In 2005 Rangel Praised the Govt of Venezuela for Home Heating Program

[BurtWorm]

I know a lot of you are going to say he's now being a hypocrite for attacking Chavez. My point in posting this is that his remarks on Chavez must take into account that Rangel has worked with Venezuela on this program and isn't merely being opportune. I'll bet most of us would love to have a Representative who says the things Rangel says in this press release. Most of the time, Charlie Rangel says things like this, which is why I'm voting for him again in November. I want someone with these views to chair the Ways and Means Committee.

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ny15_rangel/CBRStatementOilforthePoor02242006.html


RANGEL ANNOUNCES PILOT PROGRAM THAT HELPS LOW-INCOME UPTOWN RESIDENTS WITH HEATING BILLS
CITGO PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE OIL TO SELECT BUILDINGS AT A 40 PERCENT DISCOUNT



WASHINGTON - Congressman Charles Rangel announced today that CITGO, the Venezuelan-owned oil company, would begin to distribute fuel to select low-income residents in Upper Manhattan through their Low Income Heating Oil Program.

"While most oil companies reap record profits, Americans are crying for help with their rising heating costs," said Rangel. "Here is a program that makes heat affordable so that no one has to choose between a warm home or a warm plate of food."

Under the pilot program between CITGO and local non-profits Hope Community Inc. and the Community League of the Heights (CLOTH), heating oil will be sold and delivered to these organizations at a 40 percent discount through April 30, 2006. The savings generated will be then passed to low-income tenants of the buildings managed by these groups in the form of rent reductions.

Up to 800,000 gallons of oil have been set aside to be distributed to close to 500 families across 23 buildings in Harlem, El Barrio and southern Washington Heights. That’s a vital boost to the wallets of struggling New Yorkers and the people who serve them, said Hope Community Executive Director William S. Jacoby. "CITGO's generosity is helping these families save money and helping our buildings weather the cost of higher heating bills,” said the leader of the East Harlem-based non-profit. “It's a program that stands in sharp contrast to our domestic oil industry's refusal to share windfall profits with low-income communities, and is an inspiring example of South-to-North aid."

“This year has been a real struggle for building owners and operators all across the city because of the sharp increases in heating oil prices,” said LaJuana Smith, Assistant Director for Property Management at CLOTH. “Obviously our low-income tenants were not in a position to absorb these increases, and neither were we, so the CITGO assistance is a great help.”

Rangel commended the company and the government of Venezuela for their efforts in helping the poor this winter and said he looks forward to next year when more families could benefit.

“We believe this is only the first step,” said Rangel, who helped broker the deal by working with CITGO to identify potential groups that fell within the program's eligibility guidelines. "CITGO has assured us that they are committed to working to expand the Upper Manhattan program so that more families can save and make ends meet.” The uptown pilot program is similar to one announced in December, 2005 by the Bronx Rep. Jose Serrano and others set in motion by CITGO and Venezuela in Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Delaware. In each instance, CITGO partners with non-profits to ensure that the savings from the discounted oil sales wind up in the pockets of low-income residents.

[Gatchaman]

1. Rangel's not a hypoctite

When somebody does something worthwhile, it's worth praising. When the same someone acts like a horse's ass, he deserves to be called on it.

[Retired AF Dem]

2. I agree with you

Would Chavez allow a leader from another country into his country and let him/her talk smack about him? I doubt it.

[BurtWorm]

3. Rangel is probably pissed, and legitimately so.

He probably sees Chavez's trouble-making as counterproductive for his district's beneficiaries of the Citgo program.

[KoKo]

4. Ragel was smart enough to know Repugs would attack Dems on Chavez's

comments so he did a "pre-emptive" word strike. On MSNBC this a.m. a RW Congressman was blaming "Leftwing, Marxist/Lenonist Chompskyites" for Chavez's comments. He was foaming at the mouth trying to tie "Lefties (i.e. Dems) to Maxist/Lenonists (and he threw in "Stalinists," for good measure). The Twit anchor threw in "But didn't a Democrat, Charley Rangel, dispute Chavez's statements?"

I was kind of pissed at Rangel at first ...but thinking it over it was very clever of him to come out first. He probably knows Chavez and so was the perfect person to do it.

Since Rangel's voting record with Dems is good, he was the one to do it and have it get some weight. Also that he's a NY Congressman.

[BurtWorm]

5. Exactly.

If anyone votes against Rangel just because of what he said about Chavez, they probably didn't have much sense to begin with.