Energy crisis? In Venezuela gas is cheaper than water - Reuters

[Psephos]

CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Taxi driver Jaime Tinoco works the streets of Caracas in a 1976 Chevy Nova that guzzles 19 gallons (72 liters) of gas a day. But he doesn't worry about fuel efficiency -- filling his tank costs just $2.30.

While U.S. consumers struggle with soaring energy prices, Venezuela's gas is now the world's cheapest at 12 cents a gallon and Washington's regional foe, President Hugo Chavez, vows to maintain subsidies that keep fuel dirt-cheap.

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Venezuela's gas subsidy is the subject of endless grumbling by economists who say it promotes consumer waste and costs the state billions of dollars in lost revenue. Critics say the subsidy largely benefits middle and upper-class vehicle owners at the expense of government income that could be spent on the poor.

"They call it the 'Hood Robin' subsidy," said Jose Luis Cordeiro, a petroleum engineer who writes about energy issues. "Instead of stealing from the rich to give to the poor, it's the opposite."

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http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-05-10T220153Z_01_N05283609_RTRUKOC_0_US-VENEZUELA-ENERGY-GASOLINE.xml&pageNumber=0&imageid=&cap=&sz=13&WTModLoc=NewsArt-C1-ArticlePage2

Cheap gas, expensive gas - doesn't matter, you can always find someone who's not happy...

[radwriter0555]

1. That and the fact THERE IS NO GAS SHORTAGE anywhere

on the planet.

Bashing Venezuela for not playing the rob the poor while fat white rich execs get MORE fat and rich doesn't change the fact THAT THERE IS NO GAS SHORTAGE OR CRISIS.

The only CRISIS is that bush and his whores are allowing the gas cos to gouge Americans at the gas pump so they can make the highest profits ever.

[noel adamson]

2. Let's invade them, steal their oil and make them....

...speak english and pile them up on top of each other naked!

[1932]

3. ...and point at them with right hand, and give the 'thumbs up' with left.

(Whate was THAT all about?)