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Councilman James Vacca fuming mad at Citgo stations

This Citgo gas station, on the Southbound side of the Hutchinson River Parkway, is one of the highest priced gas stations in the Bronx.

Councilman James Vacca got the city to take action against the high prices at the Citgo stations on the Hutch.

They should pour this gas from a Champagne bottle.

A Bronx lawmaker hit the gas price ceiling over what two local gas stations on leased city land were charging motorists - and got results.

Councilman James Vacca took aim at the CITGO gas stations on the Hutchinson River Parkway near East Tremont Ave., where gas prices started at $4.49 last week. According to the American Automobile Association, the average price in the city is $4.12.

“Historically, these gas stations have been the highest in the borough by far,” Vacca said. “Even now, with the current crisis we face, they continue to be the highest. When I saw that it hit $4.49, that was the last straw.”

In a letter to the city Parks and Recreation Department, which owns the land, Vacca called on Commissioner Adrian Benepe to terminate the lease of the twin stations, which face each other on opposite sides of the parkway.

“These two stations are notorious for charging 25 to 35 cents more than stations only three blocks away,” Vacca wrote in a May 23 letter.

A listing of gas prices on MSN.com showed the two CITGO stations ranked as the most expensive in the Bronx.

Vacca’s office has been fielding numerous complaints about the prices.

“With residents of the Bronx feeling the pinch of ever-increasing gas prices every day,” Vacca wrote, “it is unconscionable that the city would tolerate flagrant price-gouging.”

In response, Parks officials said they are sending the concessionaire, Super Value, a “Notice to Cure” that states their gas prices are inconsistent with prices charged at other area stations.

The notice orders the owners to immediately adjust their prices accordingly to comply with the terms of their contract. An inspector is to follow up.

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South Bronx Gets Warming Love From Venezuela

For the third winter in a row, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is providing heating oil to poor people in the United States. At a Dec. 14 news conference held in a South Bronx oil terminal, Venezuelan ambassador Bernardo Alvarez announced plans to help 250,000 families in more than 20 states this season.

“This is a gift coming from the heart of the Venezuelan people,” said CITGO President Alejandro Granados. CITGO, which is owned by the Venezuelan government, is donating 45 million gallons of heating oil.

Former U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy gladly accepted the oil on behalf of his nonprofit group. He pointed out that only 16 percent of families eligible for federal heating oil assistance get it.

Kennedy, whose father Robert was assassinated in 1968, said that he wrote to every oil company for help. Only CITGO responded. Among those that refused was ExxonMobil, which made a $39.5 billion profit last year.

Dozens of people attended this news conference. They included community organizers Vicente “Panama” Alba and Nellie Hester Bailey, director of the Harlem Tenants Council.

For information on this program, which provides a one-time delivery of 100 gallons of heating oil, call 1-877-JOE-4-OIL.

SOURCE: workers.org

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