I love the comments from the guy at the end. It amazes me that people will take a freebie from anyone, even someone who is a enemy of this nation. Perhaps these people would like to packup and move to Venezuela and live under Chavez's control since he's so damn nice.


By NORMA LOVE (Associated Press Writer)
From Associated Press
July 18, 2008 2:47 PM EDT

CONCORD, N.H. - Two years ago, New Hampshire refused to accept heating oil from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, the pro-Castro U.S. critic who once called President Bush "the devil." But with fuel prices rising, well, free oil is free oil.

With the state's blessing, New Hampshire residents will be receiving some of the fuel this winter.

New Hampshire becomes the last state in the Northeast to embrace the offer.

"A lot of people have said, `We need help and we value any help we can get,'" said Amy Ignatius, director of New Hampshire's office of energy and planning.

The oil giveaway will be managed by Citizens Energy, a nonprofit organization set up by former Massachusetts Rep. Joseph Kennedy to help the poor stay warm. But the state energy office plans to help Citizens publicize the aid and sign up fuel-oil dealers.

It is just the latest example of how rising oil prices have brought about an attitude adjustment in the U.S. Over the past few weeks, for instance, pressure has been growing in Washington and around the country to lift the federal ban on offshore drilling.

Back in 2006, when Chavez began offering free oil to Americans from Venezuela's government-controlled Citgo, New Hampshire's energy office contacted the Venezuelan Embassy about working out a deal.

But the idea galled some New Hampshire Republicans, including Sen. John Sununu, who called it a "disgrace" and an attempt at grandstanding by Chavez, and Democratic Gov. John Lynch squelched the effort.

This year, though, "the state's role is to make sure people are aware of the program," Lynch spokesman Colin Manning said.

Chavez's supporters defend the heating oil program as another example of a generous deed by a president leading a socialist revolution for the poor. Some Chavez critics have charged that he is trying to embarrass the Bush administration and curry favor with the American public.

But a lot has changed over the past two years. Back then, heating oil sold for about $2.50 per gallon in the Northeast. Last month, the average price was $4.61, with predictions of $5 per gallon oil by winter.

"The average tank is 250 to 275 gallons," Citizens spokeswoman Ashley Durmer said. "Filling it once is over $1,500. That is unfathomable that anyone can pay that price. If you have to fill the tank four times, it's going to be a devastating winter for a lot of people."

On Thursday, Sununu again criticized Chavez but said he has no problem with people or businesses accepting help from an independent nonprofit such as Citizens.

Sununu and other lawmakers around the Northeast are pressing for big increases in federal home heating aid. More than 6 million New England households rely on oil heat.

Bob Garside, president of the Oil Heat Council of New Hampshire, a trade group, predicted many of the state's 200 dealers will refuse to participate in the heating-oil giveaway. "In the past, it's been nothing but a ploy for Chavez," Garside said.

Bill Fuller, general manager of Fred Fuller Oil Co., disagreed. He began delivering fuel for Citizens last winter, when hundreds of New Hampshire residents who applied on their own, without state involvement, got 100 gallons free. Fuller said he plans to do it again.

"It's actually a pretty good program," he said. "We get a voucher. We fax it in and get money right away."

Free oil is just furthering the "addiction".

Americans who knowingly accept ANYTHING from Chavez are traitors pure and simple.

Quoted: Free oil is just furthering the "addiction".

We can't freeload our way out of this.

I don't know. I am not going to tell someone who is freezing because they can't afford to heat their house they can't accept free oil.

Far be it for me to judge them. We all buy from China, the biggest debil of them all.

I'll bet Sununu doesn't have any trouble paying his heating bill.

Live Cheap or Die.

Is there no natural gas infrastructure in the north east? I can't figure out why so many of them use heating oil.

Quoted: Americans who knowingly accept ANYTHING from Chavez are traitors pure and simple.

Y'all are looking at this the wrong way. Its costing Chavez money to give us free oil. If we get enough people doing this, we could suck him dry and out of power

Quoted: Is there no natural gas infrastructure in the north east? I can't figure out why so many of them use heating oil.

nope. NG isn't very common in ME or NH I don't know much about it but I'm guessing that population density has a lot to do with the lack of NG?

