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From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IDAHOANS SPEAK OUT ON HIGH ENERGY PRICES
Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, in mid-June, I asked Idahoans to share with
me how high energy prices are affecting their lives, and they responded
by the hundreds. The stories, numbering over 1,000, are heartbreaking
and touching. To respect their efforts, I am submitting every e-mail
sent to me through energy_prices@crapo.senate.gov to the Congressional
Record. This is not an issue that will be easily resolved, but it is
one that deserves immediate and serious attention, and Idahoans deserve
to be heard. Their stories not only detail their struggles to meet
everyday expenses but also have suggestions and recommendations as to
what Congress can do now to tackle this problem and find solutions that
last beyond today. I ask unanimous consent to have today's letters
printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
I am writing this letter out of somewhat desperation with
the costs of energy lately. We live about 35 miles south of
Lewiston on property that my grandfather purchased in the
early 1940s. I have been disabled and am on Social Security
Disability after working over 25 years in the utility and
communication industry. My wife has been working in the
health care insurance business for over 20 years and drives
back and forth every day to work. We were budgeting and
spending about $200-$250 per month for gas. In the last two
months, it has increased to $425 per month! I know a little
about all the oil reserves in Montana, North Dakota as well
as other places even offshore and the untapped areas in
Alaska for drilling and several capped oil/propane wells that
have already been drilled. I am familiar about the open pit
mining in Centralia, Washington; Montana and Wyoming. I was
working when they moth-balled the nuclear plants at WASOP. I
use these areas as examples in the Northwest because this is
where I live and I am more familiar with them. We have taken
several conservation measures to cut our energy costs at our
home, but you can only do so much! I hardly ever even leave
the house anymore because I cannot afford to drive my (small)
Ford Ranger F150 pickup, just only to doctor appointments.
What can you do to start helping other Americans like us
here in Idaho and the Northwest? Congress should put our
families first, ahead of the environmentalists! These people
are driving up costs at an alarming rate! I believe in
treating our resources properly and our environment
respectfully, but come on, use our heads! These
environmentalists are making it impossible to survive
anymore. We need to decide if American people are going to
survive or is it going to be a small snail, a kind of fish or
a spotted owl, which, by the way ruined the lumber industry
in the Northwest. After research, they found out it was a
bigger owl killing the smaller ones! How much money did that
cost the people and industry brought on by environmentalists?
It is survival time, folks . . . let us start using our
heads. We need to start using our own resources now, not
later, and stop depending on other countries because you see
where that has positioned us. Open up the reserves, uncap oil
wells, less restrictions on open pit coal mines, put more
nuclear plants on line. Stop using wheat and corn for bio-
fuels because it is killing us at
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the grocery stores, better yet, stop wasting money on bio-
fuels because it is not cost effective. There are more
actions that need to be taken, but the ``most important''
thing is that we need Congress to start acting Now to help us
survive before it is too late. Please!
Sincerely and with respect,
Barney and Patti, Winchester.
____
I guess I have to admit that you are probably representing
the views of the majority of the people in Idaho. Sadly, that
is a very short-sighted viewpoint.
My story is that I am trying to walk more and ride my
bicycle when I can. Generally, I am trying to be more energy
conscious. The bottom line is that we Americans are missing
the point. For three reasons, we have to change our way of
thinking. The first is for our own health. Frankly, we do not
get enough exercise because we have become so dependent upon
the automobile. Take a look at your local high school parking
lot sometime. We are actually educating kids not to walk or
ride bikes. Take a look at the country as a whole, and you
will see a serious obesity problem. Take a look at our cities
and ask the question, ``How safe is it for a family to ride a
bicycle to the store or to the park? How safe is it for
children to ride to school on a bike? How safe is for a
mother to take her child to the grocery store on a bike?
Sadly, the basic answer seems to be: ``Who cares?'' Frankly,
you should!
The second reason is also related to health. When Idaho's
cities grow, with the corresponding dependence upon gasoline,
the wonderful clean air that people brag about deteriorates.
The Rathdrum Prairie and the Spokane Valley are set up very
much like the Los Angeles basin. It is only a matter of time
before we restrict woodburning stoves in the winter and
increase emission standards on vehicles.
The third reason is for the health of the planet. The hole
in the ozone layer and the problems caused by global warming
may not be entirely caused by the internal combustion engine,
but they have played a significant role. Just think for a
minute of what this world is going to look like if we
continue down this path, and China, Africa, India and the
rest of the world drive cars the way we do. Our children and
grandchildren will have a difficult time breathing, and that
will be just the beginning of the problems they will face.
Capitalism certainly has its strengths as an economic tool.
But somebody has to control it, or it will lead us to our own
destruction. It is a system designed to create profit for
people who answer needs.
