MoJo Blog

« Bush's Mixed Record on HIV/AIDS | Blog Index | Attack on the Estate Tax »

Advertisement

Chavez' Heating Program

William Fisher examines Hugo Chavez' program to sell discounted heating oil to poor communities in the United States. On the merits, it's hard to tell whether this program is a good idea or not—arguably Chavez could make better use of that money by spending it on poor communities in Venezuela—but it is true that all the sniping at Chavez from various corners of this country is, as Fisher puts it, "petty." Whatever one might think of Chavez—hero of the oppressed or crazed authoritarian, take your pick (or both)—he's in no sense a real security threat to the United States.

It's also worth pointing out that if Republicans and others disapprove of Chavez trying to win friends and influence people by selling heating oil to the poor, they could always stop him by reversing the cruel and gratuitous budget cuts that have been leveled at LIHEAP, the federal low-income heating assistance program, over the past five years. Just a thought.

Posted by Bradford Plumer on 06/01/06 at 1:55 PM | E-mail | Print | Digg this | de.licio.us



Comments

Well, it's not Chavez with his unprecedented heating oil offer that's the big security threat, try looking at BP's Northstar project for real threat potential.
At a cost of $500 million, BP Amoco is opening a new oilfield six miles off the north coast of Alaska, in a region of the world most affected by climate change.
In the last 20 years, pack ice three times the area of the UK has melted, yet, to get it's oil to shore across the pack-ice, BP is burying a pipeline for hot oil six feet below the Artic sea floor, a technique that's never been used before...
Furthermore, environmentalists say that extreme conditions and immensely powerful and shifting ice-pack equate to a one-in-four chance of an oil spill.
BP says that there need not be an unacceptable risk just because a practice is unprecedented...

Posted by: Michael L. Wagner on 06/02/06 at 10:56 AM

Restore LIHEAP? But that would benefit residents of us commie-pinko-gaymarrying-non-Bush-voting atheist heathens up here in the Northeast and Upper Midwest.

Therefore...not bloody likely.

Posted by: scott on 06/02/06 at 12:07 PM

"BP says that there need not be an unacceptable risk just because a practice is unprecedented..."

How to interpret above statement:
Since Exon has skated on a large portion of the cost associated with their big Alaskan spill, BP figures risk or no risk, we will only be held partially responsible...go for it.

Posted by: Ben Merc on 06/04/06 at 4:48 AM

Post a comment





 

RECENT COMMENTS

Houston Mounted Police Run Over Protesters (5)
Ranselar VanDerpoel wrote: Deacon, you have stated the problem perfectly! It is a SOC... [more]

"This Just In..." A Fair and Balanced Daily Show (2)
Usama wrote: FOX and the Ritewing already have a major corner of the me... [more]

Be Thankful for Complainers (2)
Schuller wrote: Hah, bit tangential, but: the Finns are coffee-crazy, and ... [more]

Rangel Says Bring It On, The Draft That Is (9)
Ranselar VanDerpoel wrote: Well folks, back when we had the draft, the rich kids stil... [more]

Obama to Reporter: I'm Sorry for "Messing Up Your Game" (11)
Rob Dagostino wrote: 8 years of bush please run barack run you get everybodys v... [more]

NYPD Watches From Above (1)
Mark P. wrote: Fascism is a people problem, not a problem that comes from... [more]

Attention Gay Wal-Mart Shoppers... (8)
Ben wrote: My wife works for Walmart. Today Nov 22 there was a meetin... [more]

Teen Birth Rate at a Record Low (1)
Michael L. Wagner wrote: According to a Texas A&M University study, students in alm... [more]

Al Jazeera's First Week Gets Positive Reviews (2)
Larry wrote: Is it possible that there really is democracy in America? ... [more]

New Poll: Vast Majority of Iraqis Want U.S. to Go Home (1)
Matteo Tomasini at EPIC wrote: Just a heads up, this poll is not new; It came out at the ... [more]

XML RSS Feed

Powered by
Movable Type 3.33

Jail.org - Inmate Search
Criminal records, instant public records & people search & current court records. www.jail.org

U.S. Public Records Search
Search County & State Court Records, Criminal records, Vital and Adoption Records www.PublicRecordsInfo.com

Records.com - People Search
Public Records and Background Checks. Instantly Search Criminal Records, Addresses and Court Records www.Records.com

Court Records & County Records
Find Instant Public Records, Criminal Records as Well as County Property Records Search. www.PublicRecordsIndex.com

















Wage Insurance

McCain's Speech

Quote of the Day

Calm Down


More MoJo voices...



bookIN PRINT

CLICK HERE
for more great reading

headphones IN TUNE
New music every issue

CLICK TO LISTEN


This article has been made possible by the Foundation for National Progress, the Investigative Fund of Mother Jones, and gifts from generous readers like you.

© 2005 The Foundation for National Progress

About Us   Support Us   Advertise   Ad Policy   Privacy Policy   Contact Us   Subscribe   RSS