I just shelled out 2600 bucks on oil for this winter...I know I'm not getting any of it.


Right or wrong, I know many folks in my town who could use a break..

Quoted: I just shelled out 2600 bucks on oil for this winter...I know I'm not getting any of it. Right or wrong, I know many folks in my town who could use a break..

Heating oil has dropped for 4 days straight. Are you sure now is the time to buy? I'm holding off on buying LP for this winter, myself.

Quoted: I just shelled out 2600 bucks on oil for this winter...I know I'm not getting any of it. Right or wrong, I know many folks in my town who could use a break..

id rather freeze to death, than take oil from that commie asshole!


                                live free or die!

Heard on the radio that heating oil is expected to go up by 70- 100% by winter.

I meant to look it up when I got home and forgot.

Quoted: Quoted: Is there no natural gas infrastructure in the north east? I can't figure out why so many of them use heating oil. nope. NG isn't very common in ME or NH I don't know much about it but I'm guessing that population density has a lot to do with the lack of NG?

Yes natural gas is all over New England including oil.

I was at my camp in Pittsburg NH watching the a documentory on Channel 9 from Sherbrooke. This documentory was about oil, and natural gas in Canada and Northern New England.

A gas and oil company that owns land both in the US(Pittsbug,NH) and Canada was showing its holdings. They said that gas fields were all over NE but could not be open.They were talking about not being able to drill on the US side of the border because of US Federal rugulations.
At the time this company was extending several natural gas pipelines into VT, NH, and Maine. All the way down to Mass.

If you try to drill in the US side you will have oposition from all the enviromental groups in the area..

As for oil from Chavez. Were under liberal occupation here in NH..

Quoted: Quoted: Americans who knowingly accept ANYTHING from Chavez are traitors pure and simple. Y'all are looking at this the wrong way. Its costing Chavez money to give us free oil. If we get enough people doing this, we could suck him dry and out of power

Please.  I hope my sarcasm meter is broken.  Sure it's costing him money but if you think he's going to bankrupt his country for the purposes of grandstanding you are very naive.

Chavez has a hook in this deal, no question about it.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Is there no natural gas infrastructure in the north east? I can't figure out why so many of them use heating oil. nope. NG isn't very common in ME or NH I don't know much about it but I'm guessing that population density has a lot to do with the lack of NG? Yes natural gas is all over New England including oil. I was at my camp in Pittsburg NH watching the a documentory on Channel 9 from Sherbrooke. This documentory was about oil, and natural gas in Canada and Northern New England. A gas and oil company that owns land both in the US(Pittsbug,NH) and Canada was showing its holdings. They said that gas fields were all over NE but could not be open.They were talking about not being able to drill on the US side of the border because of US Federal rugulations. At the time this company was extending several natural gas pipelines into VT, NH, and Maine. All the way down to Mass. If you try to drill in the US side you will have oposition from all the enviromental groups in the area.. As for oil from Chavez. Were under liberal occupation here in NH..

heh...sorry I wasn't clear...I meant that there aren't many NG providers in ME/NH meaning you don't have the option to heat your home with it.

Hmmm.  Do we:

A) Pay Chavez for the oil that we are going to use.

or

B) Accept the oil free from Chavez thereby giving him propaganda against the US?


The correct answer is:
C)  Go nuclear and tell Chavez to go suck an oil well.

Quoted: Is there no natural gas infrastructure in the north east? I can't figure out why so many of them use heating oil.

Expensive to retrofit.  In an area that was traditionally heated by wood, some may have switched to coal but that didn't offer any benefits over coal with clinker/ash and shoveling/bulk handling.

When fuel oil became economically viable, it was used as there was no ash and the furnace fed itself.

Retrofit to natural gas required open trenching which is expensive.  And same with the pipe.

But today?  Trenchless systems can be easily used for residential utility and polyethylene piping systems are much cheaper. It only takes time.  And if we ever start using deep sea clathrates for methane, we have about a 5000 year supply at current consumption rates.

