By Donna Westfall – September 1, 2026 I don't know how Trump does it but I sure hope his plan works to reduce gas prices in California. Let's evaluate the deal: Venezuela has granted North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP) 100-year concessions for 17 oil fields.  The 17 fields contain ~65 billion barrels of proven oil reserves  The US government receives a 35% equity stake in NABEP's parent company at "zero cost to taxpayers"  The US receives the right to purchase 20% of all current and future production at production cost  The US also receives the right of first refusal to purchase the remaining 80% of production  The US government receives veto power over board appointments, while a majority of NABEP's board must be US citizens  NABEP plans to invest up to $100 billion into Venezuelan oil infrastructure to rapidly increase production  Venezuela is expected to receive $200 billion in royalty and tax payments over the first 25 years I understand why Venezuela agreed to this deal. Their economy is in the tank. From the White House Fact Sheet: "This groundbreaking privatization and investment in Venezuela’s energy sector is a key step in the Trump Administration’s three-part plan of stabilization, reconstruction and democratic transition. Private-sector led growth in production, output, and investment in Venezuela is a key precondition to driving continued reform and democratic transition following the incredible success of Operation Absolute Resolve (was a United States military raid on January 3, 2026, that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores)." Did you know that Maduro/Flores were involved in drug trafficking? They were accused of flooding US streets with cocaine over the last 25 years. Nepotism? She was accused of hiring 40-50 of her relatives and friends and associates to work in the Venezuelan National Assembly when she served as its president in the late 2000s. Money laundering? And on and on. The two are currently being held in a Brooklyn detention center. The DEAL for oil was negotiated by Trump who credits Rubio and Hegseth in the negotiations with acting Venezuelan President, Delcy Rodriguez. Acting President, Delcy Rodriguez Side note: too bad we couldn't have our own Operation to kick Newscum and his cohorts out of the California legislature. State Taxes and Fees: California's excise tax on gasoline sits at 63.4 cents per gallon as of mid-2026, subject to annual inflation adjustments. Isn't that special? How does the Deal affect Canada? 90% – 95% of Canada’s oil exports go to the U.S., worth about $126B. Venezuela could cut that by 40% starting in just a couple of years, oil pros say, so long as Venezuela can get its oil infrastructure back up and running that was destroyed by socialism/communism. I won't hold my breath about our gas prices lowering UNLESS we get someone like Steve Hilton in the Governor's seat. Then, maybe then, we'll see some dramatic changes and can afford to continue to live in California.