New Hampshire will accept free oil from Chavez after all

N.H. will accept free oil from Chavez after all

ap.google.com

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Two years ago, New Hampshire refused to accept heating oil from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, the pro-Castro U.S. critic who once called President Bush "the devil." But with fuel prices rising, well, free oil is free oil.
With the state's blessing, New Hampshire residents will be receiving some of the fuel this winter.
New Hampshire becomes the last state in the Northeast to embrace the offer.
"A lot of people have said, `We need help and we value any help we can get,'" said Amy Ignatius, director of New Hampshire's office of energy and planning.

(visit the link for the full news article)



[edit on 19-7-2008 by jasonjnelson]

Wow. I read this in the L.A. times today, and did the google for the AP story. It seems that the rise in the cost of fuel prices has convinced the locals to accept the free hand outs from Chavex.

Any thoughts from anyone on what this means? What about the impact on our election? And how come this is not a bigger story?

ap.google.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Wow I have no idea whats going on here.

Is Chavez trying to help or he is he trying to gain support... and if he is... what for!!!

I have to admit this one puzzles me, and I heard about this before when he did offer, they refused... this is weird.

reply to post by Techsnow


I know!

You would think that, in an election year, with the hot topics being both international standing, and energy prices, that this combination of both would be too much to stay away from??!!

So a state is accepting handouts from a communist country, from a dictator who calls our leader the Devil, (not that I disagree or agree with his statement) all because the economy is collapsing?

Sounds HUGE to me.

Wonder what happened with Brittany Spears custody battle?

I wish I could get some free heating oil.

Last year we only bought one tank full and it was almost a thousand dollars. Might not be able to afford that this winter. I'm worried.

Good thing we have a wood burning stove as a supplement heating source. But it doesn't go throughout the house.

reply to post by jasonjnelson


No doubt, Chavez did call our country and Bush the devil...

www.cnn.com...

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez tore into his U.S. counterpart and his U.N. hosts Wednesday, likening President Bush to the devil and telling the General Assembly that its system is "worthless."

It also blows my mind that they would accept this offer, but with oil at an all time low its no wonder why...

the question IS why would Chavez even offer this in the first place!

reply to post by Ceara


Yes, but this relief should be coming from our own Government. Makes our "stimulus" package into a joke.

reply to post by Techsnow


Chavez is doing this to win a propaganda war. He can simultaneously earn good will in this country, as well as pump up his image at home, with pics of desperate Americans clamoring for his free hand outs.

I'm not saying it's not nice of them. Just seems funny that we ship that oil here from Venezuela when we could just get it here.

*double post*

[edit on 7/19/2008 by Kruel]

Maybe Chavez doesn't dislike the people of the US... he just dislikes the government. If that's the case, him and I have something in common.

Perhaps it's just one country offering aid to another country/state.

reply to post by Kruel


Are you that naive? Surely you must think there is more to this than meets the eye.

When one country helps another for any reason, there's always more to it than meets the eye. If he's pandering for the support of the U.S. population, so be it. If he's just trying to show off his "good side" to the international community, so be it. Now if only we could get Shrub to do the same...

Frankly, I think we should take his offers regardless of whether or not he's an "evil dictator." Free oil is free oil.

They say the best way to judge a man, is not by what he say's but by what he does.

Take a look at what he has done for the poor people of Venezuela. He has made immense improvements in their lives, he has provided much needed housing and aid to those that had nothing, he has also given them free land and the ability to reap a living from the land.
There have been several American backed coup attempts to overthrow his Government. And each time, the common citizen's have rallied to his aid and prevented this from happening

Who here would rush out in to the streets and risk their lives for George Bush if that were to happen in America?

If you ask me the typical person down there, doesn't spend eight hours a day watching the tv they are living life and have a much better grasp on what is going on in their own country than we do. So when they rise up to prevent things like that going on.
I think we should give some credibility to the merit of what Mr. Chavez not only say's. But DOES.

I think what he is saying is simple. I don't hate Americans I hate you're president because the things he does are F@#%!ng EVIL!
I say good on him, he probably knows the position he has put himself in are detrimental to ones life. But he has enough moral fiber to stand up for what he believes in.. the people.

