Reuters: Chavez offers cheap gas to poor in U.S.

[Newsjock]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/08/23/chavez.gasoline.reut/index.html

HAVANA, Cuba (Reuters) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, popular with the poor at home, offered on Tuesday to help needy Americans with cheap supplies of gasoline.

"We want to sell gasoline and heating fuel directly to poor communities in the United States," the populist leader told reporters at the end of a visit to Communist-run Cuba.

Chavez did not say how Venezuela would go about providing gasoline to poor communities. Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA owns Citgo, which has 14,000 gas stations in the United States.

The offer may sound attractive to Americans feeling pinched by soaring prices at the pump but not to the U.S. government, which sees Chavez as a left-wing troublemaker in Latin America.

more

[merh]

1. Heeheee

Those crazy left-wing trouble makers! How the administration hates it when there is an offer to help the poor and those in need.

How I hate the admin! :argh:

[blm]

9. Silly socialist, only corporate handouts are acceptable in Bushworld.

BUY CITGO, FOLKS!!!!!

[merwin]

57. How DARE he try to give away gas! BushCo has worked hard to drive prices

up where they are!

[Joanne98]

173. BWHAAAAA!

[slay]

139. BushCo - The rich get richer and the poor pay more for gas

I'm in hopes that one day soon Americans will wake up and put a stop to criminals like Bush and the Republican party. :mad:

[bnr65432]

164. i always get citgo

before it was because they were 100 yards closer than BP but now i have a real reason

[blm]

170. I've been with Citgo since I first heard the money went to pay for social

programs for the poor and working class in Venezuela. That was in 2002.

[anotherdrew]

88. half off gas if we cutout intermediaries who speculate and exploit folks

"half price if intermediaries who "speculate ... and exploit consumers" were cut out"

-The nicest quote in the article I think.

[Gloria]

2. I had no idea the state oil company owns CITGO!!!

I'd go there if we had one here....

[murray hill farm]

6. Yes!!

Buy only Citgo gas..pass it on!!!

[Blaq Dem]

184. Ahhh!!! My new BEST FRIEND!!!!

¡Viva Hugo Chavez!

[Cha]

8. We had a DUer

who had the name "buycitgo" and that's when I found out. I haven't seen him for awhile ..hope he's okay!

[damntexdem]

13. The CITGO buycott is alive and well ...

if a bit obscure.

[Gabi Hayes]

22. that would be....ME! I couldn't get back on one time, and,

cause I lost all my ID/email/password info, had to reregister

so I came back as Gabi Hayes

check my profile

[Robeson]

32. Yes, I remember all of your strange and fascinating creatures!

[Jackpine Radical]

37. I think those are from a famous triptych by Heironymus Bosch.

[Robeson]

44. Yes, you are correct. I didn't realize there were models/sculptures of...

...the characters until I saw those in that sig line some time back.

[DemoTex]

86. Ever see Hieronymus Bosch's oil of Bu$h and his regime?

"Ship of Fools"

Bu$h is the jester sucking on the martini in the tree. Skull&Bonz is there too. Bosch was criticizing the church with this great work, but .. if the shoe fits! I'm not even commenting on the crescent moon in the banner. Art historians?

[EC]

117. My desktop is bosch's garden of earthly delights

one of my favorite artists...

[Cha]

53. OMG! I knew I liked you!

Thanks for telling me..that was a mystery to me why you weren't around anymore! :hi: buycitgo/Gabi Hayes!

[Judi Lynn]

180. Glad zidzi brought up buycitgo and you answered. It has been a while

since we saw that name. Thanks.

[Doctor_J]

155. I buy nothing else since I read that

i'd much raather give my money to a real leader like Hugo than Bush's crooked friends in the ME. Dunno if it's working or not, but it makes me feel good.

[redacted]

69. Many 7-11 Stores have Citgo self-serve pumps

Check the dealer locater at Citgo.com. I was surprised to learn there were 2 Citgo outlets within 5 miles of here. Drove by them all the time but never noticed.

In addition, many Target, K-Mart, Dollar Tree type places cary Citgo oil products on the shelves. (I'm not necessarily advocating buying much from Target or Dollar Tree, however.)

[FreeStateDemocrat]

144. I'm in. I will feel better buying gas at Citgo &sticking it to neo-cons

[socalover]

101. Unfortunately, Freepers will now boycott CITGO.....

I will be buying my gas at CITGO but I am afraid that the media will turn the news against us and make CITGO pay.... I really wish we can boost CITGO's earnings this quarter though, it all boils down to whether the freepers outnumber us....

[GoddessOfGuinness]

107. They won't boycott if it's cheaper.

Cheap is what those guys know best.

[Robeson]

113. If its cheaper, we'll have to fight the freepers to get to the pump first.

...they are hypocrites, remember? If they can save a buck, they're not going to miss the opportunity.

[Mairead]

118. The freepers definitely do NOT outnumber us! They're a blip.

Every survey by NORC reassures us of that.

[ProudDad]

127. Fine

More for us...

[Cha]

3. As opposed to the

fucking right wing despots running the bush and dick show in D.C.

[bribri16]

30. I wonder what the Bushcos are thinking about Pat Robertson right now?

They probably hate him as much as Osama.

