Low-cost (Venezuelan) fuel to warm Mainers

[jpak]

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/state/061213heatingoil.html

Citizens Energy Corp. will provide discounts on 8 million gallons of heating oil to low-income Mainers under an expansion of its heating-assistance program made possible by a huge increase in cut-rate oil from Venezuela.

But the ties to Venezuela are creating a political controversy in the wake of a recent speech to the United Nations in which Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called President Bush "the devil."

Massachusetts-based Citizens Energy is receiving 100 million gallons -- up from 40 million gallons in 2005 -- of discounted heating oil from Citgo, the Venezuelan-owned oil company. Maine's share will be enough to provide as much as 200 gallons of discounted oil for 40,000 households, said Brian O'Connor, vice president of the nonprofit group.

He said that during the past year, Citizens Energy contacted oil companies and oil-producing countries and asked them to provide discounted oil. Only Venezuela and Citgo agreed, said O'Connor, who presided over the ceremonial filling of an oil tank Tuesday at the home of Elece Leonard in Portland.

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[Kolesar]

1. I thought Maine's gov passed on Chavez' oil offer for this year

[Judi Lynn]

2. Leaders of some Main Native American tribes also have made arrangement for discounted prices on oil,

after they, like Democratic Congressmen in 16 states altogether, have gone to ask American oil companies for discounts for their poorer citizens, only to be shown the door.

Even though certain right-wing groups have attempted to get negative propaganda from these arrangements, the situation could have had a solution right here in this country if the oil companies felt any degree of respect for the needs of the country's poorest people, and had agreed to help them with their heating oil obligations.