Northeast Update from the Boston Herald...

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This is the latest article from the Boston Herald regarding the oil situation in New England. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- FAIR USE: Education and Discussion purposes Only!!!

>>>

Pols slam oil companies over skyrocketing prices by J.M. Lawrence Tuesday, January 25, 2000

With the wholesale cost of home heating oil climbing 80 percent in less than two weeks, city leaders and members of the state's Congressional delegation yesterday accused oil companies of creating a crisis that's left poor elders choosing between eating and heating.

``When the temperature was 31 below zero with the wind chill, the oil companies were not thinking about the people they're serving,'' Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino said. ``They were thinking about profits.''

Low-income residents who can't afford oil that soared from $1.17 a week ago in the Boston area to a record average of $1.75 per gallon are swamping service agencies with calls for help.

John Ingram, 84, who lives alone in Roxbury, ran out of fuel Saturday in the bitter cold and his bathroom pipes froze.

``I'm a praying man,'' said the retired minister who suffers from asthma. ``I started to pray.''

He also called Action for Boston Community Development and the anti-poverty agency got him enough oil to last about four weeks.

But the agency can offer only $440 in fuel assistance per family of four - not enough to get thousands of families through the rest of winter in the current market.

``We need help in getting the price down and funds to increase the benefit level,'' John Drew, ABCD executive vice president, said at a news conference.

Wholesalers charged 82 cents a gallon last week and now want $1.40, according to the nonprofit Citizens Energy.

Congressman William Delahunt and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy asked President Clinton yesterday to immediately release an additional $300 milllion in federal emergency funds to buy oil for the poor.

New Hampshire also is running out of fuel help for low-income people. Gov. Jeanne Shaheen yesterday said she fears hundreds more will be in the cold if prices don't come down and temperatures hit the deep freeze again.

``This dramatic price increase is having a significant impact on the ability of New Hampshire families to purchase enough oil to keep their homes warm,'' Shaheen said.

Sen. John Kerry has asked Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson to hold an emergency meeting in New England to investigate the crisis.

The price increases, Kerry said in a letter to Richardson, ``appear to be too fast and too large to be based on demand and supply alone.''

Faced with hundreds of consumers calls in the past few days, State Attorney General Tom Reilly's office has launched an inquiry.

``We're asking consumers to be very specific in their complaints so we can determine whether and to what extent price-gouging is taking place,'' Reilly said.

The trade association representing fuel sellers and suppliers in the state denied consumers are being ripped off.

``I don't believe there's anyone in the supply chain in Massachusetts who's price-gouging,'' said spokesman Mike Ferrante.

He blamed skyrocketing prices on a double whammy: OPEC oil ministers' decision to cut production in March of 1999 that sent crude oil prices soaring coupled with the latest blast of arctic cold rocking the Northeast.

But Larry Chretien, executive director of the Boston Oil Consumers Alliance, a 6,000-member cooperative, said oil companies can't blame the weather and foreign potentates.

``We want Congress to look at why did American oil refiners put such little heating oil into the system,'' he said. ``Don't just blame OPEC.''

Former Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy, chairman of the nonprofit Citizens Energy, yesterday called on the Department of Energy to establish minimum supply levels in the home heating oil industry.

Another step needed to quell the current crisis, Kennedy said, is for the president to release the nation's strategic reserves of oil to stabilize the market.

Companies that deliver fuel have spent days coping with shocked and angry consumers.

``The drivers wanted to offer them oxygen and a balloon,'' said Ginny McIntyre of McIntyre Oil of Dorchester.

Wholesalers have been increasing prices by the hour, some retailers said. ``They have to do something about this,'' said John Woods of Dorey Fuel in Dorchester. ``It's ridiculous.''<<<



-- Irving (irvingf@myremarq.com), January 25, 2000

Answers

Why, oh why, can't those refineries put more oil into the system?

-- Okie Dan (brendan@theshop.net), January 25, 2000.

If the refineries get going quickly this little incident will still show the *brittle* nature of our JIT interconnected economic system. Heat or eat indeed.

-- Will (righthere@home.now), January 25, 2000.

If the refineries get going quickly this incident will still show the *brittle* nature of our JIT interconnected economic(balanced) system. Heat or eat indeed.

-- Will (righthere@home.now), January 25, 2000.

Kennedy...establish minimum supply levels

Only a Kennedy could be so funny. Issue the order...and they will produce....

roflmao

Give me a "Y" Give me a "2" Give me a "K"

What's it spell?

Oil shortage!

-- cgbg jr (cgbgjr@webtv.net), January 25, 2000.


Thank God we didn't experience any Y2K problems since December 31, 1999.

Think what it would have done to the Stock Market and the price of fuel...

Folks, brace yourself. The lies continue. Pollys, go get your food and toilet paper stacks NOW.

-- Joseph Almond (sa2000@webtv.net), January 25, 2000.



And buy Gold!!!!!!!!! But be careful who you buy it from.

-- Billy Vyper (billy_vyper@postmark.net), January 25, 2000.

This was entirely avoidable, but the Massachusetts y2k state coordinator did not believe that personal preparation was appropriate. Folks should have been encouraged to top off their oil tanks and to keep then topped off going into the rollover. That would have freed up plenty of oil for the emergencies.

-- Had it (with@that.butthead), January 25, 2000.

And to think that at one time I believed this guy had a clue:

The price increases, Kerry said in a letter to Richardson, ``appear to be too fast and too large to be based on demand and supply alone.''


So How long SHOULD it take, John??

Chuck

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), January 25, 2000.

Mabey the concerned Democrat poiticians should steal oil from the oil companies, and give it to their voters. They will probably end up ripping off the oil companies, just like they did to "Big Tobacco". If they didn`t tax the shit out of people, mabey people could save money. then use it to buy heating oil in the fall, beforfe winter hits.

-- Earl (earl.shuholm@worldnet.att.net), January 25, 2000.

Oh Earl,

Republicans are just as bad! If they'd all try being caring Americans first and politicians second, on both sides of the isle, we'd all be better off! (Wishful thinking, I know).

Bet those who prepared for Y2K are feeling a measure of relief right about now. And guess what? They are in a position to help their vulnerable neighbors! Duh.

Y2K Lessons to Learn... Shift Happens. And preparation for the unexpected "locally".. is a wise investment.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), January 25, 2000.



The oil companies must be scrambling like crazy right now to come up with some sort of solution, albet temporary, to this problem. They are beginning to get way too much media exposure for this. With the eyes of the nation turned on this heating oil fiasco in the Northeast the sheeple might just catch a glimmer of the real problem - Y2K and I am sure the TPTB don't want that to happen. Noooo Way!!

-- pryfle (pryfle@aol.com), January 25, 2000.

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