[ToeBot]

135. I've seen little criticism of what Robertson said

Coleman, of all people, was quite vocal with his rebuke, but most of the commentary was similar to Rumsfeld's comments; "...private citizens say things all the time.". (he noticed?)

What I saw mostly was a hell of a lot of Chavez bashing. Robertson has given the administration and the American media a free pass to vilify and abuse Chavez.

I don't think they hate him. At worst they may be a little miffed that the smear campaign was started ahead of schedule. And any story that keeps attention off Bush and his utter ineptitude would be welcomed by the GOP.

[growlypants]

4. I'll MOVE to a poor community if I can get cheaper gas.

[shadowknows69]

76. shit at 269 a gallon everywhere is a poor community

my wife and i make less than 35k a year combined hook me up.

[Conservativesux]

102. Yikes, you must live cheaply these days on that income....

Out here in California thats almost a poverty wage level for a married couple.

[shadowknows69]

108. its not real great for Upstate NY either

n/t

[kineneb]

114. living really cheaply in NorCal

My hours are being cut back so our income will drop to $240/wk before taxes. Fortunately my car gets 30 mpg. and work is 10 miles from home. I would be happy to take Pres. Chavez up on cheaper gas.
Money goes to food, gas, utilities, mortgage and meds. That is it. My luxuries are occasional meals out.
Savings is out, and Hubby is going into surgery soon to have gall bladder and a possibly cancerous kidney removed, on MediCal/CMSP's nickel. Then he goes on dialysis and gets disability. Kinda sad.

[anitar1]

125. Hang in there , Kinenab, and best of luck to your husband. N/T

[tsuki]

5. How can one be sure that he is Left Wing and not Left Leaning? eoq

[knowbody0]

7. That's a real hoot

and im betting he will make good on his word. I love this man

[Old Vet]

14. Currently gasoline costs 25cts per gallon in Venezuela..........

[knowbody0]

25. mayhaps Hugo could adopt us?

[ladjf]

50. Last week on CNN internet article the gas was 12 cents per

gallon in Venezuela.

[LeighAnn]

I love him too

XOXO

http://www.hereinreality.com/hugo_chavez/

Click the pic

[jsamuel]

10. Democrats in congress would be wise to start talking to him

it would be a great advantage for them to claim this as a victory for the poor,
"brought to you by, Chavez and the Democrats"

[damntexdem]

11. I don't get it any cheaper, but ...

I fill up with Venezuelan oil at CITGO.

[mccoyn]

148. I do!

A CITGO station near where I used to live was always 2 cents cheaper than stations near the highway because it was in a hard to find location. I've been buying there for a long time and I will probally continue.

[Horse with no Name]

12. Woohoo I live in a poor community

:woohoo:

[damntexdem]

17. Well, I live in the county next door to the richest county in Texas.

So, by contrast, my community is poor, right?

Oh well, I'll still buy CITGO.

[Schema Thing]

29. Do you know if CITGO sells diesel here in TX?

[Beam Me Up]

58. ME TOO!!!

Drive an old beat up Nissan pick up with the paint peeling off. It's become a bit of a statement in its old age. Seldom I see a vehicle that looks as decrepit as mine.

[me b zola]

77. Ha! You should see our $200 Geo! n/t

[Sequoia]

185. You haven't seen my old Nissan then.

It's a 1987 and turning orange instead of the bright red it used to be. I sure would like a newer car but I'm hoping one will just drop out of the sky for free. Hah, hah. Dream on.

[BlueStateBlue]

87. That's really twisted, horse! n/t

[Child_Of_Isis]

15. Man, that would piss shrub off! eom

[Robeson]

16. Bush, please vacate the White House. We've just found our leader...

...someone who actually gives a shit about the poor and the indigent. We're tired of you and your billionaire "base".

[Rainscents]

18. I bet Bush's head is getting ready to explode! I would love to be fly

on the wall! Go Chevez!!!

[Beetwasher]

19. What A Brilliant PR Coup

:rofl:

I hope he does it.

[beetbox]

20. Buy Your Gas at Citgo: Join the BUY-cott!

Buy Your Gas at Citgo: Join the BUY-cott!

by Jeff Cohen

 

Looking for an easy way to protest Bush foreign policy week after week? And an easy way to help alleviate global poverty? Buy your gasoline at Citgo stations.

And tell your friends.


Of the top oil producing countries in the world, only one is a democracy with a president who was elected on a platform of using his nation's oil revenue to benefit the poor. The country is Venezuela. The President is Hugo Chavez. Call him "the Anti-Bush."

Citgo is a U.S. refining and marketing firm that is a wholly owned subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company. Money you pay to Citgo goes primarily to Venezuela -- not Saudi Arabia or the Middle East. There are 14,000 Citgo gas stations in the US. (Click here http://www.citgo.com/CITGOLocator/StoreLocator.jsp to find one near you.) By buying your gasoline at Citgo, you are contributing to the billions of dollars that Venezuela's democratic government is using to provide health care, literacy and education, and subsidized food for the majority of Venezuelans.

Instead of using government to help the rich and the corporate, as Bush does, Chavez is using the resources and oil revenue of his government to help the poor in Venezuela. A country with so much oil wealth shouldn't have 60 percent of its people living in poverty, earning less than $2 per day. With a mass movement behind him, Chavez is confronting poverty in Venezuela. That's why large majorities have consistently backed him in democratic elections. And why the Bush administration supported an attempted military coup in 2002 that sought to overthrow Chavez.

