Posted on 10/10/2006 4:46:45 AM PDT by StatenIsland
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- In Alaska's native villages, the punishing winter cold is already penetrating the walls of the lightly insulated plywood homes, many of the villagers are desperately poor, and heating-oil prices are among the highest in the nation.
And yet a few of the small communities want to refuse free heating oil from Venezuela, on the patriotic principle that no foreigner has the right to call their president "the devil."
The heating oil is being offered by the petroleum company controlled by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, President Bush's nemesis. While scores of Alaska's Eskimo and Indian villages say they have no choice but to accept, others would rather suffer.
"As a citizen of this country, you can have your own opinion of our president and our country. But I don't want a foreigner coming in here and bashing us," said Justine Gunderson, administrator for the tribal council in the Aleut village of Nelson Lagoon. "Even though we're in economically dire straits, it was the right choice to make."
(snip)
The Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, a native nonprofit organization that would have handled the heating oil donation on behalf of 291 households in Nelson Lagoon, Atka, St. Paul and St. George, rejected the offer because of the insults Chavez has hurled at Bush.
Chavez called Bush "the devil" in a speech to the United Nations last month. He has also called the president a terrorist and denounced the war in Iraq.(Watch former President Bush call Chavez "an ass" -- 2:10)
Dimitri Philemonof, president and chief executive of the association, said accepting the aid would be "compromising ourselves." "I think we have some duty to our country, and I think it's loyalty," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
This must have come as quite a shock to CNN.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
Matter of fact it was 67 degrees yesterday for me in Wasilla about 35 miles north of Anchorage, a weird wet season we are having, and warm.
So there are some real men left in the USA, only they are in Alaska, not Washington DC!
For anyone wishing to make a donation, here is the information.
Thank you so much for your comments and support of our decision not to accept the CITGO fuel donation. The contribution you mentioned being interested in making, may be sent to:
“ Unangan Energy Assistance Fund” C/O Key Bank # 729681009001
Donations can be made at any Key Bank Branch Nationwide or Can be mailed to:
Unangan Energy Assistance Fund
c/o Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association
201 East Third Avenue
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
Donations are tax deductible as a contribution to a 501 c 3 Not For Profit TIN # 92-0073013
Again, thank you for your support. Trina Deuber Aleutian/Pribilof Islands Association, Inc. Human Services Assistant Director 201 E 3rd Avenue Anchorage, AK 99501 907 276 2700 (main) 907 222 4229 (direct) 907 279 4351 (fax)
There was a similar story on this a couple days ago from the point of view of one of the villages that took the Citgo oil. Turns out that heating oil up there is, like many other things, ridiculously expensive ($7 a gallon), despite the fact that the state is swimming in it. I assume that all that North Shore oil has to get shipped down to the Gulf to get refined, shipped back to Alaska, and then carried out to some of these tiny villages, which are truly some of the most remote places you can imagine. Wouldn't surprise me if that oil has to get flown in in drums by bush pilots in small aircraft, at least to some places.
}:-)4
If Hugo want to give me free gas for my car and truck so I can get to work every day, I'll take it. If he thinks he can attach strings to a liquid, let him try.
Our poor and elderly have been getting free fuel oil from a Joe Kennedy for years now. What's worse?
No reason why the people sitting on one of the largest deposits of oil in our country should have to go without oil for some gits who will not let us drill for oil.
I cannot honestly speak about what the cost of living is down the chain or in the interior, yes its more expensive to live here but the scale is proportional as far as wages not to mention we all get a check from oil profits once a year per person, I get mine the 19th and its $1106.00. Heating oil has never been a problem anywhere except during certain times of the year if the rivers have not froze to make ice roads, or there is early ice and barges cannot get through. My utility bills are very affordable but my house walls are massively insulated and I have hydronic floor heating.
Librats told Sheehan, and she told Hugo.
Just a hunch.
Considering the billions taxpayers spend for the LIHEAP program, no-one's going to freeze. Even in Alaska.
God bless them and keep them warm!
Good for the Eskimos for being loyal to their country and not selling out to that filthy, two-bit tinpot commie thug.
Hugo just wants to pay off Alaskans so that they would vote against drilling
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