Washington (Platt's)--20Oct2000

President Clinton has ordered all federal agencies to fill their heating oil storage takes early this winter to avoid a supply crisis, Office of Management and Budget Deputy Director Sally Katzen said at an awards ceremony at the White House Friday.

"President Clinton has directed federal agencies to use all available means to fill their storage tanks and contract for the purchase of distillates this winter as early as possible," she said. Katzen noted that buying fuel early and entering into long-term contracts with heating oil suppliers should minimize supply uncertainty. Senior cabinet energy officials had been briefed on the order during a meeting last week, said an OMB official. The US government purchased 6.4-mil bbl of heating oil in 1998, according to OMB.

http://www.platts.com/stories/oil1.html

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), October 22, 2000

Answers

Stock up before the hoarders get it. Is that the newest form of government leadership during this heating oil crisis? That's reassuring.

-- QMan (qman@c-zone.net), October 22, 2000.

Our government reactes to problems instead of anticipating a problem. They sit on their behinds until a crisis occurs then they react. By the time they react the problem to large to solve. Then they feel they have must do something. Then, they throw money at the problem hoping the critter will go away. Most of our politicians are not successful at any endeavor. Yet the public votes these rascals into office and put them in change of energy, defence, and others and we wonder why we are in this situation. These imbeciles are career politicians and they would starve if it were not for the political jobs they hold.

-- David Williams (DAVIDWILL@prodigy.net), October 22, 2000.