Posted on 11/24/2005 12:44:41 AM PST by Crackingham
One day after Venezuelan officials signed an agreement to provide 12 million gallons of discounted home heating oil to low-income Massachusetts residents, Baldacci administration officials confirmed that Maine is exploring a similar deal.
Beth Nagusky, Gov. John Baldacci´s top aide on energy matters, said Wednesday that discussions are in a very early stage and declined to provide details.
Nagusky said talks with Venezuela were part of Baldacci´s desire to "leave no stone unturned" in searching for ways to ensure Maine has enough fuel for the needy this winter.
Venezuela, a key supplier of U.S. oil imports, produces a significant share of petroleum products used in Maine. Citgo Petroleum Corp. is the Houston-based subsidiary of Venezuela´s state-owned oil company and has about 13,500 independently owned U.S. gas stations.
Nagusky, who is director of the Gov.´s Office of Energy Independence and Security, cast the talks between Maine and Venezuela as exploratory.
"We are discussing options," she said.
Anticipating questions about state dealings with a country whose government has an adversarial relationship with the United States, Nagusky said, "If we only imported oil from the countries whose politics we agreed with, we´d be very cold and we´d probably have to go back to the horse and buggy."
Nagusky said she believed cities including New York are looking into similar possibilities.
Last week, the Democratic governor and Democratic and Republican leaders of the Maine Legislature announced an agreement to make the appropriation of $5 million for fuel assistance for the needy the first order of business when lawmakers reconvene in January.
Baldacci said a simultaneous goal remains raising another $5 million through charitable donations.
The Massachusetts agreement is expected to aid tens of thousands of state residents, with oil shipped to a Massachusetts terminal and distributed statewide by two nonprofit organizations.
So let Venezuala supply cheaper energy to US leftists. Oil and gas are fungible. Cheaper supplies anywhere in the US has beneficial effects everywhere in the US.
Ever traded in the petroleum futures market? The market works on supply and demand. Economics.101. And I am an ultra-right-wing member of the right-wing-conspiracy. BSBA, MBA, and Economics major.
This is communism. Simple and straight forward. Class warfare against all of us. Only low income? Why not supply heating oil, gas and electricity for everyone.
Here in california, I get my gas bill every month with an added public surcharge for those people who cannot pay for their own. November statement, I got an envelope from the United Way asking me to donate to the cause after I have been manditorilly paying for it for an entire year...
Morning Sam,
What else could we have expected from the commie-leader(s0 of those states.
The leftists continue to subvert the law of the USA and the Repubs do nothing.
Note: May all Good Freepers have a "Happy Thansgiving."
Let Freedom Reign,
NSNR-WNA
Morning Tinman,
Whenever there is foul odor in the air, rest assured there are demo-commies and spineless RINOs involved.
Funny how these state's elected officials think there are not subject to US federal laws.
As I See It,
NSNR-WNA
Can't we give New England to Canada?
I can't see how this is going to work! The people who supply this fuel to the homeowner are private companies who's prices are controlled by the market. How can the state government swing a deal for cheaper fuel when it these companies who purchase this fuel months and months in advance?
Welcome to the people's republic of Maine.
This is sick. Leaving no stone unturned Mr. Baldacci does not mean that you play to an evil propagandist for your own advancement. Getting into bed with Chavez will give Baldacci a good case of fleas. But he's already scratching so he won't notice any change.
....The administration through the state department works to control what nations to trade with......
Your knowledge of Trade is woefully deficient. There is no such trade authority except with enemies. Venezuela in not an enemy on the list.
Having worked for an oil company in a past life, I can see where this could damage things by causing a defacto "dumping" situation. Maine could lose small, independent oil dealers because of the price distortions caused by the Citgo oil.
The Maine government would be the broker, connecting the customer with the oil. As a broker, they can ask for a reduced price.
These companies have their bulk plants full of fuel that they bought back in June or July. The profit for this year is dependant upon the mark up of that fuel this winter. If the state comes in with "cheaper" oil what are these folks supposed to do with the fuel that they already have and are pumping now?
Odd. I've always had an instinctual dislike of Citco, and a preference for Sunoco. Good Instinct!
It appears our cut rate Castro clone, like his idol, Illyich, is buying rope.
you can't restrict oil sales
if you sell "to Maine only", Maine doesn't buy as much from Saudi Arabia as it used to and has more to sell to Ohio
oil is fungible
if you agree to sell more, especially at a discount, you increase the supply in the entire market, not just to your selected customer
but don't tell the commies that
let them sell cheap oil
It seems like Venezuela will take the hit on this, it will come out of their pockets unless they raise the price on their oil going to other countries. Chavez is loony tunes, but we'll take it, it's not going to be used how he thinks it will be.
Why drill in ANWR when you can fund communists and Muslim monarchies? The whole thing makes one think that the sanctity of ANWR was created specifically by the Left to increase the power of our enemies. In fact, I'm sure that's the case.
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