So this is the opposite of a boycott. Call it a BUYcott. Spread the word.

Of course, if you can take mass transit or bike or walk to your job, you should do so. And we should all work for political changes that move our country toward a cleaner environment based on renewable energy. The BUYcott is for those of us who don't have a practical alternative to filling up our cars.

So get your gas at Citgo. And help fuel a democratic revolution in Venezuela.

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0516-25.htm

[Rainscents]

26. Thanks for your post and link!

[blue sky at night]

21. and back by popular demand (never mind, thanks beetbox)..............

the Citgo "Buycott", man I love those guys down in Venezuela:

Published on Monday, May 16, 2005 by CommonDreams.org
Buy Your Gas at Citgo: Join the BUY-cott!
by Jeff Cohen

Looking for an easy way to protest Bush foreign policy week after week? And an easy way to help alleviate global poverty? Buy your gasoline at Citgo stations.

And tell your friends.

Of the top oil producing countries in the world, only one is a democracy with a president who was elected on a platform of using his nation's oil revenue to benefit the poor. The country is Venezuela. The President is Hugo Chavez. Call him "the Anti-Bush."

Citgo is a U.S. refining and marketing firm that is a wholly owned subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company. Money you pay to Citgo goes primarily to Venezuela -- not Saudi Arabia or the Middle East. There are 14,000 Citgo gas stations in the US. (Click here http://www.citgo.com/CITGOLocator/StoreLocator.jsp to find one near you.) By buying your gasoline at Citgo, you are contributing to the billions of dollars that Venezuela's democratic government is using to provide health care, literacy and education, and subsidized food for the majority of Venezuelans.

link: http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0516-25.htm

[Megahurtz]

166. Hey thanks for the Citgo Locator

yeah!:hi:

[skids]

23. Holy crap...

Bush fiddles while America burns.

Chavez plays DC like a fiddle. What a master stroke.

[Dirk39]

24. All it needs now is a good advertising agency, a leftwing Rove...

and we make the Fashist-Bush Empire and Corpocrat-America history!
:-)
Chavez isn't just a good socialist, it seems to me he is into dialectics to: we kill the system filling their idiotic SUV's.

But Hugo, what about Germany: we pay 120% of what the US-citizens are paying and we have a fucked up neoliberal government too.
Just me and my bicycle
Hello from Germany,
Dirk

[VegasWolf]

27. Sell a product on the cheap! Not take huge profits! That is so UNAMERICAN

The Republicans will be having nightmares all night long! JP Morgan
will be spinning in his grave.

[durablend]

35. Watch the spin...

Anyone who wants cheap gas = anti American/terrorist

[ConcernedCanuk]

28. hmmmm - would it be agin da law to refuse fuel to Hummers?

.
.
.

:evilgrin:

[Rainscents]

36. Of course, all large SUV and Hummdi off limits to Citgo gas!

[dweller]

59. This idea has crossed my mind several times, i wonder

if it is feasible.

If you are the owner of a gas station, and you only sold to those that owned a fuel efficient vehicle, or just flat out 'NO SUVS'.

Don't businesses have the right to deny service to anyone based on their own policy? As long as it's not violating civil rights, race. gender, etc.?

Sure you would lose some business (okay, maybe alot of SUV's) but imagine all you would pick up with the lower priced fuel? You'd make it up quickly. And many others would buy based on your statement to only sell to those driving fuel efficient vehicles, protecting the environment, no long waits while someone fills up the 40-50 gal behemoth...

Recently there was a gas war in our area when a new station opened and sold at much lower prices than the competitors. This was earlier this summer, before gas skyrocketed. The other stations sought legal action citing there were 'limits' to how low gas could be sold, and the station had crossed the limit (below) and were looking to sue. Since it was just for publicity advertising for the new stations opening, it ended after a week or two, and nothing more came of it.

But it made me wonder just what is the lowest price that could be offered and still make a profit. And what could happen if stations made the policy to sell only to fuel efficient vehicles.

dp

[toey]

91. they could always lower the canopies so the big dogs can't fit n/t

[trogdor]

163. How about 10 gallon limits?

They used to do that in the 70's during the oil crisis. Can you imagine bringing in a Denali and only getting ten gallons at a time?

[dweller]

182. if it were 'my station' and i could do this ... then

no SUV's would be my policy.

I'd want to see if steady clientele of efficient vehicles would respond and keep business successful.

dp

[Jon8503]

31. I am buying Citgo from now on. N/T

[Conservativesux]

33. Never happen in California. We got our special CARB gasoline here.

That costs .10 more per gallon.

[silverweb]

54. 7-11s in California sell Citgo.

We can get it here at 7-11 stores that sell gas, but it tends to be somewhat more expensive.

[Conservativesux]

65. Yeah, but its more expensive because CA doesnt allow import of fuel

from out of state.

Diesel is very high right now becuase the Chevron El Segundo Plant in down and CARB wont let any Diesel in from NV or OR.

[corporatemedia]

34. Offer the cheap gas only in the blackest, brownest, poorest urban areas...

and have fun watchin' all the chickenshit white suburban repugs drive in to the 'hood to feed their hungry SUVs with their knees knockin' and their doors lockin'.