Let me ask you this. Would our accepting his oil make us bad Americans in the eyes of our own people, no matter what his intentions are? Should we even consider finger pointing at these people? Put yourself in their shoes for a moment. When you are looking at another cold winter coming up, and the price they have to pay for their heating oil (as the one poster said, $1000.00 a tank full). And then you look at the pace our government is taking on helping to get this under control (a snails pace). What are we to do in this instance? Let them freeze because they can not afford the cost? Where in the H is our government? Bickering amongst themselves as usual, blaming each other for this problem, when in fact they should be tripping over each other getting a solution out to the people. Will they? No, it`s politics as usual in Washington.

It gets harder to believe anything Washington tells us anymore the way they are going and acting. They act at times like little 5 year olds on the school playground fighting over a ball, and the ball is our lives, our tax dollars and our freedoms. Makes me really wonder if what they tell us about Chavez is true or not. Take his oil? In a heart beat we should. Even if it is to show Washington were not setting around like they want us to do as usual and wait for them to act. People can`t wait, many can`t tighten the old belt any further when it comes to deciding between food or fuel. It`s all a matter of trying to survive in this screwed up economy we have.

Originally posted by Techsnow
reply to post by jasonjnelson

 

No doubt, Chavez did call our country and Bush the devil...

www.cnn.com...

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez tore into his U.S. counterpart and his U.N. hosts Wednesday, likening President Bush to the devil and telling the General Assembly that its system is "worthless."

It also blows my mind that they would accept this offer, but with oil at an all time low its no wonder why...

the question IS why would Chavez even offer this in the first place!

Pretty sure he didnt call the "country" evil

"They" say we are not in a recession.

Yet we have to take free oil just to heat the homes up north? It's so bad they cannot afford to heat their homes?

Makes me kind of sad.

reply to post by Ceara


I hear ya Ceara. I have the same situation here in Minnesota. There is no way I will be able to afford heating fuel this year. Only one tank last winter lasted till December(and that was from the fuel assistance). I used wood the rest of the winter, and let me tell ya it was a bit*h! It does not heat the whole house, and the bedrooms upstairs were like 40 degrees most of the time.

Because wood prices have shot up so much due to the price of fuel... I won't even be able to afford that this year. I am looking into coal as an option.. but no luck so far. I already have a shutoff notice from the electric company... even bounced a check last week to buy me time till the first when my Vet check comes.

So Mr. Chaves can send me all the oil he wants, because it is crystal clear to me my Government doesn't give a damn about me or my kids! Maybe I should write Mr. Chaves a letter???

I want you guys to know, I do not mean to whine... but this situation is getting very very bad. I'm almost 49, and have taken care of my kids and my self all these years on my own... but it has never been this serious or this bad in my entire life. I'm sure we will make it somehow... lots of good people around here. I just hate the thought of asking for charity... there are many more worse off than me though. I have hope because I have faith.... but I must admit to being very upset with my Government right now.







[edit on 20-7-2008 by yankeerose]

i work in IT for a call center and one of our clients is citizensenergy and they run the program for giving people who need it free oil during the winter months. this program has been running for a while now. people actually call in complaining because the oil comes from chavez or they just want to curse out joe kennedy about running this as well.

reply to post by yankeerose


This is what I meant by our government moving like snails. It makes me sad and POed at the same time. WHAT DO THEY EXPECT PEOPLE TO DO? Just set and take it while they do nothing? Maybe more people in this country should ask Chavez for help. Our government would rather spend billions of dollars for war goods, then to spend it on making sure we can afford to heat our homes and be able to have gas to go to work on. Yes, that in itself is a good one. Who the H will be able to pay taxes to keep our good old boys in Washington rolling in money, if were all out of work because we can`t afford the gas to get there?

I want to add, bless ya man for doing what is right by taking care of those kids. And the prayers go out to you. I hope everything works out for you.



[edit on 20-7-2008 by FiatLux]

reply to post by jasonjnelson


Venezuela is not communist, nor is Chavez a dictator. It's socialist, sure, but that's a long way from communist (socialist - the people own some essential industries, Communism, all private ownership is forbidden and it's run by a single man and his cabinet). Chavez dictates nothing - it's just that the people of Venezuela actually agree with him... unlike in America, where half the country goes "screw you, you're from the other party!"

[edit on 20-7-2008 by TheWalkingFox]