Are you aware that Citgo is a Venezuelan owned company? Although it is US incorporated, it is owned and controlled by the country of Venezuela which is controlled by Hugo Chavez, who is one of the world's leading hate-monger of the US.

What is so bizarre about this relationship is that the US is Venezuela's #1 customer. I can't imagine telling my best customers that I hate them on a daily basis and expect to get away with it. Yet we still buy $32 Billion a year from them as Americans.

I'm not here to make political statements or tell anyone what they should do, but I will tell you I would rather run out of fuel and walk then buy from a Citgo.
Corey

Ditto, Cheri. No one, from the consumer to the top levels of government and business has the guts to do anything about it because it would create higher fuel prices. We've been spoiled on low fuel prices for many decades, Europeans have to deal with higher prices. Seems they have coped. Sorry for the generalizations. Yes, I know that there are many consumers, business folks and people in government who would do what it takes to tell Chaves and the Saudis to take a hike. They just don't seem to be running the show. Bill, if this is too political, don't hesitate to dump it.
Jim

Jim

At least the Saudis don't go around overtly telling the world how much they hate us! This guy Chavez is a Hitler in the making. He admires Castro, has changed term limits to forever so he can be a dictator without impunity. He has nationalized almost all of Venezuela's industries by bully tactics.

The nice thing is, we can vote with our dollars. Don't buy at Citgo, that is my patriotic vote.

BTW - Chavez is in deep poo-poo right now because his political bullying has soured the world's financial institutions while oil is down. I feel for the people of Venezuela, but this dictator needs to go away!!!!

Corey

Some of His other companies are Petro truck stops & Valero. We avoid those too.

Anybody for higher taxes so we can achieve energy independence? Alternatives: 1) Tax the bejesus out of petroleum to cut domestic consumption. 2) Tax the bejesus out of everything else to ramp up production of wind, solar & research on other alternatives.

Any suggestions?

We're stuck between a rock & a hard place because of our petroleum dependence. In the case of Venezuelan oil, economics overrides politics, & will until we are willing to make the personal sacrifices necessary to achieve quick energy independence. Hopefully, we are taking some baby steps in this direction because of some current administration's initiatives, but it will take a lot bigger public commitment & sacrifice for us stop buying Venezuelan oil out of spite.

We have known that Citgo has been owned by Chavez for years now. Even though the closest station to our home (less than 1/4 mile away) we never stop there, because of the ownership.

Chavez just plainly scares me. My heart goes out to the people who must live under his rule. Chavez, Hitler, Mussolini, put them all in a bucket of water and see who floats up first

Tina

quote:

We have known that Citgo has been owned by Chavez for years now.

see www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/citgo.asp
read all

That was a good article Dick.

I have followed Chavez for years and it is my opinion that the entire Anti US/Pro Poor stance is a complete facade put on by dictator wannabee with a high need for attention.

He is almost as ironic as Hitler was with his pro Aryan stance. The 'ideal German' was supposed to be tall, slim, physically fit, free of any disability, deformity, abnormality or mental illness and sexually 'straight' as a poker, chaste, and completely immune to Marxist thinking. I mean, come-on Adolph, look in a mirror dude!!

Back to gas and diesel - in this global economy it is very hard to understand when you are supporting an enemy, but on this front Chavez has made it easy.

I will state that if Venezuela ever gets a decent, moderate, fair Gov't (if there is such a thing) I'll happily support them buying Citgo and Petro.

Just sayin.....

Dick, I noticed that the date of the 'Snopes' article was 2006. The old saying is "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely". In Chavez' case, it probably was just a sham, like Adolph's. Some people will say whatever it takes to get elected, and then do whatever they want. But fortunately there's another saying "You can't fool all the people all of the time".
Jim

quote:

Originally posted by Jim and Tere:
But, fortunately, there's another saying "You can't fool all the people all of the time".
Jim

But...............unfortunately, sometimes, you can fool enough of the people long enough to get elected.

quote:

Originally posted by bill h:
But...............unfortunately, sometimes, you can fool enough of the people long enough to get elected.

Sadly, the ideologues on both sides can't see past that statement. They will follow their candidate to the bitter end all while blaming the other party or certain media outlets.

This may be way to long to post here so if it is any of the moderators feel free to delete it. It is a copy of one of those chain emails that we all receive.

545 vs 300,000,000

EVERY CITIZEN NEEDS TO READ THIS AND THINK ABOUT WHAT THIS JOURNALIST HAS SCRIPTED IN THIS MESSAGE. READ IT AND THEN REALLY THINK ABOUT OUR CURRENT POLITICAL DEBACLE.

Charley Reese has been a journalist for 49 years.


545 PEOPLE
By Charlie Reese

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason.. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.
What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits.. The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? Nancy Pelosi. She is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million can not replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red ..

If the Army & Marines are in IRAQ , it's because they want them in IRAQ

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.

Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.

What you do with this article now that you have read it.......... Is up to you.



This might be funny if it weren't so darned true.


Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)
Gross Receipts Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge T ax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax
Sales Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Ser vice FeeTax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax

STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY? Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, and our nation was the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

What in the hell happened? Can you spell 'politicians?'
And I still have to 'press 1' for English!?

I hope this goes around THE USA at least 100 times!!! YOU can help it get there!!!
GO AHEAD - - - BE AN AMERICAN!!!



--
If you can read this thank a Teacher,

If it is in English Thank a Soldier .

Freedom is not Free!

545 VS 454 people want to know.

Today's 1-10-10 Antics:

Venezuela's President, Hugo Chavez, has said troops will seize control of any business that raise prices in response to the devaluation of its currency.

quote:

Originally posted by noble97monarch:
Today's 1-10-10 Antics:

Venezuela's President, Hugo Chavez, has said troops will seize control of any business that raise prices in response to the devaluation of its currency.

Older members will remember OPS Ceiling Prices here. And Truman's ill-fated seizure of the steel companies. Really old members will remember OPA.