Earlier this year President Bush enacted an energy bill into law that gave $85 billion dollars to big oil and gas companies, and this month the Republican controlled House of Representatives gave billions more in tax breaks to the oil industry while doing nothing to lower gas prices. 

Despite this windfall for the already rich stockholders and their friends, President Bush has proposed cutting funds to help the poor heat their homes this winter. The nation's 37 million people that live below the poverty line will be particularly in danger. 

Bills for winter heating will go up from a third to a half higher for most families across the country according to the Energy Department. Natural gas prices could jump as high as 71 percent according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Natural gas, propane, and fuel oil costs are all expected to jump significantly higher with the nation's poorest expected to take the brunt of the impact. 

The Great Lakes region and New England are expected to have the harshest winter weather and the poor in those areas will be most negatively impacted by the government's energy policy. For some of the nation's poorest families this sharp price increase could mean having to decide whether to eat or keep warm this winter. People "can only turn the thermostat so low before it effects their health and well being" says Jerry McKim of Iowa's Bureau of Energy Assistance. He goes on to say "This is a life or death matter. I have serious anxiety about what folks will face this winter." 

This winter a significantly larger number of applicants are expected than last year to request assistance in paying their energy bills, but President Bush has proposed cutting assistance programs from $2.2 billion to $2.0 billion. These programs that assist in paying energy bills are particularly critical for the elderly, disabled, and children. 

In contrast to Bush's stance on this issue, Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez has weighed in on the winter heating issue for the America's poor. In an article posted by the Free Market News Network Corporation Hugo Chavez is working with Citgo Petroleum to supply poor Americans with cheap heating oil. Venezuela is already supplying cheap oil as aid to 13 Caribbean countries. Citgo owns eight refineries and approximately 14,000 gas stations in the U.S. Chavez's concern for America's poor stands in sharp contrast to Bush's callous indifference. 

Brian McAfee lives in Michigan and can be reached at: brimac6@hotmail.com.