why is he accepting money from these people?


HOUSTON --- The 2007 fund-raising efforts of CITGO Petroleum Corporation's employees, customers and business associates on behalf of the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) resulted in a contribution of $8.4 million.

The total was announced in the annual Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon. With this year's contribution, CITGO reached the $90 million milestone in its contributions to MDA over a 22-year partnership, which has been focused on the continuing quest for a cure for neuromuscular disease. CITGO's employees, marketers and business associates conduct and participate in scores of fundraising events throughout the year in an effort to contribute to the fight against neuromuscular disease.

CITGO is a proud sponsor of the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). MDA is a National voluntary health agency - - a dedicated partnership between scientists and concerned citizens aimed at conquering neuromuscular diseases that affect more than a million Americans.

Thanks to CITGO's "Energy To Care," enormous progress is being made in the fight against neuromuscular diseases. Through the continued efforts of committed members of the CITGO family, we're assured to help bring hope today to the lives of families affected by neuromuscular disease while providing hope in the way of treatments and cures in the future.

If you would like to learn more, including how you can get involved, please visit MDA's web site, www.mda.org.
"Energy to Care" at Work

MDA recently announced some significant breakthroughs in the fight against the following neuromuscular diseases:

* ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease)
http://www.als-mda.org/research/news...nome_scan.html
and
* Duchenne MD.
http://www.citgo.com/CommunityInvolv...erapyTrial.jsp

It is because of our Marketers', Retailers', employees' and business partners' dedication and contributions to Jerry's Kids that this type of research--which one day will lead to a cure--can be funded.



http://www.citgo.com/CommunityInvolv...ssociation.jsp

[Bronco Bob]

Originally Posted by W*GS

He's doing it as a bit of political theater. He honestly doesn't give a **** about poor people, here or in Venezuela.

No doubt that's true. Still it doesn't say too much for the other oil companies or the US federal government.
Wouldn't the best way to make Chavez be irrelevant is to be even more generous, rather than as stingy as possible?
If everyone is doing it, who cares if Chavez is doing it too? He only looks good because everyone else looks so bad.

http://www.citgo.com/CommunityInvolv...HeatingOil.jsp

Why this partnership?

* In 2005 as energy prices soared in the wake of Hurricane's Katrina and Rita, a group of United States Senators sent a letter to all the major oil companies asking them to share 10% of their record profits with families in need.
* Each year, Citizens Energy Corporation asks all of the major oil companies and each OPEC nation to partner with us to help poor people survive tough winters in the face of rising energy costs.
* Despite pleas for help from U.S. Senators and Citizens Energy, for the last three years, only CITGO Petroleum has risen to the challenge and worked with Citizens Energy to help the most vulnerable families in our society.

How many people does the program serve?
In 2006-2007, the program served:

* 180,000 households
* 250 shelters
* 37 Native American tribes

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.

[W*GS]

The ends justify the means?

If Kim Jong-Il sends winter coats to poor American kids, does that make him less of an a-hole?

[Bronco Bob]

Originally Posted by W*GS

The ends justify the means?

If Kim Jong-Il sends winter coats to poor American kids, does that make him less of an a-hole?

Get back to me when he does and we'll talk about it.

[cutthemdown]

I don't care why he does it if it helps Americans then I say thank you Citgo.

[cutthemdown]

Kim Jong doesn't have the revenue to play with that Chavez does so he can't really play the same games as Chavez.

The scary thing is what happens when alternative fuels and renewable energy make the oil producing countries lose revenue. How will opec countries feed there people?

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

Originally Posted by cutthemdown

I don't care why he does it if it helps Americans then I say thank you Citgo.

W*GS will never see it this way, unfortunately.

To W*GS, Chavez is just that uppity little brown man who thinks he has the right to control Bush's oil.

[W*GS]

Originally Posted by L.A. BRONCOS FAN

To W*GS, Chavez is just that uppity little brown man who thinks he has the right to control Bush's oil.

Well, no. Chavez is a power-hungry moron who is well on his way to impoverishing even more the already-suffering Venezuelan people. How about you explain how, with oil over $90/bbl, staple foods are in short supply in Venezuela?

[W*GS]

Originally Posted by cutthemdown

I don't care why he does it if it helps Americans then I say thank you Citgo.

That's short-sighted and unprincipled.

[Spider]

Originally Posted by W*GS

That's short-sighted and unprincipled.

what in the hell are you yapping about ?

[Rigs11]

Never ceases to amaze me how so many people hate this guy and yet support the idiot in the white house.

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

Originally Posted by Rigs11

Never ceases to amaze me how so many people hate this guy and yet support the idiot in the white house.

True that is.

It's also amazing, given the history of intervention in South America by the American right, (serving at the behest of the same globalist kleptocrats who brought you Reagan, Iran-Contra, Bush 41, Gulf War I, Bush 43, and Gulf War II) that people like W*GS continue to swallow the same bullsh*t propaganda used by the right to justify this pattern of intervention (and the unthinkable bloodshed it has visited upon the indigenous people of South America.)

Either W*GS and his fellow righties are unfamiliar with the outline of the aforementioned history or they're just plain gullible.

[cutthemdown]

You guys think big oil doesn't give to charity? I mean I can't prove it I'm just guessing they probably do.

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

Originally Posted by cutthemdown

You guys think big oil doesn't give to charity? I mean I can't prove it I'm just guessing they probably do.

From the article at the top of this thread:

"We have called all the companies encouraging them to collaborate with the program and none have responded," said Kennedy. He highlighted the case of Exxon, which last year recorded profits of US $100 billion.

This is the second year that Washington D.C. residents will benefit from the CITGO program. It all began at the end of 2005 when the US Senate called on oil corporations to donate part of their profits to the neediest so that they can heat their homes in winter.

http://www.politicalaffairs.net/arti...ew/6276/1/300/