[cdsilv]

45. been buying Citgo for years....

....they are the primary gas co. for Tom Thumb stores and usually have the lowest prices around. Of course racetrack, diamond-shamrock and some 'no-brand' truckstops occasionally have lower prices.

[Conservativesux]

103. So White people cant be poor or broke as well?

That doesnt make sense to me.

[Timefortruth]

105. They sure can, Bush is making bushels more of them!

However the traditionally poor neighborhoods are occupied by persons of color, poor whites there can also buy the Venezuelan cheap gas, in this unbelievable hypothetical.

[corporatemedia]

116. Then read it again. It doesn't say that white people can't be poor...

that must have been another post you read.

Actually, in absolute numbers (not per capita), I believe there are more poor white than black citizens.

What it says is that white, suburban repugs, who, for the most part avoid urban minority areas at all costs, might change their driving patterns and be exposed to a part of America they fear.

The effect would not be the same if you offered the cheap gas in a poor town in Appalachia.

Unless the theme from "Deliverance" was playing?

[U4ikLefty]

119. What about as a PERCENTAGE of rich non-whites versus poor non-whites?

In PERCENTAGES the brown-skinned peoples are much poorer than us white folks.

on edit: I resoponded to the wrong post...darn it!!!

[eridani]

38. What about an NGO offering Citgo discount cards--

--to people who are willing to produce income statements?

[Emillereid]

39. I love this guy!

BUY CITGO!!!!!!

[jaysunb]

40. I love this guy !

:rofl:

[Donailin]

41. Well, I feel poverty coming on, and if I had a choice between being poor

in America and being poor in Venezuela, well. . . .

[meganmonkey]

42. Heh - one of those damn 'left-wing troublemakers'

Kinda like us :)

[sniffa]

43. wow. doing more for us than the president

:patriot:

oh wait a minute, did i see a photo of him and castro!?

[jsamuel]

46. Idea for how to get CHEAP GAS to the poor from Venesuela!!! - FEEDBACK PLS

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4440215

[Divernan]

55. No, should also not sell to gas guzzling SUVs/humvees/luxury cars.

NT

[jsamuel]

60. while that may be a good point, it isn't feasible in the US

that would be imposible to regulate at gas stations

people slide in the card, pump, then leave

[dweller]

62. the attendants control the pumps

they could turn them on/off as needed.


dp

[jsamuel]

64. yeah, but that isn't how it works now

that is how it used to work, but it would be way too much work for a 5.15er. They have enough trouble just trying to see if someone drove off without paying.

[dweller]

71. that's still the way it works here

they can turn every pump off or on from the inside of the store.
Helps when the system for card transactions is down, and everyone has to prepay.

dp

[Imagevision]

68. Thats a plan...no gas guzzlers

http://downingstreetmemo.com/

[Robeson]

56. Well, it states in the article that he says, ....

..."directly to poor communities". He could do this with basic demographics, and have lower prices in those demographically poorer areas.

[jsamuel]

63. That is true, but I find that it would be hard to impliment something

like that...

But if someone has an idea on how he could only sell gas cheaply in a defined area, than by all means...

Maybe if he owns citgos he could regulate the prices in some areas?

[Initech]

47. *considers getting a Citgo gas card*

[VegasWolf]

48. Only a "librul" could come up with an idea this UNAMERICAN!!! nt

[Divernan]

49. In tradition of Cuba's Castro providing free med school 2 poor US students

For years, Castro has accepted students from Latin America and the US to Cuban medical school, in the great tradition of Che Guevara and the Barefoot Doctors program - until with Bush's most recent crackdown on travel to Cuba, he cut out "humanitarian" efforts as exception to the no-travel-to-Cuba rule. I was arranging to go with an annual humanitarian project to assist Cuban grade school kids, sponsored by an international airline. When I called, the airline official told me that for the first time, the US State Department would not approve the project.

Bush's oil buddies would be livid at the thought they might not be able to gouge the poor in the US and force them to pass up food or medical care in order to heat their meager homes.

[Beam Me Up]

51. LOL This is so great. n/t

[Gregorian]

52. HUGO FILL MY YUGO

Man, this is getting good! Illegitimate CHIMP!

(Don't you dare assasinate me, I have cheap gas!)

[VegasWolf]

61. Hugo for President!! nt

[Imagevision]

66. So thats what it's all about, Big US. Oil says no-no!

[Peace Patriot]

67. "...a leftwing trouble-maker in Latin America..." ! Well, that's a notch

down from "increasingly dictatorial" and the other nasty, dirty, low-down, commie, bad-dude-sounding phrases they slip into AP and NYT and WaPo news trash.

If Chavez undercuts the dirty rat, war profiteering, murderous, treasonous Bush Cartel gas prices, he'll have the entire population of the U.S. lined up at Citgo stations! And that would be nice payback for their coup attempt a couple of years ago, their recent US taxpayer-funded "recall" election, their drug dealing, and all the other crap they're pulling in Venezuela and in South America. Nice payback, indeed. And typical of Chavez. You have to outsmart this greasy, blood-crazed criminal syndicate; you can't outgun them, and you don't even want to, you just want them to go away; so you do it nice and peaceful and legal. Cut the rug right out from under them.

