Home > Bush And Big Oil May Be Making A Killing This Winter

Bush And Big Oil May Be Making A Killing This Winter

by Open-Publishing - Tuesday 18 October 2005
27 comments

Edito Poverty-Precariousness Governments USA Brian McAfee

by Brian McAfee

Earlier this year President Bush enacted an energy bill into law that gave $85 billion dollars to big oil and gas companies, and this month the Republican controlled House of Representatives gave billions more in tax breaks to the oil industry while doing nothing to lower gas prices.

Despite this windfall for the already rich stockholders and their friends, President Bush has proposed cutting funds to help the poor heat their homes this winter. The nation’s 37 million people that live below the poverty line will be particularly in danger.

Bills for winter heating will go up from a third to a half higher for most families across the country according to the Energy Department. Natural gas prices could jump as high as 71 percent according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Natural gas, propane, and fuel oil costs are all expected to jump significantly higher with the nation’s poorest expected to take the brunt of the impact.

The Great Lakes region and New England are expected to have the harshest winter weather and the poor in those areas will be most negatively impacted by the government’s energy policy. For some of the nation’s poorest families this sharp pay increase could mean whether to eat or keep warm this winter. People "can only turn the thermostat so low before it effects their health and well being" says Jerry McKim of Iowa’s Bureau of Energy Assistance. He goes on to say "This is a life or death matter. I have serious anxiety about what folks will face this winter."

This winter a significantly larger number of applicants are expected than last year to request assistance in paying their energy bills, but President Bush has proposed cutting assistance programs from $2.2 billion to $2.0 billion. These programs that assist in paying energy bills are particularly critical for the elderly, disabled, and children.

In contrast to Bush’s stance on this issue, Venezuela’s president Hugo Chavez has weighed in on the winter heating issue for the U.S.’s poor. In an article posted by the Free Market News Network Corporation (freemarketnews.com) Hugo Chavez is working with Citgo Petroleum to supply poor Americans with cheap heating oil. Venezuela is already supplying cheap oil as aid to 13 Caribbean countries. Citgo owns eight refineries and approximately 14,000 gas stations in the U.S. Chavez’s concern for America’s poor stands in sharp contrast to Bush’s callous indifference.

Forum posts

  • W. &his cronies don’t care about the cost of oil.. they are all already in plenty of hot water!!..

  • What really is strange, the truckers have not been making noises against the increase of diesel. In the past, strikes would have been started by now, bringing things to a halt. Diesel is nearly $1.00 MORE a gallon and the corporations are remaining silent. Something really fishy here. The smell is becoming unbearable.

    There is something definitly behooving the NeoCons. Big thing about to happen - the fireworks will start soon.

    • i have heard from a ups driver that the big companys like ups are still getting gas for 1.35 at there therminals that is why you are not seeing the trucker rasising hell. the only people that are getting fucked on the gas is the everday people. and bush is all up in it getting paied

    • There are few independant truckers left after the deregulation by Regan. I had to give away a tractor and two reefer trailers because I could not compete with a company that has to only see aprofit of a few thousand dollars a year over several thousand trucks to remain in business.

    • Mabey you people should pay more attention. The small trucking companies are complaining. It does no good, but we are complaining. When was the last time you passed a pump and seen the price of diesel lower or the same as unleaded. We have to pay higher prices to make up for the lack of sales. Not to mention we have to buy gas as well. We all do not get past price discounts. You need to put the blame where it belongs, your senators and congressman and woman. They all receive oil money to look the other way when it comes to other fuels and prices. Democrat and republicans alike and we are to blame for being ignorant enough to put up with it.

  • Till know Americans have been spared of high gasoline and energy prices. So what? Other countries have already changed their behavior! Do Americans really think they can drive around in huge trucks or SUV’s at all time low prices?

    Ridiculous. Bush is naive, when he mentioned drive less. The American infrastructure is still built around the car! In Boston they will finish a super highway system soon. The American people don’t even think of extending public transportation or driving fuel efficient cars.
    But one thing remains a secret - the maximum speed allowed in the states is 75 mph - why do you need V8 and powerful engines?

  • Can you say "genocide"? I knew you could. Bush has declared war on the poor (working and middle class people), and is now taking steps to ensure that they won’t survive. He’s forgetting who is paying all his tax cuts and war bills.

  • Whooohoo!! GO BUSH!!

    Cut those benefits to the poor!! YEAH!
    The only people I feel sorry for are the people who voted against him or who were to sick to vote. Everyone in America who voted for him are getting the just desert this year. (if they suffer that is)

    Anyone who votes for this evil government should suffer and I hope it hits everyone in AMerica hard. Maybe people will wake up after this winter and see the governement they have are working for companies and not YOU!!!