Quoted:  And if we ever start using deep sea clathrates for methane, we have about a 5000 year supply at current consumption rates.

How deep are those things? Half a mile down or something?

Quoted: Quoted:  And if we ever start using deep sea clathrates for methane, we have about a 5000 year supply at current consumption rates. How deep are those things? Half a mile down or something?

A bit less, 1000 feet in seawater and hundreds of feet in permafrost.  Experimental production has been done in Alaska.  Development of methods to mine the subsea methane clathrates is in progress.

Then NH should get no federal dollars this winter.

Quoted: Americans who knowingly accept ANYTHING from Chavez are traitors pure and simple.

THIS

Quoted: Quoted: Americans who knowingly accept ANYTHING from Chavez are traitors pure and simple. THIS

Article III, Section III of the United States Constitution (since you obviously haven't read it) states:

Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court. The Congress shall have power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.

I know you love our country, but that doesn't give you the right to make ignorant comments.

Quoted: Quoted: I just shelled out 2600 bucks on oil for this winter...I know I'm not getting any of it. Right or wrong, I know many folks in my town who could use a break.. id rather freeze to death, than take oil from that commie asshole!                                 live free or die!

Yep, it sounds good until it happens.

We are not at war with Venezuela, why would it be treason?.

Quoted: Americans who knowingly accept ANYTHING from Chavez are traitors pure and simple.

No it isn't.

Giving things to Chavez might be treason if we were at war with him, which we aren't, but taking things away from him is not even remotely close to treason.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Americans who knowingly accept ANYTHING from Chavez are traitors pure and simple. THIS Article III, Section III of the United States Constitution (since you obviously haven't read it) states: Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court. The Congress shall have power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted. I know you love our country, but that doesn't give you the right to make ignorant comments.

Actually the constitution does give one the Freedom of Speech. Which means one can make ignorant statements all day long. So long as those statements are not considered libel or cause harm to another person.

First Amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

This isn't good news for me, as the wife and I are thinking about moving to NH.


I don't think I can live in a place that panders to this communist fuck.  I hope it's all BS.

Quoted: Quoted: I just shelled out 2600 bucks on oil for this winter...I know I'm not getting any of it. Right or wrong, I know many folks in my town who could use a break.. id rather freeze to death, than take oil from that commie asshole!                                 live free or die!

Does that go for your kids too??.....Do you know what -30 below Zero feels like!!!!................BS!!!!!

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I just shelled out 2600 bucks on oil for this winter...I know I'm not getting any of it. Right or wrong, I know many folks in my town who could use a break.. id rather freeze to death, than take oil from that commie asshole!                                 live free or die! Does that go for your kids too??.....Do you know what -30 below Zero feels like!!!!................BS!!!!!

+1


Easier said than done.

Kind of like all the liberals who said they were going to leave the USA if Bush got elected last election.  


Pure

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I just shelled out 2600 bucks on oil for this winter...I know I'm not getting any of it. Right or wrong, I know many folks in my town who could use a break.. id rather freeze to death, than take oil from that commie asshole!                                 live free or die! Does that go for your kids too??.....Do you know what -30 below Zero feels like!!!!................BS!!!!!

I know what -55 was like in Pittsburg NH..

Fracken cold.. Frost bite on my face after a short snowmobile ride.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Is there no natural gas infrastructure in the north east? I can't figure out why so many of them use heating oil. nope. NG isn't very common in ME or NH I don't know much about it but I'm guessing that population density has a lot to do with the lack of NG? Yes natural gas is all over New England including oil. I was at my camp in Pittsburg NH watching the a documentory on Channel 9 from Sherbrooke. This documentory was about oil, and natural gas in Canada and Northern New England. A gas and oil company that owns land both in the US(Pittsbug,NH) and Canada was showing its holdings. They said that gas fields were all over NE but could not be open.They were talking about not being able to drill on the US side of the border because of US Federal rugulations. At the time this company was extending several natural gas pipelines into VT, NH, and Maine. All the way down to Mass. If you try to drill in the US side you will have oposition from all the enviromental groups in the area.. As for oil from Chavez. Were under liberal occupation here in NH.. heh...sorry I wasn't clear...I meant that there aren't many NG providers in ME/NH meaning you don't have the option to heat your home with it.