Way to go, Hugo! We'll have PEOPLES' GAS STATIONS all over the U.S.A.!!!

Viva Bolivar! Viva Venezuela!

[Robeson]

80. "he'll have the entire population of the U.S. lined ...

...up at Citgo stations!"

Absolutely. And watch how many of those in those lines will be Repugs who have been frothing at the mouth condemning Chavez. They're not going to miss an opportunity to save some money at the gas pump. But thats OK. I'll enjoy watching those Repugs help to prop up Chavez's socialist government.

[Nothing Without Hope]

70. No wonder they want to kill him! Bypassing Bushworld's oil buddies

is not to be tolerated! The poor exist to make them fat.

[chiffon]

72. Hugo Chavez is the MAN!!!! I respect him and buy Citgo!! nt

[Robeson]

73. Here's the Citgo store locater for everyone....

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

[StaggerLee]

150. thanks

I had been using a Citgo on my way to work but it suddenly closed about a month and a half ago. There are plenty more nearby thank goodness.

:hi:

[catmandu57]

153. I checked the locator

and the citgo stations nearest me, are in the poorest sections of town.

[umtalal]

157. Yup, mine too. A fellow West Los Angeles Resident?n/t

[catmandu57]

158. No, not for 23 years

too crazy for me, I'm living with the rednecks in misery.

[umtalal]

159. You have all of my sympathy my friend..they're an interesting breed.

[izzybeans]

74. What a totalitarian thing to do. I mean "blessed are the poor..." and

all that, what a big load of shit.

do I even need to add :sarcasm:

[shadowknows69]

75. where do i sign up?

but if i have to drive to venezuela to get it it might be a moot point

[shadowknows69]

78. bring your tax return to citgo

you make above a certain amount a year and you pay full price. middle middle class and lower you get 150 a gallon again. mmmm 1.50 a gallon.

[ignatius 2]

79. Bwahahaha!!! Bush and his oil baron friends are standing around

going what the fuck?

[Robeson]

81. Cheney's pace-maker is skipping beats about right now...

[Deja Q]

82. Fascinating.

And if * were to do the same, I bet his approval rating would go back up into the 70-percentile.

(If it's people waking up or if it's because gas prices have skyrocketed that has made them angry, I do not know. But Chavez feels our pain...?)

[Jack_DeLeon]

83. Where the hell do I sign up....

xxx

[me b zola]

84. Viva Chavez!!!!!!!!!!

HUGO CHAVEZ!!!!!!!! :loveya:

[schrodingers_cat]

85. I think I'll use my purchasing power at the one around the corner !(n/t)

[fortyfeetunder]

89. Citgo saved my butt last weekend

In the quest for cheap gas, I let my tank run nearly on fumes...and I almost found out how many miles I got to a tank. Well, took the nearest exit, and there was a Citgo station. I filled my thirsty tank up. The car was grateful, and so was I....LOL

[Nothing Without Hope]

90. Another relevant thread: "US fingerprints on Venezuelan coup"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2029862
Thread title: US Fingerprints on Venezuelan Coup

No one at DU will be surprised at this. When he called for Chavez' assassination, Robertson was saying what the Bushies would say if they wouldn't be heard by reporters. I do have to wonder if Robertson is losing his mental functions, making such a careless statement in public. The greed and murder are supposed to be decently hidden from the proles.

[fearnobush]

121. The Revolution Won't be Televised - The Movie filmed in 2002

<http://www.chavezthefilm.com/index_ex.htm>

On April 12th 2002 the world awoke to the news that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez had been removed from office and had been replaced by a new interim government. What had in fact taken place was the first Latin American coup of the 21st century, and the world's first media coup...

<>

[Nothing Without Hope]

124. Thank you for this. Would you please also post it in this closely related

and important thread? Or if you don't wish to, may I? We need to keep these important resources grouped so people can see the wider story.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2029862
Thread title: US Fingerprints on Venezuelan Coup

[fearnobush]

181. done!!!

<>

[BiggJawn]

92. There's a Marathon station that just went out of business in my town...

PM me, Hugo, and I'll try to get you the contact info. Only cost you 25 gallons a week and all the Therms my girlfriend needs to sleep in less than a parka and boots (how fucking romantic! :sarcasm: )

[pescao]

93. he also said he wants to sell oil directly to progressive groups in the US

in a speech during the recent Caracas youth festival. how about a DU chain of gas stations?!

[jeffrey_X]

94. I've only been buying Citgo gas for the past 9 months...

after seeing an email that stated Citgo gas comes from South America.

[Copperred]

95. WOWWOWOWO

THIS WOULD BE AWESOME>..

CAN HE ..>WILL HE...ACTUALLY DO THIS??????????


THIS IS A STAB IN THE HEART IF HE CAN PULL IT OFF.

[Copperred]

98. WILL HE DO IT!! Call Venz. EMBASSY PLEASE DO!!!

Venezuela is home to the Western Hemisphere's largest conventional proven oil reserves, at 77.8 billion barrels, as of January 2004, according to the Oil and Gas Journal (substantial extra-heavy oil and bitumen deposits are not included in this total).
--------------------------------------


Funny i never thought about this....he could actually do this....when i was in the Middle East i was shocked by how cheap gas was.....hmm.....but wouldn't his own people be upset he is selling their reserves for less than market?

