Citgo is going, Valero arriving (Texas oil company )

[Algorem]

Texas oil company filling void as firm linked to Chavez leaves area

http://www.cleveland.com/business/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/business/116833583148420.xml&coll=2

Tuesday, January 09, 2007
John Funk
Plain Dealer Reporter

...He doesn't have his new street sign up yet, but his pumps are marked with the foreign-sounding name. And that's enough to make motorists come into the register and ask about it. They want to buy from an American company...

Shull said his long-time Citgo customers began drifting away last year when Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez started criticizing the Bush administration's foreign policy.

Citgo is owned by PDV America, a subsidiary of Venezuela's national oil company, Petroleos de Venezulea, S.A., and some motorists thought boycotting Shull would somehow send a message to Chavez.

..."Since we branded Valero, I have seen a 30 percent jump in sales," said Helou. "The first thing they say is 'We are back because our money is not going to Chavez.' "...

[murray hill farm]

1. Fools!!!

My only comment!

[Algorem]

4. "No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American

public."

[xchrom]

2. i buy citgo.

[thereismore]

7. I buy only Citgo. nt

[Rage for Order]

15. I buy the cheapest gas I can find

Regardless of the brand...unless it's Exxon. Of course, Exxon never has the cheapest gas, so that's never a problem.

[ProudDad]

20. Valero == Exxon

[Show_Me _The_Truth]

24. How do you figure this?

Valero is a $9B oil refiner?

[ProudDad]

27. I got it backwards, I guess

"Valero purchased ExxonMobil's Benicia, California refinery and interests in 350 Exxon-branded service stations in California, mainly in the San Francisco Bay area. The company also began retailing gasoline under the Valero brand. In June 2001, the company acquired the Huntway Refining Company, along with two asphalt plants on the west coast."

In California, the Exxon stations suddenly became "Valero". I assumed that Exxon had changed the name and look in order to avoid their well deserved stigma of the Exxon Valdez disaster.

They're ALL EVIL but some are less evil than others. I DEFINITELY WON'T buy gas from any company that spent money to defeat our perfectly resonable Proposition 87. This proposition would have place a modest extraction tax on the oil companies (the SAME TAX THEY have to pay in EVERY OTHER STATE they pump oil out of) to finance alternative energy research and development in California. The major offenders were Chevron, Exxon/Mobile and Shell.

Another good reason to avoid Valero is that it's overpriced here in California. They're always a nickle or more higher than Arco (which is an L.A. company which sells Alaskan oil)...

[RebelOne]

23. In my neighborhood, Citgo is the cheapest around.

[crikkett]

10. I don't. I take the bus.

And I don't need insurance either, now, because when we rent a car the credit card covers it. I think I'm saving about $300/month.

[NoodleyAppendage]

19. Me too. It's the only gas card I have. Only buy from Citgo.

Viva Citgo!

J

[JerseygirlCT]

26. Me too. nt

[CrispyQ]

3. They want to support American oil companies?

Like American oil companies have done any favors for Americans? :eyes:

[geomon666]

5. People don't give a shit.

They'll buy the gas that's the cheapest. I do it. I can't afford to spend the extra 10 cents a gallon for Citgo so I go to Westar or Ugas. In my area, Valero is pretty cheap so it gets customers. The Shell down the street is almost 20 cents more and doesn't get nearly the same amount of customers.

[leftchick]

6. yep

cutting their noses off. :eyes:

[nuxvomica]

8. I'm sure the informal boycott forced Citgo's hand

Now excuse me while a perform a special ritual without which the sun won't rise tomorrow morning.

