May 18: Cry Of Concern
The sky is falling; the sky is falling - This is not a chicken little children's story it is a cry of real concern coming from real American people, heard where they gather.
The American people are being squeezed ever harder financially by rising gasoline and food prices and the falling purchasing power of the dollar.
America had an oil/gasoline shortage in 1973 that caused the United States government to ration gasoline. Because Arab countries imposed a ban on oil exports to the U.S. Now in 2008 we import near two-thirds of our oil needs from foreign countries, spending $1.6 billion for foreign oil each day. Since 1973, instead of becoming more oil independent we have become more dependent on imported oil.
Why can't we drill off the Florida and California coasts, like we do in Texas? Environmental advocates. China is drilling for oil off the Cuba coast. Cuba is three miles from Florida. Also, China is signing up any oil rights they can, all over the world, for future use. Most of France's energy needs are generated by nuclear reactors. Why can't we build more nuclear reactors? Environmental advocates.
Brazil meets most of their gasoline needs by refining sugar into gasoline. The U.S. subsidizes Americans to grow corn for refining gasoline, which is now causing higher food prices and food shortages. Russia is using their oil as a diplomatic club against their energy-poor neighbors, while at the same time trying to claim the Arctic is theirs to explore for oil. The U.S. government forbids drilling for known oil in ANWR, Alaska. Environmental advocates.
America has mis-read oil and gasoline supply needs for itself and the world. Shortages will get worse before they get better. Gasoline prices likely will go higher.
The U.S. government cannot control production and distribution of oil in the U.S. free market economy; but neither should it be a hindrance!
Senators and congressmen in Washington, D.C., must share a portion of the blame for increasing shortages of oil and higher gasoline prices. They have been shirking their responsibility. Washington politicians make the easy legislation choices, spending /taxpayer earned dollars on frivolous, unnecessary earmarks to help in their re-election while hard choices such as energy independence go unresolved causing more American people's dollars to go flying off to foreign countries.
When did America become a "We Can't" instead of a "We Can Do" nation?
Johnny F. Higgins
Edgewood
Edgewood
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