Granted...man this is one serious strategy which he has the ability to do......he should really do it...the hyprocrisy will know no bounds.......

like someone above just said.......the poor have found their leader..

[Copperred]

99. We've got 10 CITGOS near us....

Everyone should very respectfully call the Venzuella Embassy and ask them if they can do this....how gratefull to the Venzuallean people we woudl be...


What an ace....

[howmad1]

96. Crap

No Citgo stations in Arizona.

[bear425]

97. Need to buy gas tomorrow. Tropical storm coming.

Hmmm. Should I buy Citgo or Costco gas? Costco will cost less, but I like the idea of sending a statement by buying from Venezuela.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

110. Citgo still donates republican

while Costco is a blue company.

[Rainscents]

131. Citgo don't donate to Republican! Go check BuyBlue

[GoddessOfGuinness]

171. See for yourself...

http://www.buyblue.org/detail.php?corpId=279

It's a lot better than the big oil guys, however. And who knows, the latest developments may change their political leanings.

[bear425]

149. Right. That's why I always fill up at Costco. Thanks for the

tidbit about Citgo's donation history. I didn't know that. :)

[rman]

154. It's only marginally true

Citgo (Petroleos de Venezuela S.A.)
http://www.buyblue.org/detail.php?corpId=279

"Petroleos de Venezuela currently has a 0% BuyBlue rating due to political contributions for the 2003-2004 election cycle. Petroleos de Venezuela executives are mostly foreign and therefore cannot contribute but there were a few US employees that made some small contributions to Republican politicians. Petroleos de Venezuela does not have a political action committee."

[Rex]

100. Capitalism sucks when everyone wants to play.

Instead of guarding trade secrets of capitalism we forced it on others, but guess what? Some people embraced the hardcore ideas of a market economy and now will give us a run for our money.

Cheap gas!!!! :evilgrin:

[Justitia]

106. Free trade, baby! Viva Chavez! -eom

[thethinker]

104. This could be made to work

All he would have to do is have us all apply for a Citco credit card and verify our incomes. If a person qualified, their credit card would work as a discount card. Everyone else (rich republicans) could pay 2.65 or the going price. The people with the discount cards would pay a discounted amount.

This could be made to work really easily. And I am all for it!

I am sick of the republican congress and white house "enroning" middle class Americans. The currtent price of gasoline is not an accident. It was planned by these thieves and congress is not doing anything about it.

[Robeson]

112. I think, I like the way you think, thethinker....

...:thumbsup:

[sue_66]

109. Chavez, a man of the people

unlike our greedy politicians! Go Hugo!

[banana republican]

111. THERE IS ONE NEAR WHERE I LIVE!!!!!!!!!!

And as I recall the prices were reasonable....

[EC]

115. While reading this I thought to myself

how beautiful the world would be if only...

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

120. Chavez does what the opposition in America won't

[Pooka Fey]

122. OMG A CHEAPER FIX !! We sound like the gasoline addicts that we are.

Cheap gas is like one last alcoholic binge before you check into rehab. Can we start getting used to the fact that the world is changing, and we need to get OFF the gas? Cheap gas isn't going to bring the glaciers back to Greenland, it's going to hasten the melting. Every tank of non-Citgo gas we buy represents spilled blood in the Middle East. I burn gas in my car, but my car gets 40 mpg hwy; and I plan to start commuting on the bus -- because I can. I can't afford $80-$100 month for gas, and I can't afford a dead ecosystem either. Cheap gas has pretty much screwed everything up on earth. Can we get ready to move forward without it?

[mntleo2]

128. Lovely If You Can Afford It

Most people are forced into driving because of the way this society operates. When you live 40 or 50 miles from work because the cost of housing is un affordable close to work, there is no bus service near your home, your cheap and greedy workplace won't pay a livable wage, and childcare takes the other half of your income, well most people cannot afford a brand new hybrid car. Hell, they are lucky to afford the gas in their 15 year old jalopy that gets the kids to daycare and both parents back and forth to work, much less pay the forced insurance they are supposed to pay so fat insurance companies can refuse to actually insure.

It would be lovely if families could live, work and play within their own communities, but this is just not the way America works right now. It will take at least a half century of careful planning and funding to change it back to that sort of model, but the truth is we have to beg just to get our taxes fairly distributed, since the poor are the ones most burdened with taxes (in my state the poor pay around 17-19% of their income in taxes alone).

Sorry about the rant, but often it does not occur to people who are comfortable enough to afford special items. They often do not see just how hard it is for those who would love to see things different and afford such things, but they cannot because they are too busy scrambling for the bare necessities.

Cat In Seattle <---low income advocate

[Robeson]

129. Nice post....

...and Chavez is fighting those very hardships in his country, too. Thankfully, he's trying to help here, since our leaders don't care about the very real life issues you've described, and many of us face on a daily basis.

[Pooka Fey]

132. "Hybrid"??? I drive a 10 year old Japanese sedan.