[Algorem]

11. just one of the vast right wing conspiracy's informal projects i guess

a gas station that loses 30% of it's business ain't making it

[redqueen]

28. aahahahahaha

he was having to buy oil from other countries in order to sell it to citgo...

rightwing fools... no shortage of those

[Bandit]

9. Citgo is leaving not because sales are down but because they

are changing their markets. They do not wish to deal with the USA any more than necessary. They have established markets in Iran, India, and China and those markets are exploding. They are also in the process of changing their money system to deal in Euros instead of Dollars. They remember well how the USA froze billions of dollars in Iranian accounts. They don't want to put themselves in that position. Chavez is no fool...

[CanonRay]

12. Valero DOES give to the Democratic Party,

and I believe is the only oil company to do so. Check out Buyblue

[IndianaGreen]

13. Shares of CITGO's profits go for the people, not politicians or investors

Luckily, CITGO stations will remain in my hometown and I will continue to patronize them.

Those idiots that are "offended" about Chavez's insulting the American tyrant are in the same category as the ones that renamed French fries, Freedom fries.

Viva Chavez! Death to American imperialism!

[Freddie Stubbs]

22. Actually, prominant Democrats like Charlie Rangel criticized Chavez

[redqueen]

29. Hear that people? We should all fall in line behind Rangel now!

:rofl:

[ProudDad]

30. C'mon!

Rangel is in the pay of the amerikan auto industry.

He is usually right on in most things but he's a total shit when it comes to the auto industry and it's evil sister, the oil business.

[IndianaGreen]

31. While Robert Kennedy Jr. applauded Chavez

I don't see our patriotic American oil companies selling heating oil on discount to the poor, like Chavez is doing.

[w4rma]

16. The top execs gave much much more to Repukes. Only a minuscule amount to Dems through their PAC.

Valero (Oil)
William E. (Bill) Greehey, Chairman Dems=$0 Reps=$65,650
William R. (Bill) Klesse, CEO and Vice Chairman Dems=$0 Reps=$1,000
Gregory C. (Greg) King, President Dems=$0 Reps=$1,000
PAC Dems=$35,860 Reps=$290,140
http://www.buyblue.org/node/6671

[cigsandcoffee]

14. I can't blame people for making statements with their wallets.

I dislike Chavez. He appears to me to be a puffed-up, self-important asshole on a power trip.

But that wouldn't make me avoid Citgo. I do avoid Domino's Pizza, however, because of their pro-life activism. That's my right to do so, and I can't argue with people who would boycott Citgo for their own reasons.

[Psephos]

17. Agreed

I'm not a giant Hugo fan, either, especially the last few years (I used to think much better of him).

But I still buy Citgo gas. Or maybe I should say, I still buy gas at the Citgo station. Only people who know nothing about petroleum marketing think it's actually Citgo-refined gasoline sold at a Citgo station.

Gasoline is wholesaled without brand. The stuff flowing out of the Citgo pump is very likely from the same tanker truck that filled the Admiral or Shell station down the road.

Your larger point, though, is the important one. We all have the right to choose who we do business with.

Peace.

[Nevernose]

18. It's the same freaking gas

The crude all gets mixed together, then converted into gasoline at the same plant. The same truck delivers the same gas to every gas station, regardless of brand name.

The only reason for a difference in prices is companies working out different deals with refineries. The actual refinement's the same.

There's no logical reason for Exxon to be more than Citgo to be more than Arco.

[and-justice-for-all]

21. We only have 1 citgo...

..and its the highest priced petrol in the area. Which sucks, because I would rather buy Chavez petrol then Exxon Mobils.

[mucifer]

25. I used mostly Citgo for 125,000 miles on my Corolla for political reasons

My check engine light went on. My mechanic told me Citgo is bad gas and put something in the car to clean it out. He told me to drive the car for the next 2 weeks using only exxon premium then to go to exxon regular. He didn't charge me much for doing this. If it doeesnt work in a few weeks it will cost me a few hundred for a new part. He basicly told me to buy gas in the order of evil

1. exxon is the best then
2. shell then
3. bp

oy vey. At least my Corolla doesnt suck up that much gas. I drive a lot I'm a home health nurse.