Stop Oil Companies From Exporting of Heating Oil to Drive Up Price!!!

[Up2Late]

(I just heard a commentary from Jamie Court, the director of The Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights (Links below) which was basically the same a his press release below. You all knew the Oil Corporations were out to screw us again the winter, well here's the Proof!):mad:

<http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/energy/pr/?postId=5263>

NEWS RELEASE
October 7, 2005

CONTACT: Jamie Court, [phone] ext.327
US Energy Secretary Bodman Should Stop Oil Companies From Exporting of Heating Oil to Drive Up Price

Santa Monica, CA -- As Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman visits Massachusetts today, he should respond to yesterday's letter from the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR) warning that oil producers' exporting of heating oil will cause unprecedented price spikes this winter if the Administration does not halt the exports. 1.5 billion more gallons of liquid heating products were exported in the first seven months of 2005 than during the same period in 2004.

Click here to read the letter.

FTCR also noted that without regulation of oil producer exports, Bush-backed government subsidies to build new refining capacity could simply result in new product being exported to short the US market and drive up prices.

FTCR President Jamie Court and petroleum industry consultant Tim Hamilton report to the President in a letter yesterday that: "In the first seven months of this year, the oil companies exported over 96 million barrels (4 billion gallons) of fuel oil. The amount is 48 times the volume of the Northeast Heating Oil Reserve. When combined with the propane and natural gas that was also exported, the total export of heating products equates to 58 times the volume held in the entire publicly owned reserve in the United States."

"With winter approaching, oil company exporting has again set the stage for a price spike," Court and Hamilton write. " The consequence could well be an unprecedented increase in the price of residential heating oil, natural gas, and propane. Unlike motorists who have the ability to cut back on driving and gasoline consumption, Americans reliant on these petroleum products to heat their homes face a potentially life-threatening dilemma. As the price of heating oil skyrockets, the only recourse for many on limited or fixed incomes will be turning off their furnaces in the dead of winter. That is why we call upon you to use your executive powers to freeze exports to nations other than Canada."

For more info visit: <http://www.consumerwatchdog.org>

<http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/energy/pr/?postId=5263>

The commentary came at the end of PRI's show "Marketplace,"links below:

<http://marketplace.publicradio.org/>

<http://marketplace.publicradio.org/shows/2005/10/11/PM200510117.html>

[mikelewis]

1. Sometimes I wish I could nominate stuff twice...

I knew they were full of shit!!!

[indepat]

2. W has long felt the energy companies' pain and whatever has to be done

to the locals to boost their profitability goes, so don't look for W to come down too hard in stopping overt practices that needlessly create shortages in the homeland and thus drive prices through the roof. This is W's way of keeping us safe and secure.

[loudsue]

3. But THAT wouldn't be "free enterprise"!!!!

Free enterprise is when the corporations get to make as much money as they POSSIBLY CAN, and to hell with the consequences!

If Americans, on the whole, have more money than any other country, then the oil & gas companies can OVERCHARGE American citizens by creating a perceived "shortage", and make twice the money for half the gas/oil. Then, they can sell to countries overseas at a better rate (whatever the market will bear in the other country), and make a similar killing there.

The drug companies were doing this, when they were selling the same drugs to Canada and Europe for LESS than they were selling drugs to SENIORS IN AMERICA.

Republicans WANT the corporations to do this! It give 'em a hard on, because it shows how beautifully FREE ENTERPRISE works!

There are NO republicans who give one shit about Americans. In fact, they think we're all stupid because we keep paying the higher prices for things that will save our lives, rather than do without.

Republicans are the devil.

:kick:

[WePurrsevere]

4. 5th Nom... TY for posting this, it's what my DH & I suspected...

we live as far north as you can get in NY and it's going to be a long winter for many up here and it ticks me off that there's a "shortage" and yet they're still exporting (and in greater amounts) oil that we desparately need here. :grr:

My eldest DD is expecting our first grandchild. She and her SO are barely making ends meet already so that even with some HEAP (heating assist) they won't make it through the winter without further help of some kind. It's bad enough and she's frightened enough that they're seriously thinking of turning the heat to just warm enough to keep the pipes from freezing at their house and moving in with us for the Winter since we have a dual furnace for wood and oil as well as a wood stove in the basement and a fireplace designed for heating. If it weren't for being able to use wood to heat and wood being so inexpensive up here ($40.-$45 per cord cut,split,del) we'd be in the same place and very very worried. (Hey, SS's generous :sarcasm: COLA raise doesn't hit until Jan 3rd... then we'll be able to live high on the hog with the extra $26.-$39. a month :sarcasm: Oh shoot that's right once again most, if not all, of that will be eaten up by yet another Medicaire increase, not to mention gas, food, etc. :puke: )

:grr: I can't flippin' believe Bush is doing Jack Shit about this :grr: Okay so yes I can... after NO I am certain that this admin is capable of anything. :nuke:

[Up2Late]

9. I plan to stay huddled close to my 2, desktop, forced air, Pentium 3&4...

...Heaters (my computers). I really need to figure out how to harness all that heat.

