As published on CommonDreams.org:
Citgo is a U.S. refining and marketing firm that is a wholly owned subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company. Money you pay to Citgo goes primarily to Venezuela -- not Saudi Arabia or the Middle East. By buying your gasoline at Citgo, you are contributing to the billions of dollars that Venezuela's democratic government is using to provide health care, literacy and education, and subsidized food for the majority of Venezuelans.
That is so cool. Stick it to Bush where it hurts, eh? Unfortunately, I don't know of any Citgo stations near me, but I will certainly go out of my way to find them now.
And speaking of sticking it to Big Oil, did you bike to work today? Sadly, I didn't. But I did take public transportation (as I almost always do now), so at least I wasn't adding another car to the roads.
I am not implying that the support of middle eastern countries and US-based oil companies is the "right" thing to do...but it might be helpful to put Hugo Chavez in his place too...a "good guy" he is not.
Describing Venezuela's government as democratic is inaccurate at best. He is known to despise the United States, has cracked down on media and civic institutions in Venezuela, military defectors have testified to his funding and involvement with al Qaeda, he openly supports the Iranian government and their great track record on human (and women's) rights...not to mention his support of Saddam Hussein as a "brother".
Like one blogger pointed out...
"Yet Chavez's vigorous and targeted social spending right before an election smacks of the manipulative practices he accused the traditional parties of doing for decades. Despite Chavez's claims about a radical break from the past, in some respects his rule has magnified the worst traits of the old order."
Of course, this doesn't even consider all the foreign investors that are getting rich off of Venezuelan oil just like any other country rich in this resource.
Just a thought...
Jason
You should note that Citgo has been purchasing gas from the middle east since 2002. But perhaps you have non-persian gulf oil companies in your area.
For this information please visit the Energy Information Administration - Department of Energy:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/company_level_imports/cli.html
in particular:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/company_level_imports/current/summary2004.html
While I don't work for an oil company, I do think the right facts need to be put out to the general public.
Thanks,
Greg V.