Providers... Well thats different.

But it would be cheaper for everybody if the drilled under their office building for the NG.

We could also drill the libs asses for their natural gas but then our houses would smell like shit.

You guys need to read the New Internationalist more often: Chavez is the way of the future! And who could deny it! I've read the Bolivarian Constitution, and it reads like a libtards wet dream. Sort of stuff in  there to make you toss your cookies.  

Of course, it's tone reminds me of the Soviet Constitution. The best bit, was the clause against "disapeering people"

Let's not forget that while we may not like him, Chavez is a democratically elected leader of Chile. But the only reason he's popular, IMHO, is that he can use his oil money to buy himself votes from the barrios. If there weren't Cuban doctors going and handing out drugs like candy (the NI claims that regular Venezuelan doctors have been "corrupted" by the Americans - I shit you not) and the like, Chavez wouldn't nearly have the support he has. His "caring for the poor" is merely a way to keep himself in power.  

It sucks but I think this winter we'll be in dire straights.

Imagine if it cost you southern folks 8K to keep you're A/C running for the summer. I think you'd have to take any help you could get.

I don't understand at all why no one in NH uses something other than Oil. Oil is one of the most inefficient heating sources available.

They could use......

LP
LNG
Corn
Wood
Coal (You wouldn't believe how cheap coal really is, at $20/ton you can heat ALOT)
ELECTRIC

Quoted: I don't understand at all why no one in NH uses something other than Oil. Oil is one of the most inefficient heating sources available. They could use...... LP LNG Corn Wood Coal (You wouldn't believe how cheap coal really is, at $20/ton you can heat ALOT) ELECTRIC

My place uses LP gas and my folks have LNG. The problem is that most of the older homes up here were built with oil heat. I know lots of people who have oil are looking to get pellet stoves and stuff as well. Getting rid of the oil heat system is a bitch because not only do you have to buy a new furnance but you have to dispose of the oil system and deal with all the environmental stuff that goes along with it.

I'll never buy a place with oil heat if I can help it but it's not quite as cut and dry as others are making it out to be.

I'm dissapointed the state is taking the oil from Chavez but these are pretty desperate times in terms of energy prices.

If you've ever filled up at a Citgo station you're burning Chavez's gas so think about that before you demonize NH.

Gee, I can't think of anything that we've got an abundance of in this state that you could use to heat your home with.



Of course you would have to get up off your fat ass and split some wood, so it's much easier to just sit on the couch and take handouts from crooked politicians with an agenda than it is to actually get up and take responsibility for yourself and your situation.

ETA: I've also got a natural Gas boiler, to keep temps steady overnight, but the woodstove does wonders for keeping the house toasty in the dead of winter.

You know, I don't understand why someone in this wonderful capitalistic society doesn't do the following.


Drive to NH/New England area
File for a business
Install These Coal Stoves in peoples homes for a flat $2000 fee
Truck Coal from Ohio/WV @ $20/ton and sell a years worth of coal to these homeowners for $500 a year (It takes only a few tons to heat a home through the winter) and PROFIT.

Im not in their situation so i cannot judge.  If i had to pay astronomical prices to heat my home im not sure what i would do.  

Until you are in their shoes do not pass judgement

Quoted: You know, I don't understand why someone in this wonderful capitalistic society doesn't do the following. Drive to NH/New England area File for a business Install These Coal Stoves in peoples homes for a flat $2000 fee Truck Coal from Ohio/WV @ $20/ton and sell a years worth of coal to these homeowners for $500 a year (It takes only a few tons to heat a home through the winter) and PROFIT.

No way - the state environazis would be all over you like a cheap suit, unless you ponied up mucho dinero for bribery fees and licensing/compliance costs...

