Not to mention, there is a Citgo station at the Pentagon. I buy B20 there sometimes.
AEN wrote: >Hello, >The agreements to supply discounted heating oil have been made through citgo, >the legal U.S. subsiid.. with full business status in the U.S. It is not a >situation > of " making treaties with foreign nations", so it should not be considered > as such >You don't see U.S. oil co's offering any relief what so ever on heating fuel >costs do you?. > Even after the record profits that they have raked in >last year. The whole situation is purely political and if Canada or Britain >offered the same deal, it would >most probably be gratefully accepted. Is it ok to say "we are not going to >accept oil from an alleged >oppressive regime such as Chaves's" while bombing Bagdad? This is no defence >of Citgo but they >regularly offer discounted oil to poor people in several other countries as >well. Might be something >U.S. OIL could look at...don't hold your breath. Pure political BS. > >OK, so Chicago authorities want to save face and not get involved for their >own reasons >mean while thousands of poor Americans can't afford to keep warm this winter >or obtain >discount transport. > >regards >tallex > > > > > >> -------Original Message------- >> From: Greg and April <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> Subject: Re: [Biofuel] Chicago Turns Down Discounted Venezuelan Oil >> >> > > > > > > >> Sent: 05 Jan '06 15:17 >> >> IIRC, it's not legal for individual states or cities to make treaties with >> foreign nations, as such an agreement might be considered. >> >> >> Greg H. >> >> >> >> > > >Get your daily alternative energy news > >Alternate Energy Resource Network > 1000+ news sources-resources > updated daily > >http://www.alternate-energy.net > > > > > > >Next Generation Grid >http://groups.yahoo.com/group/next_generation_grid/ > > > > > >Tomorrow-energy >http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tomorrow-energy/ > > > > >Alternative Energy Politics >http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Alternative_Energy_Politics/ > > > > > > > > > > >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Keith Addison" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: <biofuel@sustainablelists.org> >> Sent: Wednesday, January 04, 2006 23:56 >> Subject: [Biofuel] Chicago Turns Down Discounted Venezuelan Oil >> >> >> http://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/2710 >> >> Chicago Turns Down Discounted Venezuelan Oil >> >> by Jessica Pupovac (bio) >> >> As Chicago's poorest face an increase to already-high public transit >> fees, the city is ignoring an offer of discounted diesel fuel to >> benefit low-income people. >> Chicago, Dec 28, 2005 - The Chicago Transit Authority is refusing an >> opportunity to alleviate commuting costs for hundreds of thousands in >> the Windy City's low-income neighborhoods. Instead of accepting >> deeply discounted fuel from the Venezuela-owned Citgo Petroleum >> Corporation, the city is instead raising fares to solve budget >> shortfalls. >> >> In an October meeting with representatives from the Chicago Transit >> Authority (CTA), the city's Department of Energy and other city >> officials, Citgo unveiled a plan to provide the Chicago with low-cost >> diesel fuel. The company's stipulation, at the bidding of Venezuelan >> President Hugo Chavez, was that the CTA, in turn, pass those savings >> on to poor residents in the form free or discounted fare cards. >> >> But two months later, despite claims of a looming budget crisis, the >> CTA president "has no intent or plan to accept the offer," according >> to CTA spokesperson Ibis Antongiorgi. She gave no explanation. >> >> According to Venezuela's consul general in Chicago, Martin Sanchez, >> the CTA has yet to inform his office of its decision to decline the >> discount offer. >> >> In place of the proposed discount, which the CTA apparently does not >> want Chicagoans to even know about, budget shortfalls will be >> addressed by fare hikes. Chicagoans who are unaware of the Venezuela >> offer will be hit with an increase of 25 cents per ride next month, >> and discounted route-to-route transfers will be eliminated for >> passengers paying cash. >> >> "This is going to hurt the poor and the minority people, like me," >> said Dorothy Chew, resident of Humboldt Park, where one-third of >> residents live below the federally recognized poverty level - >> currently just $16,000 for a family of three. Chew relies on the CTA >> to get to work and to Chicago Commons, where she attends classes >> daily in preparation for taking her GED. Since she rarely has money >> to invest in a fare card, she will be forced to pay for transfers the >> majority of the time. >> >> Chew's classmate, Linda Cox, works a minimum-wage job and has been a >> Public Aid recipient for 15 years. She also relies heavily on public >> transportation. >> >> "I only earn $560 a month and of that, over $200 a month goes to my >> bus fare," Cox told The NewStandard. "I have a 15-year-old and a >> 17-year-old who also need to get to school. If they change the prices >> and take away transfers, there are going to be a lot of days missed. >> I already see no money at the end of the month." >> >> The offer of discount fuel is not just confined to Chicago. Over the >> Thanksgiving holiday, the first of Venezuela's "oil-for-the-poor" >> programs in the US was launched. Citgo struck a deal with three >> nonprofit organizations in the Bronx to deliver 5 million gallons of >> heating oil at 45 percent below the market price. The deal will >> amount to a savings of $4 million for the 8,000 low-income households >> slated to benefit from the plan. >> >> "This is going to hurt the poor and the minority people, like me." -- >> Dorothy Chew Citgo has made a similar arrangement with Citizens >> Energy Corp. in Boston for the sale and distribution of 12 million >> gallons, saving low-income and elderly residents there a total of $10 >> million. The company's website says that it expects to expand the >> program to other boroughs in New York City and that it is exploring >> the possibility of offering discounted fuel to residents in Maine, >> Rhode Island, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. >> >> However, in all of Illinois, only about 12,000 households use heating oil. >> >> So instead of fuel for heat, Citgo representatives offered the CTA a >> 40-50 percent discount on diesel fuel for buses to benefit Chicagoans >> most in need of relief from soaring oil and gas prices this winter. >> >> "We didn't know how else to reach enough people," said Consul Sanchez. >> >> Another difference between the Chicago offer and the programs enacted >> in the Northeast is that Citgo proposed to work with a government >> agency, rather than nonprofit organizations. The CTA relies on the US >> federal government - which is in a constant war of words with >> Venezuelan President Chavez - for much of its funding. In fact, just >> weeks after Citgo made its offer to the CTA, Congress signed the >> Federal Transportation Appropriations bill, allocating $89 million in >> infrastructure project funds the CTA had been seeking for years. >> >> Representatives from the US State Department and city officials, >> including Aldermen involved in the negotiations and the Chicago >> Mayor's Office, refused to respond to queries about whether >> international politics played any part in the CTA's rejection of >> Citgo's offer. >> >> Some critics of President Chavez say his offer of cheap fuel to >> low-income communities in the US is a political ploy to win the >> support of the American people. Larry Birns, executive director of >> the progressive think tank, Council on Hemispheric Affairs, said >> Chavez is trying to counter Bush administration criticisms with >> "petro-diplomacy." Birns, who criticizes both US policy toward >> Venezuela and Chavez's confrontational style, told TNS, "There is a >> certain amount of humor involved in needling the Bush administration >> for neglecting its own while attempting to stand tall in Latin >> America." >> >> However, as Mark Weisbrot of the Center for Economic and Policy >> Research - another progressive think tank - pointed out, the >> Venezuelan government has been providing cheap fuel to several >> countries in Latin America. Weisbrot is a staunch supporter of the >> Chavez administration. >> >> "It is part of [Venezuela's] policy to compensate for the impact of >> the high oil prices on poor people," he said. "They don't have any >> grudge against the American people; it's just the Bush administration >> that they don't like." >> >> Consul Sanchez echoed this sentiment. "Any corporation that makes a >> big profit in a community owes that community something in return," >> he said. With one of Citgo's three light-oil refineries located in >> nearby Lemont, 30 minutes outside the city, Sanchez said, Venezuela >> has "a special relationship with people and community organizations >> in Chicago." >> >> There remains no sign, however, that the government of Chicago will >> take Citgo and Venezuela up on the unilateral offer. >> >> © 2005 The NewStandard. >> >> >> >> > > >Get your daily alternative energy news > >Alternate Energy Resource Network > 1000+ news sources-resources > updated daily > >http://www.alternate-energy.net > > > > > > >Next Generation Grid >http://groups.yahoo.com/group/next_generation_grid/ > > > > > >Tomorrow-energy >http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tomorrow-energy/ > > > > >Alternative Energy Politics >http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Alternative_Energy_Politics/ > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > >> Biofuel mailing list >> Biofuel@sustainablelists.org >> http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org >> >> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: >> http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html >> >> Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 >> messages): >> http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Biofuel mailing list >> Biofuel@sustainablelists.org >> http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org >> >> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: >> http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html >> >> Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): >> http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ >> >> >> >> > >_______________________________________________ >Biofuel mailing list >Biofuel@sustainablelists.org >http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org > >Biofuel at Journey to Forever: >http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > >Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): >http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ > > > _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