Remember those - Hondas, Toyotas, etc.? I'm a single female grad student working as a self-employed artist (w/ other jobs to pay the bills) my entire adult life; so I know a thing or two about stretching those dollars. Your poverty plea has nothing to do with my point. The era of cheap and easy gas is over.

http://www.energybulletin.net/primer.php

[mntleo2]

136. Agreed My Friend

It is good you can afford such a car, which is out of the reach of many of the people with whom I work. If you had other people as well to take care of, you would find you could not even be able to afford upkeep on such a car as yours, and the circle keeps going around and around. So people in these situations who are taking care of others as well as themselves, get nickeled and dimed by the old gas guzzling jalopy and it if breaks, then the whole family is broken, because scrambling to survive is all there is to do when there isn't even any way to work. And school like what you have is just a dream for their kids with no way out.....

What you are saying is very true ~ I am just pointing out how easy it is to forget that the greatest burden for all this cost that will never go away, the terrible price of gas will weigh the heaviest on families struggling just to meet the rent. Thus more homeless destitute and sick people on the street that Chavez at least, has not forgotten. While most of our own people (not necessarily you) would rather pretend the poor are not even part of their own communities and that affording such things as a decent car is something they "should" do when it is in reality, completely out of their reach...

My two cents

Cat In Seattle

[Daphne08]

123. My husband just located the Citgo stations near us and we're

going to participate in the BUYCott! :D

I wish all Americans knew of this... what a message to the greedy oil companies that would send!

[mntleo2]

126. OMG! Chavez Rules!

Wouldn't you know it? You damn bet you it is a good idea! I am considering writing President Chavez and thanking him. As an advocate of people who are in poverty in this country and most of it because of price gouging greed heads like the Bushies, I know most of the forgotten low income workers in this country would think this would be wonderful. Does President Chavez know how many disenfranchsied American voters he would bring out of the woodwork with something like this? I bet he does because that was precisely how he own brought out his disenfranchised voters in his country ~ and he won in a landslide because of it. I have been talking about what Chavez did for years, and it is good he is reaching out to the poor in this country as well as his own. Nobody else does ~ and they forget that the poor are the majority in this country at this time, thanks to racist and classist policies and thinking of even many liberals in this country.

Oh my!

Cat In Seattle <-----who has been buying gas at Citco for awhile. Their pumps are at most of our 7-11 stores. Maybe that is where they are in other parts of the country as well. I make sure and tell the proprieters why I am buying their gas.

[ngGale]

130. I LOVE Chavez, concerned with the poor ...

I do believe IF Chavez could be our candidate, we would surely win!
President Chavez, we need to be liberated. :loveya:

[dutchdemocrat]

133. Gas is less than US$0.40 a gallon

I remember when it was US$0.28 cents a gallon in Venezuala.

[Flanker]

134. Actually

The price is closer to $0.15 a gallon, although it might depend on the exchange rate. I costs PDVSA nearly a billion dollars a year to subsidize gasoline.

That said it was not a Chavez initiative, and it has been a staple for as long as I can remember, interesting tidbit it was the IMF telling CAP to end gas subsidies, that raised transportation prices for students, that started to protest neo-liberal policies, that grew and led to 'el caracazo' that led to the Chavez led coup, his imprisonment and presidency.

Raising gas prices is political suicide, to the extent that he has press conferences denouncing such rumors, and to his credit has not done so yet despite record potential losses.

[rman]

137. Now lets see just how free the RW's "Free Trade" is...

[pinniped]

138. I was not aware that Cuba had officially changed the name of their...

country- Communist-run Cuba.

[Pachamama]

140. Wow! Did you read the last part of the story? There's a 2nd one there!

"Chavez, in Cuba to attend the graduation of Cuban-trained doctors from 28 countries, was seen off at the airport by Cuban President Fidel Castro. Washington has accused the two leaders of being a destabilizing influence in South America.

Chavez and Castro offered to give poor Americans free health care and train doctors free of charge."

Wow! So not only is that Commie-pinko offering cheap gas to poor people, he's now offering poor Americans free health care and even free medical school training!

No wonder Mr. Pat Robertson and the rest of the Right-wingers want Chavez taken out! How dare President Chavez want to do this!

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

141. HAHAHAHA

Excellent. Hilarious.

[Ian David]

142. I only use Citgo and Hess- Hess is 98% "Blue" n/t

[The Backlash Cometh]

143. GD, I'm beginning to like that man.

Who knew it would take a properly elected president in a socialist country to help us figure out how to deal with the poverty issue in our Super nation? Who really knew? What a mensch.

[OneGrassRoot]

145. Thanks for the info......

Sent email of support and appreciation, and I also applied for a Citgo credit card. Hmmm, though I wonder if I can have it/keep it after I file bankruptcy? Oh well....at least I know about Citgo now.

:thumbsup:

[malaise]

146. We got ours

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html/20050824T000000-0500_86813_OBS_US_____MILLION_PETROJAM_EXPANSION.asp

[mom cat]

147. The heating oil part could be done through existing fuel assistance

programs! Boy would that undercut the elitist drive to cripple the poor and keep them desparate regarding necessities!

[AzDar]

151. CITGO!!! I had no idea.......I gotta tell folks! n/t

[StrafingMoose]

152. Definitely, Chavez..

will end up 'suicided' by the CIA. Besides, I think it is technicaly impossible to sell oil out of the already existing "system", right?