Plus, I finally fulfilled my longtime dream of..............................

....a Natural Gas Fireplace log.

Great timing huh, I finally get it 2 years ago, just before the price of Natural gas goes through the roof.

P.S. could you add a guide to all (or at least the first 2 or 3) abbreviations? I didn't get all of those.

[WePurrsevere]

16. Yeah computers can help :-D ... Nat Gas? Damn :-( & meaning of my abbrevs

I'm truly sorry about that... I've learned more then a few over the years and tend to toss them in without thinking since they're so handy. If I put one in you know I apologize in advance, if I missed one always feel free to ask. :) I don't bite... well okay... maybe just a tiny a nibble now and then. ;)

TY = thank you
DH = Dear husband (or damn if I'm pizzed)
DD = dear daughter (same thing as above ;) )
SO = significant other
SS = Social Security
COLA = cost of living adjustment (SS's pissy any amount raise I'd like to see them live on.. pfft)

You know what might work as a REALLY good way of free heat and electric for all? If we could somehow tap into all the hot air in Washington DC and all the state capitals as well we'd be sitting warm and toasty through the harshest of winters. ;)

(edited to add "badness") ;)

[jasmeel]

5. Is there any action we can take? I looked on the website and didnt

see anything. I'd really like to make some noise about this. I keep the heater at 55 as it is!!!

[Up2Late]

7. Write any and all Congress people and Senators who you think...

...would make some noise and run with this. And Post it to any other Blog/DailyKos/Huffington Post, etc., that you are a member of or can post to, and/or write to you local media, you know how much * and KKKarl like getting their news beyond the MSM "filter."

[crispini]

6. Kicked and nominated!

I heard this on Marketplace, too, and it pissed me off bigtime!

[paineinthearse]

8. October 7, 2005

"As Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman visits Massachusetts today..."

Wish I had known about this "today", meaning on the press release date FOUR DAYS AGO!

[Up2Late]

10. Yeah, it sure did get picked up by a LOT of Big Newspapers and MSM...

...Oh wait, what was I thinking. It was totally ignored, just like most of the FOIA/Torture documents. :banghead::crazy:

[paineinthearse]

11. we need to watch your source daily, do NOT rely on the korporate media

Distribute this kind of info when it is fresh.

[Up2Late]

12. It's still fresh, It only got picked up by PRI's "Marketplace" tonight...

...(PRI=Public Radio International, aka, the other Public Radio), so now 5 percent of American News Consumers now know this.

Hell, this will probably still be fresh until "The Daily Show" comes back from vacation, next Monday.

But so far, this is a FTCR, PRI, DU exclusive, that's almost too fresh, we can't even post something to LBN until we have a corroborating source.

If it was fresh, I would have posted it to LBN. I wish I had known this on the 7th, but this is the first time I've been to the FTCR website and didn't have an RSS feed for them. :eyes:

[Up2Late]

13. Here's the transcript of the commentary from tonights' "Marketplace"

<http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/co/?postId=5269&pageTitle=Don%27t+Export+the+Oil>

October 11, 2005
Don't Export the Oil
by Host: Kai Ryssdal - Commentator: Jamie Court

The following commentary by Jamie Court was broadcast on Tuesday, October 11, 2005 on the Marketplace Radio Program on National Public Radio. Click here to listen the audio of the commentary.
--------------

Kai Ryssdal (Host): You'd think, times and pump prices being what they are, that all the oil and gas that's produced in this country would stay in this country. But Jamie Court says part of our supply is on its way overseas.

Jamie Court (FTCR): Refineries make the residential heating oil that warms your home. Part of the reason home heating prices are skyrocketing is there are barely enough refineries to meet demand. Oil companies like it that way. A scarce commodity keeps their prices and profits high.

So the push is on in Washington to increase American refinery capacity. There's one catch though. If we want to see prices fall, then oil companies have to sell their heating oil and petroleum products here in America, not in Singapore or Chile. You see, right now in a period of peak demand and limited supply, oil companies are exporting our heating oil all across the globe. That's creating a shortage right here at home and driving up the price.

Department of Energy data show that oil companies exported 1 and a half BILLION more gallons of liquid heating products in the first seven months of 2005 than during the same period last year. That amount is about 20 Times greater than the size of the entire North East Strategic Reserve for heating oil. At the same time, the energy department numbers show that imports are falling.

With a severe winter warning, that's a recipe for big profits for oil companies and impossible choices for consumers. The poorest will have to pick between food and keeping their families warm. It's a choice no family should have to make in America.

<http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/co/?postId=5269&pageTitle=Don%27t+Export+the+Oil>
(more at link above)

[Up2Late]

14. kick n/t

:kick:

[Up2Late]

15. kick n/t

:kick: