CITGO, Venezuela Distribute Oil To U.S. Services

[Judi Lynn]

Source: CBS News

Jan 7, 2008 4:46 pm US/Eastern
CITGO, Venezuela Distribute Oil To U.S. Services

Joe Kennedy Program Delivers To Hordes Of NYC Qualified Residents

Provides 112 Million Gallons Of Fuel To Social Services In 23 States
NEW YORK (CBS) ―

For scores of low-income families it will be like the equivalent of winning a small lottery jackpot. A program run by former Congressman Joe Kennedy will deliver free heating oil – donated by Citgo and the Chavez regime in Venezuela – to some 200,000 households. CBS 2 takes a look at how the program works, and who qualifies.
(snip)

According to CITGO, 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.

Once CBS 2 was able to get through, operators said they would send an application, asking basic information about household size and annual income.

Kennedy's office disclosed the income limit as 60 percent of the state median. So a New York family of four, for example, must make less than $43,302 to qualify. The only income verification is your signature, certifying you are telling the truth.


Read more: http://wcbstv.com/seenon/joe.kennedy.citgo.2.624860.html

[Fed_Up_Grammy]

1. Charity begins at home----something Chavez seems to have

forgotten. Lots of poor in Venezuela,a lot more than in the USA.

Joe Kennedy is an ass and only does this because his political ambitions have been thwarted.

[Tempest]

2. I doubt there's more poor in Venezuela than in the U.S.

Maybe per capita, but not in sheer numbers.

Joe Kennedy is an ass and only does this because his political ambitions have been thwarted

And you know this how?

[Fed_Up_Grammy]

3. My mother was his neighbor of his and I've been a Massachusetts

resident for 75 years. He was a very arrogant,entitled young man. The book his ex-wife wrote was the straw that broke the camel's back IMHO.

He is not well liked in this area----he has the Kennedy name but none of the class.

[Tempest]

7. You didn't answer my question

Nice try though.

[Judi Lynn]

9. I've never heard he is "thwarted." Odd.

Whatever the upshot is of that, there are far, far MORE politicians involved in this discounted winter heating oil situation than just Joe Kennedy, anyway. Twenty three states are involved, and a LARGE number of Native American tribes.

I doubt they are all asses, don't you?

[Fed_Up_Grammy]

18. If that didn't answer your question,nothing will.

[Tempest]

25. Evidence will answer my question

Something you are sorely lacking.

Provide evidence Kennedy is doing this solely because his political ambitions were thwarted.

And as history has proved time and again, political failure is fleeting and reversable.

[Judi Lynn]

5. You need to acquaint yourself with what has been happening in Venezuela.

Spend some of your time researching, so you actually know what is happening there.

A problem as massive and as pervasive as poverty is and has been in Latin America when it has been in the hands of European descended elite running roughshod over the vast majority of native American and African American citizens will NOT be erased in a mere 8 years, the time since Hugo Chavez was inaugurated in 1999.

Acquaint yourself with the programs for food, housing, education, medical treatment, etc., in Venezuela instead of making wild, and bogus accusations based on either disinformation or outright ignorance.

Venezuela was approached by American Congressmen and leaders of Native American tribes AFTER they had gone, hats in hand to beg for assistance in the form of discounted oil for winter heating from U.S.-based oil companies, only to have be blown off unceremoniously.

Anyone who has bothered to pay attention knew that a long time ago.

[montanaliberaldem]

8. You really need to become better informed about the reality of Chavez and Venezuela.

Why we insist on labeling Chavez a "dictator" and his government a "regime" is beyond me. Let's remember he is a democratically elected Catholic leader. He has been re-elected in internationally monitored elections so clean we should be envious. Are there poor in Venezuela, yes? Are they better off than before he was elected, also yes. Far better off. All we heard about the contitutional reforms that he proposed in the election recently was that he wanted to rule forever. True - if the Venezuelans chose to re-elect him forever. There was much else that he included in his reform package. He proposed introducing into the Constitution a law forbidding the exploitation of workers, creating a Social Stability Fund that will guarantee the workers such basic rights as retirement, pensions, vacations, rest and economic guarantees to pregnant women, both pre- and post-partum. The law would reduce the workday to six hours and would forbid employers to force their employees to work overtime. All highly objectionable, huh? He refuses to play nice with the Bush administration. Personally, I love that. And I think anything that helps the poor in THIS COUNTRY heat their homes should be welcomed. It would be nice if we could just focus on that.