Quoted: Im not in their situation so i cannot judge.  If i had to pay astronomical prices to heat my home im not sure what i would do.   Until you are in their shoes do not pass judgement

The NE in general, like Southern CA, has got so ridiculously expensive to live in, most people don't give a shit anymore about loyalties, allegiances, patriotism, etc. They are just too busy trying to keep their heads above water, financially, to care anymore. Nobody cares about corruption, as long as everybody is profiting from it. The Big Dig, for example......

The motto of the Northeast should be, "Screw it- where's my share?"

Quoted: You know, I don't understand why someone in this wonderful capitalistic society doesn't do the following. Drive to NH/New England area File for a business Install These Coal Stoves in peoples homes for a flat $2000 fee Truck Coal from Ohio/WV @ $20/ton and sell a years worth of coal to these homeowners for $500 a year (It takes only a few tons to heat a home through the winter) and PROFIT.

Trucking that coal costs more than buying it at that rate.
Better get a quote from CSX if you plan on hauling coal north for cheap. Heck,even the distribution of the coal from the last railhead probably costs more.
Makes you wish we had more rails or more energy options,doesn't it?

Quoted: I don't understand at all why no one in NH uses something other than Oil. Oil is one of the most inefficient heating sources available. They could use...... LP LNG Corn Wood Coal (You wouldn't believe how cheap coal really is, at $20/ton you can heat ALOT) ELECTRIC

Oil Heat(main, need  for hot water)

coal/wood(back up and heating when at home)

looking into solar water heating system

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I just shelled out 2600 bucks on oil for this winter...I know I'm not getting any of it. Right or wrong, I know many folks in my town who could use a break.. id rather freeze to death, than take oil from that commie asshole!                                 live free or die! says the guy in Virginia Until you've lived through a few winters up here, pipe down.  If you have lived through a few, than you know how bad they can be.  I don't like Chavez one bit, but if you are a senior on a fixed income and can't afford to heat your home you die.  Not everybody has family to take care of them.  The other choice is the government, you and me through tax dollars, or this free oil that costs our government nothing and will cost Chavez at a time that his powerbase back home is dwindling.  He recently had to repeal some draconian emergency powers because of a groundswell of public anger.  Any money coming here is less money he can use to placate the people back home and they might rise up and rid us of that problem.  Don't like the idea one bit, but I can understand why.

ok if i had kids, i,d make a wood stove and chop wood.

Quoted: This isn't good news for me, as the wife and I are thinking about moving to NH. I don't think I can live in a place that panders to this communist fuck.  I hope it's all BS.

Then stay where you are. NH is getting overpopulated as it is.

I have no need to accept free oil from communists myself - but I don't see why the government should prevent people from accepting donations simply because those of us who care don't like commies.

Seems like most of the naysayers in this thread live in places where heating isn't such an issue.

From a poster on another forum I frequent.

I completely support Venezuela’s purchase of the Citco assets in his country. IMHO the citizen’s of Venezuela own the oil under their country and should gain the benefits of pumping that oil and not having the profits created at the wellhead siphoned off to a by a foreign company. I also support president Chavez’s spending the oil money on infrastructure improvements (water, severs, electrical distribution, etc) in the country. His, and because they seem to keep reelecting him, the Venezuelans’ goal of becoming their own industrialized modern country instead of a resource colony of the United States is completely understandable even if it is contrary to our and, by extension, the world Bank and IMF policy.
I vote with my wallet and try to purchase from Citco gas stations (btw – the best coffee in town). If I used oil heat I would try to purchase from a Citco distributer. I do not see Chavez as anti-American but as anti-monopoly and anti-domination by the world’s financial power structure revolving around Wall Street’s rapacious financiers and Washington’s corrupt politicians.
So, I appreciate Chavez’s attempts to help New Hampshire’s financially stressed people with discount home heating oil. This is the work of a good neighbor and not an enemy.

Quoted: Then NH should get no federal dollars this winter.

You do realize that the people clamoring for this oil are the lazy fucks who don't work and don't pay taxes.  They are not just giving out 'free' oil to anyone who wants it.