The Chavez Revolution Comes To New Hampshire
It’s funny how little it takes people to compromise their values just to have a quick fix solution. Hugo Chavez, the lovable dictator from Venezuela, has decided to grant the citizens of New Hampshire some free heating oil to help them out this winter.
Two years ago, New Hampshirites turned down Chavez flatly. However, skyrocketing fuel costs have concerned residents and now they’re willing to throw in their hat with the pudgy socialist.
Back in 2006, New Hampshire Senator John Sununu called the offer it a “disgrace” and an attempt at grandstanding by Chavez. However, other New England states have embraced the offer, with New Hampshire remaining the last holdout in the upper Northeast. Today’s agreement brings an end to that. Even Sununu, who is still a critic of Chavez, said he is in favor of programs such as the one Chavez offers.
You know, we Americans are a fickle bunch. We thrive on stories about the American Way Of Life, the American Dream, freedoms to prosper and the such. But at the first sign of trouble, the first pinprick that bursts the protective bubbles we’ve made for ourselves, we become willing to throw in our lot with snake oil salesmen like Chavez.
Six million people in New England rely on heating oil for the winter months, so that’s a lot of people willing to get a break. But at what price? Is going through times of extreme effects of the economy the price we have to pay for living in a free society? I would think yes. But really, this is just a bad response to rising oil prices.
So, how much cognitive dissonance do you have, New Englanders? I’m sure plenty of the traditionally blue states up there love Chavez calling President Bush “the devil” and such, but do you really want to increase diplomatic relations with a country run by a man who recently tried to resurrect Hitler’s thought police policies?
–Stephen Payne, Editor, Oil and Gas Investor This Week; www.OilandGasInvestor.com; spayne@hartenergy.com
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July 21st, 2008 at 9:58 am
As a native of New Hampshire, but who has lived in the oil patch for 25 years, I must respond.
Unfortunately in life, for most Americans, pocket book issues always end up trumping moral ones, and I guess this is true even for New Englanders and New Hampshirites, who are so practical.
The average wage scale in NH is not as high as in the high-tech Boston or New York areas, much less than in Houston’s oil patch.
Home heating oil costs have gone up significantly in the past two years. Under stress themselves, many of the fuel providers no longer give discounts to seniors, nor to home owners who prepay and take delivery of their first tank of heating oil in the summer.
Now I am told that special pellet heaters are all the rage and stores cannot keep them in stock. My brother just bought one for $1,800 and my nephew bought one for $3,000.
–NH editor in chief
July 21st, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Interesting. Hope the wood pellet thing catches on. Although I’m curious, do oil heaters work better than gas heaters up there, or are the oil heaters used by people who are just set in their ways and don’t want to (or can’t afford to) convert over to natural gas? Or was this just never an issue until oil prices skyrocketed?
August 14th, 2008 at 11:37 am
It’s time for the American Oil Companies to help the poor and seniors on fixed incomes. What are they to do if the cost of heating their homes doubles or triples? Even though you don’t like Chavez at least he is willing to do something.I believe this is an expanded program f that has been going on in New York as well for the past 2-3 years. Let’s hope ExxonMobil will step up next, but I wouldn’t sell my wood stove anytime soon.
August 14th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
I agree that Americans should do something about this problem. But they should fix it themselves and not rely on a snake oil salesman like Chavez who’s only showing charity because he thinks America will eventually repay him by becoming a socialist country just like Venezuela.