[Peace Patriot]

11. Petty, mean remarks, assuming the worst about people who are committing

a kind act--providing for the needs of the poor in winter.

If you don't have something useful and informative to say, and all you can say is that someone is "an ass," why comment at all?

Mature people understand that human beings--particularly politicians--often have mixed motives. Why assume the worst, of a kind act? And is it not an important part of Hugo Chavez's job to be a good ambassador from his people to us? The Bushites revile him, for no good reason, and give people here a very bad impression of his government and his country. Why shouldn't he seek to counter that disinformation with direct, people to people aid? And is it not an important part of Joe Kennedy's job to see to the needs of his constituents, especially the poor? These days, we often get politicians who only see to the interests of the super-rich. That isn't right. So, when a politician does the opposite--does the right thing--that deserves praise, no matter what you think of him personally. This mean, personal, nasty point of view is not called for, and it is not persuasive. It makes me suspect YOUR motives.

Why would YOU revile people for doing their jobs, and for committing an act of kindness? What is your beef? And how do YOU know that Hugo Chavez has "forgotten" that there are poor people in Venezuela? Perhaps he believes that their future will be more secure, and the many programs that his government has initiated to help the poor in Venezuela will be better insured of survival, if he makes some friends in the U.S., where the official government hates him and the poor and anyone who helps the poor, and has repeatedly tried to topple his government. Why isn't that a more reasonable assumption about what Hugo Chavez thinks than that he has "forgotten" the poor in his own country? He obviously has NOT forgotten them. His government is actively helping them--building and staffing many new schools, sports facilities, community centers, and arts and adult literacy programs, and providing free medical care, in poor areas never before served by government, and with dozens of other programs, including projects to include the poor in the political process. Are Venezeuala's poor "forgotten"? Not at all. And how do YOU know that Joe Kennedy has done this project "only" because "his political ambitions," in your opinion, "have been thwarted"? It's much more likely that his motives are mixed--part personal, part altruistic. Your statements are extreme, lack reasonableness and thoughtfulness, and lack charity.

But perhaps you side with the Bushites and think that the poor are merely slave labor and cannon fodder for your dreams of world domination. Perhaps you snicker with George Bush about the "haves" and the "have mores." Perhaps you approve of high cost medical care that the poor cannot afford, and usurious credit card rates, and shit wages in shit jobs with no benefits. Perhaps you think that the poor are poor by choice or defect of character. I could make all of these assumptions about your views from your nasty remarks about this act of charity, but I won't. I will let you respond and tell me, if you will, why I should give any consideration to your view of Hugo Chavez or Joe Kennedy.

[fascisthunter]

13. You Can't Be That Ignorant (nt)

[Toots]

22. The poor in Venezuela have been helped more by Chavez in the last four years

than in the last hundrd years. I don't think you know what you are talking about. The standard of living has risen three fold in venezuela under Chavez. We sure can't say the same in the USA under Bush*

[Zorra]

27. Question: Is Fox News your main source of news and information? n/t

[boricua79]

28. call me stupid...but where in Venezuela do they need heating oil?

Chavez HAS been using his oil money to help social services in Venezuela? When someone gives a gift, you say Thank You, and that's it.

[MasonJar]

4. As far as I can tell with the absurdity we call MSM in the USA, Chavez

seems to be striving mightily and daily to alleviate the poverty of his country. As to Kennedy's motivations, just because the Bushistas and the Bush family evil empire only think of their own personal aggrandizement and power does not necessarily mean the same for the Kennedys, who certainly relish power, but who also have a very fine sense of noblesse oblige.

[Judi Lynn]

6. You bet! n/t

[RamboLiberal]

10. Saw Joe Kennedy announcing this in an ad yesterday

In the ad he said all the other oil companies refused. If true and they are making record profits they ought to burn in hell as far as I'm concerned.

