May 22: Drill For Alaska Oil
We of "the home of the free and land of the brave" are distraught with fear of a sagging economy, the war, $4 a gallon gasoline, immigration, health care and a few other things we cannot persuade a national Congress to even start to correct.
To the contrary, our congressmen and senators would rather conduct public nationwide hearings on use of steroids by players while running major league baseball and other sports on national television than take care of matters for which we elected them.
Facing agricultural shortages in the United States, rice already has been rationed with other grains and food stocks to follow. This problem could probably be solved by stopping federal payment of hundreds of millions of tax dollars to large land owners and farmers who have been paid not to plant and raise farm crops, and encouraging them to plant all the corn, wheat and rice they can to prevent world starvation.
The cost of gasoline has been driven out of sight by entrepreneurial oil buyers who contract with OPEC countries to pay millions for oil tanker loads of oil for more than $100 per barrel. And who, at the time, probably only have enough cash to make next month's house payment while running the price of gasoline to an outrageous price. Proper legislation making them financially responsible could control these "oil entrepreneurs." It would prevent them from buying tanker loads of foreign oil by compelling them to show they actually have the millions bid before being allowed to make a purchase.
Montana several years ago was a party to development of gasoline from coal at a cost of 30 cents per gallon. Early in development of this new fuel OPEC Middle East countries (saw the threat), cut the cost of their product and the Montana 30 cents for a gallon of gasoline from coal was forgotten. It would appear another gasoline source could be found without forcing starvation on the world with unwise use of corn and other grains for ethanol.
Geologists tell us Alaska is sitting on a vast sea of oil which congress has prevented drilling and development to protect the caribou. This was years ago when caribou numbered only 5,000 in all of Alaska.
The caribou herd now is over 35,000 and we continue to protect them so we can pay $4 a gallon for gasoline. Drilling the Artic shelf will produce hundreds of millions of dollars from lease bonuses, not to mention continuing payment of millions in royalty revenue directly into the U.S. Treasury.
Help get this message to your congressmen and senators.
R.E. "Peppy" Blount
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