Edwards Offers Heating Plan

Edwards Offers Heating Plan
By Julie Bosman--New York Times
Tuesday, November 26, 2007
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Former Senator John Edwards outlined a proposal yesterday in New Hampshire to lower the cost of heating oil, increase regulation of oil companies and promote energy efficiency.

Speaking at a town hall-style campaign event in Meredith, N.H., Mr. Edwards said home heating oil in the state had risen sharply to about $3 a gallon, nearly triple the cost in 2000.

To ease the financial burden for low-income families, Mr. Edwards, a Democrat from North Carolina, said Congress should tap into its heating and oil reserves and increase subsidies to the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which he said President Bush had unfairly scaled back. In February, Mr. Bush proposed an 18 percent cut in the program, which provides $2.2 billion this year to help people pay heating bills.

“That should be strengthened and expanded, particularly this year, given the rise in prices,” Mr. Edwards said.

He also spoke out against oil companies, saying they exerted too much control and should be investigated more fully by the Justice Department. “We need to find out if these oil companies are gouging the American people, because we know they’re making a lot of money,” Mr. Edwards said. “We need to stop subsidizing the big oil companies’ profits with taxpayer money.”

He proposed increasing financial assistance for a program to winterize homes, putting it on a $500 million annual budget, and supporting emergency loans for families to pay heating bills.

Mr. Edwards is on a swing through New Hampshire, speaking at five town hall events in two days.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/26/us/politics/26edwards.html?ref=politics

to heat his Manor House, the Attached Slave Quarters, and that private Gym building that is probably larger than most N Carolina high schools have.

***being sarcastic here folks***

I feel like every time Edwards comes out with a plan, the others jump on board. He really is the "leader" in this race in the important sense of the word.