    • To 69.133: My sentiments exactly! After Katrina and the ongoing quagmire of Iraq, what more of a wakeup call does the common American need to have to see how venal and immoral this historical failure of an administration has been throughout its tenure in office? If something that hits home so hard such as lack of heating, truly a life and death issue, does not wake us up, then I must agree with most of my friends who say that we are already a lost country, bereft of not only honor , but the simple, basic instinct for self-preservation. We would deserve to go down into the trash heap of history.
      This winter, the common American will now know how it feels to be an Iraqi or Afghanistani. Both countries have already suffered through years of cold, bitter winters, mostly due to American intervention.

    • HERE HERE MY MAN

    • I voted for Bush, I have a good job, doing well, house car, even a summer home.

      Gas has gone a little buy not like overseas, have not even thought of cutting back let.

      The stock market is doing really great too, just like in Clintons time, though I did really well there.

      Gas over here is only up a 1.20 in the last four years or so, from about 2.50 in 1999 now about 3.20 and 3.50. Thats only about 20-30$ a gas tank. Any body can paid that.

      Also jobs are very penty rigth now and over to the hilt.

      I work on mass trainsit NY and NJ.

      My faim;ies spending habits have not change at all, though I wish my daugher would take out the rash more offen.

      We are doing well here.

    • You are the "rash".....and the excrement too.

    • Hi Brian McAfee,

      I know its tough being number one, I think Bush even has a chance at a 3th term, if the houses can pass an admendent on his name in 2008.

      excrement! well nice talking to the other end anyway.

      I am middle class here and I have gotton 3 tax cuts that really help 1 for my home I am living in, one for a summer home that was built under the Bush tax cut for 2nd home buyers and 1 for my 2nd daughers education in the year 2002.

      Clinton did not do as good as that for me, also my nephew who has aids in the 6 year is now under Bushes aids program, one which we really needed and Clinton never did anything about.

      Bush is number one at that house he has help the middle class more than the last 3 leaders of the Greatest country on earth.

    • hey excrement, total US debt rose 8.7% to 7.62 trillion in past 12 months. Trade deficit swelled to a record 609.3 billion. The US dollar fell 21% against a basket of 6 major currencies from start of 2002 to the end of last year. Oh yea, dumbass things are swell.

  • Let’s get this straight. There is evidence that this Neocon government practice has been going on through both the Reps and the Dems terms in office. This is all being done for the good of the wealthy and to hell with the people. And if you think this is an American problem, think twice. It is going on secretly in every country. Remember, the order is for the world. THE NEW WORLD ORDER! Don’t be caught sleeping.

  • The Neocons’ Al Qaeda terrorist cell at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

  • Despite this windfall for the already rich stockholders and their friends, President Bush has proposed cutting funds to help the poor heat their homes this winter. The nation’s 37 million people that live below the poverty line will be particularly in danger.

    Could the answer be here?

    http://rense.com/general68/martt1.htm

    http://rense.com/general68/martt.htm

    • that is about 11% of the population, whats your point. Ever look at China or Cuba or any of the others.

      Whats you point I dont understand. please let me know.

      Everything is really great here, why such the bad comments, I mean alsmost everyone that wants to work here does and makes great money and plenty of schools.

      In fact we just had the 4th largest Broker Firm go down (Refo) and its not even on the main news channels, we are really fine we can handle everything that comes along.

      Can others do that well?

    • To 68.20: You are either sleep walking or a total idiot. Everything is far from great here, meaning the US. Many people do not obtain the employment they were trained to do. Many of the best manufacturing jobs are now overseas. Many if not most of our engineering and scientific positions are now going to foreign born men and women who are willing to do these important jobs for a song. Many people that I know must now work two jobs in order to make ends meet. Many people that I know cannot afford medical insurance for their families. People who live in poverty in this country account for over 24% of the population, not 11%. This country’s infant mortality is rising every year, it is the highest among industrialized nations of the world. Most of our high school graduates are unable to fill out simple employment forms without help. Our public education system is a complete mockery. I hire young people for my company and I am increasingly alarmed at their ignorance on just any subject matter under the sun. Our political class is filled with corrupt, dishonest men and women. The Federal Government’s deficit is now over $7 trillion, the private debt in this country amounts to over $10 trillion, and you say every thing’s ’honky dory’. The immediate economic future of this country will not be a mild recession, but a depression, that will commence when this overvalued dollar drops like a ton of bricks in the approaching year. Idiots like yourself would rather watch baseball or NASCAR than look at what is really happening in their country.
      You must be a very rich stock broker, one of the very fortunate top 5%, who obviously never looks down at the people beneath him.
      But let’s be realistic, how much money do you owe in order to have this life of Riley that you have? How much longer will this high life last for you and your family? If you don’t put your money in something other than stock market or the bonds market, you will be in a sorry mess & will soon join the ranks of the destitute, like so many of your country men.
      Many nobles during the reign of Louis XVI thought every thing was honky dory as well, until the shit hit their fan with such force that they had scarcely any time to breathe. Pull your head out of your ass, and learn quickly about what your world is truly about, before it’s too late.