I'm no fan of Chavez and I'm sure he's tweaking Bush's nose a bit with this but if I was a someone in the U.S. who couldn't afford heating oil and my family was cold I wouldn't care that the oil came from Chavez!

As far as I'm concerned he has done nothing to the U.S. Let the people of Venezuela make their own decisions about him and his politics.

And I don't give a damn about Joe Kennedy's motives - I side with those who cannot afford the oil and need relief.

I know the price of oil. I've actually had to borrow from my Home Equity loan this year to pay the outrageous prices. I'll be paying all summer to pay off what I borrowed to pay the fuel bills this winter. And I'm keeping the heat off till night unless it gets so cold I have to worry about the pipes freezing. Thankfully it's been a somewhat mild winter in Pittsburgh. Tonight for instance it's warm enough the furnace will stay off. I'll be able to cuddle under the blankets.

[fascisthunter]

12. Chavez is Showing Up the Greedy Living Here. Awesome! (nt)

[Maat]

14. I'm grateful for this help to needy families.

I'm grateful that many will be safe and warm who would not have been before; and I thank those who made it possible.

[Pastiche423]

15. Isn't this his third year

providing heating oil to some U.S. states?

[Judi Lynn]

19. Yes, it is! I went to see if I could find a photo of one of the first years,

found this one, with Massachusetts William Delahunt, Edward Markey to his right, and Joe Kennedy in the blue coat:



~~~~ click for photo ~~~~

The man in the hat at the microphone, in the 2nd photo, is the Venezuelan Ambassador, Bernardo Alvarez.

Massachusetts in energy deal with Venezuela
Deal provides discounted oil to needy in state

updated 2:25 p.m. CT, Tues., Nov. 22, 2005
QUINCY, Mass. - Venezuelan officials signed a deal Tuesday to ship 12 million gallons (45 million liters) of discounted home heating oil to poor Americans in Massachusetts as part of plan by Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez to help needy U.S. communities.

The fuel is being offered by Citgo Petroleum Corp., a subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company which runs roughly 16,000 gas stations in the U.S.

U.S. Rep. William Delahunt, who helped broker the deal, called the agreement "an expression of humanitarianism at its very best," and rejected criticism that the move was motivated by politics. Chavez often blames the plight of the poor on unbridled capitalism and had criticized U.S. President George W. Bush's government for failing to reduce poverty.

"This is a gesture about people," said Delahunt, a Democrat.

Delahunt said the agreement could set an example for U.S. oil companies. Congressional leaders have asked the companies to use some of their profits to fund heating fuel assistance programs for low-income residents.

"I just hope that this sends a message, and that other oil companies will step and help also," Delahunt said.

More:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10157028/



Gov. Baldacci got Venezuelan heating oil for Maine.



Congressman Jose Serrano, Citgo President Felix Rodriguez,
Shaun M. Belle, President and CEO of Mount Hope Housing
Company on hand the first day heating oil was delivered
to the Bronx the very first year.

[Pastiche423]

21. It is so sad

that it takes a president from a differeent continent to help keep some of our poor citizens warm in the winter...

THREE years running!

[otherlander]

16. Well, that's good.

As far as paying for gas goes, it seems better for the money to go to Citgo for oil from Venezuela than to one of the oil companies which is profiting from the slaughter in Iraq.

Not funding war profiteers + winter heating for 200,000 > Annoyance with 1 man who calls people fascists and makes friends with a homophobic Iranian.

[Yuugal]

17. I only buy gas from CITGO for that reason

All the Hugo nay-sayers can kiss my ass. Their homes are warm so its just politics to them. How much did the other oil companies give? Yeah, thought so.

[bluesmail]

20. Excellent!

bush is pissed that a socialist leader is showing him up. HA!

[Massachusetts]

23. Fed Up Granny has some real issues

She must be a Yankees fan or a Jets fan or a Knicks fan, maybe next year fed Up Granny.

As Joe K said. When you and your kids are cold, you don't care where the oil to warm them comes from. (paraphrase)

[Freddie Stubbs]

24. Step one: Jack up the price of oil by limiting production

Step two: Give away a token amount of oil to the poor.

Step three: Look like generous person.

[ret5hd]

26. Hmmm...seems that i remember he offered long-term contracts...

for Venezuela's oil at around $50.