It looks like someone at 7-Eleven reads my blog because the company is dropping CITGO as its gasoline supplier at more than 2100 locations.
Convenience store operator 7-Eleven Inc. is dropping Venezuela-backed Citgo as its gasoline supplier at more than 2,100 locations and switching to its own brand of fuel.The retailer said Wednesday it will purchase fuel from several distributors, including Tower Energy Group of Torrance, Calif., Sinclair Oil of Salt Lake City, and Houston-based Frontier Oil Corp.
A spokeswoman for Dallas-based 7-Eleven said its 20-year contract with Citgo Petroleum Corp. ends next week. About 2,100 of 7-Eleven's 5,300 U.S. stores sell gasoline.
Citgo is a Houston-based subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company, and the foreign parent became a public-relations issue for 7- Eleven because of comments by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
A perfect example of why government regulation isn't required to shut idiots up -- the market can take care of itself.
The Japanese have made some good choices this week. First, they got themselves a worthy successor to Koizumi. Now, this? Eckssssellent!
I used to think that there were no conservative bastions, outside of the US, to retreat to, but I'm apparently mistaken.
But but but..."government will make you smarter, taller, richer, and remove the crabgrass on your lawn..."
Hate to burst your bubble, but...
7-11 says that this has been in the works for a while...you'll note the contract ends next week and I doubt that they could move on a dime like that if they intended to continue with Citgo. Also, every once of oil that gets pumped out of the ground gets sold. They may or may not keep selling to 7-11, but I think its a pretty sure bet that your car will be running partially on Venezuelan oil.
It wasn't Hugo's recent comments that led to it, but I imagine that Hugo has been nuts for years played a role in their decision.
Yeah, he's been on the radar even before Jimmah Carter certified his last election.
tP: Why do you say that? 7-Eleven's spokeswoman says the decision was political.
I'm sure there were other factors as well.
Let me clarify...
1. Hugo's comments calling Bush the devil, were too recent to influnce their decision to look at a new contrat earlier in the year.
2. Politics isn't ruled out, they could of looked at a new supplier because of his existing policies and rhetoric made them worry that because he's nuts it may hurt their business.
3. The timing of Chavez calling Bush the devil was an opportunity for them to highlight earlier concerns that he's nuts and get some PR for cutting off business because he's nuts. If Chavez hadn't publicy shown he's nuts here on US soil, the arguement over what he's done may not resonate with Americans, espcially lefts who would probly call them a tool of Bush enagaged in demonizing his opponents.