vince_j

With Hurricane Rita coming along, the price of fuel will soon be going up.

__________________
"We who are clay blended by the Master Potter, come from the kiln of Creation in many hues. How can people say one skin is colored, when each has its own coloration? What should it matter that one bowl is dark and the other pale, if each is of good design and serves its purpose well." ~~~Polingaysi Qoyawayma, Hopi~~~

cosmos

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Governor Richardson is among eight Democratic governors demanding Congress investigate possible gasoline price gouging in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

The governors Tuesday a sent letter to President Bush and congressional leaders, demanding the probe and refunds of any ill-gotten profits to consumers.

The letter cites a study by University of Wisconsin-Madison economist Don Nichols who found that the hurricane was not fully to blame for high gasoline prices.

The study estimates that for gasoline prices to reach $3 a gallon, the price of crude oil would have to be about $95 a barrel. Crude oil prices have been holding at around $65 a barrel.

Nichols says Katrina has not led to a surge in crude oil prices.

dancnbrd

If that is the case, then there was a whole lotta gouging goin on!!! Cnn and MSNBC are already saying that Rita will more than likely cause prices to hit $5 nationwide!!!

yuchgeha

Be prepared because prices are already starting to rise. In Bartlesville,OK, yesterday the price was $2.29 / gallon, but today it went up to $2.49 / gallon.

NancyJo

We're going to go fill up this morning. We've been driving little compact/fuel economy cars for years.....we finally break down this year and buy an SUV and the dad-gum gas prices go so high we can hardly afford to drive it!!!

(PS Hey, Yuchgeha..........love your avatar!! Is that one of Jerome Tiger's prints?)

WhoMe

Here's some possible relief. Tell your tribal leaders about this:


Venezuela offers low-cost gasoline to tribes
Posted: September 20, 2005
by: Brenda Norrell / Indian Country Today

http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096411602
Click to Enlarge

Photos courtesy Rosa Palacios -- Indigenous dance and culture were
highlighted at the 16th World Festival of Students and Youth in Caracas, Venezuela,
Aug.
7 - 15, which attracted participants from around the world.
Venezuela's Hugo Chavez lifts indigenous rights struggle in Americas to new
level

SEATTLE - While setting new global standards for the recognition of
indigenous rights in Venezuela, President Hugo Chavez has made an offer to bring
low-cost gasoline to the poor in the United States, including American Indian tribal
communities.

''There is an offer on the table for low-cost heating oil and gasoline for
poor communities in the United States,'' said Robert Free Galvan, who is
contacting tribes in the United States with Venezuela's offer.

''Hopefully, Indian tribes and Native entities will take advantage of this
opportunity to become stronger in the global community.''

Galvan's comments came after he attended the 16th World Festival of Students
and Youth in Caracas, Venezuela, Aug. 7 - 15, which was attended by 40,000
people.

''I was amazed at 12-cent-a-gallon gas,'' said Galvan, adding that he fell in
love with the beauty of the green mountains and blue ocean waters in
Venezuela.

Chavez has already sent hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil to the region
hit by Hurricane Katrina.

Venezuela owns CITGO Petroleum Corp., which has eight refineries in the
United States, and has set aside up to 10 percent of its refined oil products to
be
sold directly to organized poor communities, and institutions in the United
States without intermediaries.

Galvan said Chavez and his revolution for indigenous rights gained the
respect of indigenous people at the world gathering in Venezuela. During the opening
procession of nations, Chavez gave a ''thumbs up'' to the banner displaying
the words ''Leonard Peltier.''

''Chavez acknowledged indigenous people by having them open and bless the
gathering,'' Galvin said.

The first speaker was a Native woman, one of three indigenous representatives
in the Venezuela Assembly (or Congress), who gave testimony to advances for
indigenous people.

''Chavez hugged all the indigenous leaders in front of the world and gave
deeds of territory to the tribes,'' Galvan said of the communal land titles given
to six communities of the Karina, which is one of Venezuela's 28 indigenous
peoples.

Chavez' Mission Guaicaipuro lists 15 more indigenous groups to receive their
ancestral land before the end of 2006. Galvan pointed out that earlier Chavez
called for a halt to the celebration of Columbus Day and replaced it with
''Indigenous Resistance Day.''

The U.S. government, Galvan said, has reacted to Chavez' leadership and
far-sweeping reforms for indigenous rights with racism.

''The United States government is very racist. Chavez is indigenous and part
black, and is in control of one of the world's largest oil reserves,'' Galvan
said.