    • 24..113,

      Thanks for the name calling, I guess.

      I make about 42k and my wife about 40k, the last 2 years I have a lot of overtime almost about 11k. I think thats pretty good we got a summer home about 8 years ago and it has gone up 4 times in price, my home I live in we bought in 1979 for 35,ooo and it is now at about 430,000. I put 2 childern all the way to college and the 3rd is now in her 1st year.

      Bush has cut my taxes by about 35% in the last 3 years and the state has even cut it more. I work as a train collector on NJ/NY tranist and also can operrate on weekends but only in the yards, lots of overtime.

      These jobs for others countries are not hurting us at all, in fact it is helping other countries to build a great middle class like ours and most of these jobs, Americans do not want to do anyway.

      There is a little debt now you are rigth but we will fix that like we did before, the country is in good hands as far as I am concern anyway.

      Oh buy the way, most people in my bracket never invest in the stock market anyway, so we never get hurt much like the big wigs that had that kind of money to do so. That is big money people and they can take that risk.

      I watch channel 4 every day and you never really see that bad of news but the war a little and any way not that many people are there anyway. People who work in these war places are trained to do so and they get pay big bucks to take that can of risk, I support them because they are helping people that can not help themselves. The war will be ending soon anyway and we will be leaving and sending the boys home. I think this Bush and Clinton did great jobs.

      I own to cars ones is a jeep. Gas is not that big of a deal for us because I work on the train and my wife works in the same town where we live. Not everybody travels far to go to work in America like most people think.

      I would love to work at home but .....that would be hard for me...laughing at loud.

      Name calling is below me...so bye.

  • As from 6 October, the Bond-holders of Parmalat are no longer Bond-holders. Thus a bitter affair has reached the moment of being squeezed by a boa constrictor. It is only partly similar to the situation of the company Argentina. In fact in that case, the investors could accept an exchange and receive other bonds.
    But in the case of Parmalat, the bond-holders have had no option but to become share-holders.

    Today we see that the new Parmalat shares are quoted at around 2.6-2.7 euro.

    This means that those who held the three types of bond quoted in Italy recover a measly 15%, while most of the investments on the so-called Euromarket can bring home about 33% of the nominal value; on top, they receive some warrants, which for many are little more than a wink.

    But beware: even those who never wanted to risk investing in shares, now find that they have them in their hands. It’s a radical difference that obliges a rethink. For the former Parmalat bond-holders, a new story has started.

    If they don’t want to hold shares as a matter of principle, it’s logical that they will sell the Parmalat shares that they have already received or will shortly receive. And it’s absolutely unforecastable whether it’s better to do that now, in a month or in a year. If however, they prefer to have a few shares in their portfolio, they can even hang on to the Parmalat shares. But these are choices that are independent of having been in the past a bond-holder of this infamous company of Collecchio. Bonds and shares are anyway, two very different beasts.

  • This site is great.

    I have e-mail it to over 200 people.

    I like it because Bush is always the number 1 topic. And that is what it takes to run tings, lots of talking by the people.

    Thank God for Gore and Kerry, hopefully we can get someone even weaker to run in the next election.

  • To 138**
    Why is bankruptcy at the highest level it every has been?

    Why is the percentage of people who used to be at a place of employment for 30+ years not heard of any longer?

    Why are the precentage of people without insurance higher than ever before?

    Why is the cost of living at a all time high, while the raises that the people get are almost non-existant?

    Why are most laws that have been passed, in the US, been for the benefit of CORPORATIONS?

    More and more Americans are taking off their blinders and finding the truth.

    I could go on and on, but people like you that don’t wont to know the truth, will always be blinded.

    • Hey 12 234,

      What your problem with the name calling.

    • Why am I so blinded? I been at a job for 28 years my wife 31 years.
      My insurance has not change in a decade the best was when Bush 1 was in office (cheapest then).
      Why do I have to worry about everyone else? thats what my goverment is for (I pay my taxes for that)so they can help others. And, any way not everyone can afford insurance, in fact my kids didnt have it when they started working and living on their own, so whats the problem?

      Cost of living is fine here the gas and oil has not kill us, (at less not yet) we have 2 cars for 4 people in the house and we are fine. I am not a busness person but would think that Corporations need the breaks to hire more persons over time. Maybe thats why.

      I am American and dont have blinders on and I know the truth when I see it, and Bush1 and Clinton did fine jobs, and this Bush is doing a good job too. You most likely do not even live in the USA, so what do you know about this country?

      I had enough of you and your name calling, this is my last post its seems this site I saw is not a good place after all. Maybe you should take your head out of the sand. The American middle class is fine.

      Learn some manners.