[mntleo2]

160. Even If It Is Impossible

The very thought that someone like Chavez is considering people other than his own and he is showing concern about the poor who live in a so-called "rich" nation, and this is amazing IMO. Poor Americans are the forgotten. Everybody wants to go to some other part of the world and address poverty, which is noble, but it is also an excuse to be looking the other way about the people in THIS country who are struggling, sick, on the streets, and dying.

I work in transitional housing. I see every day the people who are in this boat and believe ms, whether it scares Americans living on the edge or not, they need to take a look. Because the homeless are you and me. I would say 80% of the homeless are homeless because of the lack of health care and when you have raised your families on this edge, lose your job because you are "too old" (45 and up) and get sick, well the government and thus American society says, 'to hell with you!' this is true about young families as well who are working and on the edge because of the cost of living that keeps climbing and they will not have any safety net when they reach middle age either. They work, they raise(d) families in spite of the huge barriers they face, and they love ~ just like middle and upper class Americans. I would say they love more.

In Mississippi, the lowest per capita wage earners in the nation donate far more than New Hampshire, the richest per capita people. See the poor have learned the truth about loving your neighbor...they know what it is to suffer and give all they can for comfort. While the more materially blessed do not even want to think about what is right out their door, expecting the poor to send their own children to war, to wait upon them, to provide them with food, and just not think about the price being paid for all those services.

Then these comfortable Americans call themselves christians when they do not know what true sacrifice is about. It would be great if the VZ president's words could be played out in reality but it is not essential... Someone like Chavez, who is watching this country and knows the struggle, while our own politicians and community leaders refuse to even see it, much less do anything about it, well Chavez' attention is just plain phenomenal.

All I can say is, "Wow..."

Cat In Seattle

[StrafingMoose]

167. I agree

And I like Chavez's geopolitical move that's trying to pull Latin America out of its "USA backyard" status by creating a regional axis.

[Doctor_J]

156. No wonder we tried to kill him

the man has no sense of corporatization.

[melissinha]

162. you have GOT it

thats it exactly. His oil is owned by the country.. unfortunately it is distributed here through a corporation.... Citgo.... that doesn't stop me from buying there.. I'd rather have oil that is only tainted by money mongering than by money mongering and Iraqi blood.

[melissinha]

161. i read this in a Brazilian paper

O Globo.... I wanted to get a perspective outside of our MSM, but it seems it was also reported by Reuters.

Same thing. Paints Chavez in a very good light. From what I understand, Chavez is miffed about the middlemen who have made the price for oil so high... they go far as to say that gasoline in Venezuela is cheaper than bottled water. Chavez isn't very happy with the big infrastructure of Citgo that makes so many profits when the gas could be so much cheaper.

[toopers]

165. So, when does Chavez actually plan on selling the cheap gas?

He already owns a distribution channel in Citgo, so all he has to do is get the gas to his stations.

[Megahurtz]

168. What a Great Guy!

Please be our President Mr. Chavez!:loveya:

[whosinpower]

169. And now you know

Why the Bush administration are so very threatened by him.....for he threatens capitalism itself.

[Joanne98]

172. This is a GREAT idea! He could take applications at Citgo stations.

Single mothers with children, the elderly, veterans... He could ask for paycheck stubs to determine if you're poor enought to quality. He could give a discount to people with FOOD STAMP CARDS! Let's help him do it!

[rrrevolution]

174. Just Increased His Chances of Being Assassinated --

Big Oil does not take kindly to selling gas at a price less than the inflated price they have established.

So Pat Robertson will have another party to point the finger at if Chavez is assassinated.

[R Hickey]

175. Offer fifty cents per gallon off - to any car that has a Dem bumbersticker

For starters offer fifty cents off per gallon, then when the discount gains in publicity, raise the discount to a dollar for those with two anti-Bush bumper stickers.

Later, to really stir things up, announce a fifty cent per gallon surcharge on vehicals that have a "Bush/04" bumper sticker.

[DiverDave]

176. I found a station

.79 miles from my house...my regular stop from now on.

[Chovexani]

177. That guy is awesome

Every time he pisses off BushCo it cracks my shit up. :)

[1956]

178. It sounds great

But I don't trust it-are we sure he really said that? Sounds like a Rove thing-they want to start a war with Venezuela! They want to have a reason !!

[neuvocat]

179. That's so hilarious!

Even if the guy isn't all that serious about what he's saying, he's making a great point on many levels.

[beetbox]

183. Also Offered Medical Aid to US Poor- 6 Million Americans in Cuba's Free

Health care program.


Chavez Dismisses Robertson Death Wish, Offers 'Medical Aid' to U.S. Poor!

The Venezuelan president apparently thought little of death wishes from U.S. televangelists. He did, however, offer to enroll 6 million Americans in Cuba's free health care program, and even said he would sell poor gringos gasoline at half the going rate. No word yet on how those in need of a doctor will travel to Havana to receive care.

But Chavez said what did concern him was the level of poverty of certain people in the United States, and he offered aid from his government to help with the well-being and health of the American people.

Chavez said that some citizens of that country could be enrolled in the medical program of Cuba, and he even spoke of offering a special program of direct gasoline assistance to poor communities.

"The level of poverty in the United States also worries us. We offer not only to cover 6 million people with medical care over the next ten years, but to train over 200,000 doctors over the 10 years. We will put them back into the program," he said.

http://www.watchingamerica.com/cadenaglobal000002.html