Galvan said he decided to attend the world gathering after hearing of the
movement for ''fair trade,'' as opposed to ''free trade,'' which is igniting the
indigenous rights movement in Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru, where the majority of
the population is indigenous.

The economic alliance promotes fair trade as an alternative to the World
Trade Organization, North American Free Trade Agreement or Central American Free
Trade Agreement, he said.

''These trade agreements seem to favor the rich and powerful corporations.
Chavez has spent billions of oil dollars on education, feeding and housing the
people of his country in order to rebuild the situation in his government which
was inherited from the previous government that had channeled much of the
country's resources into a few hands,'' Galvan said.

During the world gathering, the contingent from the United States did not
give Galvan the opportunity to present his PowerPoint presentation of indigenous
issues at the world gathering or allow him to have a table of information.

The struggles of the Western Shoshone to protect their aboriginal lands in
what is now called Nevada and the Gwich'in to protect the Arctic from oil
exploration were two of the issues he wanted to present to the world community.

Galvan said the Lakota grass roots group Fourth World Emerging from Pine
Ridge, S.D., was also prevented by the U.S. organizers from presenting their
information concerning the United Nations Draft Declaration of Indigenous Rights.

However, Galvan was able to show his presentation to a few Venezuelan
government representatives, who were upset at the missed opportunity to present
the
information to the world gathering. They offered Galvan the opportunity to
present it on Venezuelan national television, but his flight departure prevented
it.

Finally, the Venezuelan government contacted Galvan at home in Seattle and
set in motion a new effort to bring low-cost gasoline to Indian tribal members
and cultural exchanges between indigenous of the north and south.

''The government of Venezuela contacted me by e-mails and phone calls for my
opinion and feedback of the gathering in August. They heard my effort to bring
indigenous struggles to be shared with the world was prevented by the
organizers from the U.S. delegation to the conference.

''They were upset that it was not presented.''

Galvan said he suggested Venezuela provide low-cost gasoline to poor U.S.
communities while he was in Venezuela in August. ''I suggested this to them while
I was in Caracas. Maybe they were already thinking of this, or maybe I
ignited the idea. I like to think the latter.''

Galvan pointed out that Venezuela has already distinguished itself in the
international arena of indigenous human rights. Venezuela has accelerated the
process for indigenous tribes to be recognized by the government, while in the
United States the strategy is delay.

Galvan also pointed out that Venezuela recognizes indigenous representatives
regardless of how the community chooses to select their representatives,
including those selected with traditional methods.

Venezuela's Bolivarian Constitution establishes indigenous rights of
territory, intercultural and bilingual education and local political representation.
The Constitution adopted in 1999 states the county's indigenous peoples have
right to their ancestral territories.

Chavez' efforts have not gone unnoticed.

In August, the United States, Christian evangelist Pat Robertson called on
the United States to assassinate Chavez.

Galvan said, ''Pat Robertson represents fundamentalists which are at the same
level as al-Qaida in terms of fanatical self righteousness. Indigenous people
have known terrorism from self righteous fanatics.''

Chavez told Ted Koppel on ABC's ''Nightline'' in September that he has proof
that the United States is planning to invade Venezuela. Code-named ''Balboa,''
Chavez said the U.S. recently carried out training maneuvers in Curacao,
Venezuela. Chavez warned if the U.S. carries out this plan it would result in a
100-year war. Also, Chavez pointed out Venezuela sends 1.5 million barrels of
oil to the U.S. each day.

Self-described as a revolutionary, Chavez said, ''I've been in revolt for
years against ignominy, against injustice, against inequality, against
immorality, against the exploitation of human beings.''

Native communities and entities wanting to learn more about Venezuela's offer
of low-cost gasoline and heating oil can e-mail Robert Free Galvan at
robtfree@earthlink.net.

__________________
"Today, recognizing and respecting the origins of powwow aids in our Cultural Survival. If enough people break the rules because they are not satisfied...."We will have no culture."

WhoMe

cosmos

Hey everyone..don't know if you know this yet but major refineries in Houston are shuting down, since NM get's a majority of their gas from there...good idea to fill up your gas tanks today or tomorrow! Just a heads up!

ac_miss

It's true! Expect the gas prices to go up considerably. With the mandatory evacuations for the Texas Gulf coast region, all of Texas refineries will be shut down. I believe it was estimated that Texas refineries have twice as many refineries as New Orleans.

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Bead All You Can Bead