Fifty years ago or more, our system began ``creating
needs'', like a MacDonald's hamburger, a Corvette Stingray,
or a piece of waterfront property all to myself. Originally,
these seemed like simple enough requests, but look at what we
have become. Our religions tell us wealth does not make us
happy, but we do not really hear that. We flatter men and
institutions who treat nature like their own possession.
Sadly, I would bet that very few people in Idaho are writing
you letters like this. I wish you had the wisdom and the
courage to begin to turn the thinking of the people of this
state around. My question to you is simply, ``If we keep
going this way, what do you think Idaho and this country will
look like in 50 more years. I predict your children and
grandchildren will be saying, ``Wow, we did not know that
would happen!'' Just as much as we are saying now that we
wish the miners of the 19th and 20th centuries had said,
``Maybe we should have more concern for our lakes and
rivers''. Just as I would say now, ``Why did not our
forefathers have the wisdom to see that turning the shoreline
of our lake over to private property owners is a serious
mistake.'' The waters of Idaho just as the ocean around the
islands of Hawaii should have remained public property.
``Those who refuse to learn from history are destined to
repeat it.'' We are there! Good luck with your programs. I
know you are a good and thoughtful man, and you cannot
singlehandedly turn this state or this country around, but I
hope you will begin to open your eyes and your mind to some
other possibilities. We need that from you.
Richard.
____
Thank you for the email telling us of your position on the
energy crunch. I heartily support tapping the petroleum
resources we have here in the United States and, from all
that I have heard, we have the technology to do it in an
environmentally-friendly manner. I understand that
Congressman Chris Cannon of Utah is making efforts to develop
oil shale fields that are located under Utah, Colorado and
Wyoming. I support this and hope that you will uphold these
efforts if corresponding bills reach the Senate. Also, please
do whatever you can to support the development of
technologies that will allow us to tap these resources in
more efficient and environmentally conscientious ways.
I also support expanding our use of nuclear energy. My
understanding is that the popular fears of nuclear power
plants are largely based on myth. And most of the ``waste''
produced is either relatively benign, or can be recycled or
reused. If federal regulations were changed so that all
radioactive byproducts did not have to be shipped to a
nuclear waste repository, we would have plenty of space in
places like Yucca Mountain for the 2 percent of nuclear
``waste'' that actually should be there. France produces 80
percent of its electricity from nuclear power. What in the
world is holding the U.S. back from building more nuclear
power plants?
I am all in favor of expanding our refinery capacity and in
developing alternative energy sources, such as biodiesel.
Please do whatever you can to bring about changes at the
federal level so that the private sector can go to work
developing technologies and resources and solve these growing
problems. I pray that your fellow legislators will take the
extreme environmentalist lobby with a grain of salt. I agree
that we are ``too dependent on petroleum,'' and that we are
``far too dependent on foreign sources of that petroleum.''
We need to move forward in tapping the resources we have. We
need to do so in an environmentally conscientious manner, but
we need to move forward.
Blake, Hamer.
____
What would really help is if this information could be put
into the hands (and heads!) of the other Senators,
Representatives and President Bush.
I am sure you are looking for sad stories of starving
babies and missed vacations due to the price of energy
lately. My story is quite different. I have taken the issue
of high gas prices as an opportunity to change my lifestyle.
I ride my bicycle more instead of driving everywhere, I have
started enjoying activities that occur in my own backyard
instead of ``going somewhere'' to have a good time. I have
actually enjoyed the peace and quiet this gives me. Its funny
how our ``on the go'' American lifestyle in search of ``a
good time'' can be solved by NOT being on the go! :<dagger>)
Now I am sure there are people (many people) who are
severely hurt from change in energy prices, BUT ignoring the
issue and waiting for someone to bail them out is NOT the
right solution. I have learned to live within my financial
budget and not spend more than I make (something my
grandfather taught me). I take the same approach to energy.
If I cannot afford to do it, I just find other things to do!
No more whining and wanting handouts! No more subsities. Let
the price of gas/oil go whereever the market will take it.
Let us diversify our energy sources and get rid of this
``single point of failure''. I would even go so far as to say
we should NOT ``fully utilize proven American oil and natural
gas reserves'' (leave them for a real rainy day) and lets put
our time and effort into diversifying.
Dax.
____
Something has got to give! My husband works ten hour-days
and sometimes six days a week in the woods as a logger. I
work as a school bus driver eleven months a year. (Neither
one of us has to drive to work, thank God!) We live at least
50 miles roundtrip from the doctor's offices, bank, grocery
stores, etc. Our gas bill averages around $400 a month since
January '08. Our heat/energy bill averages $400 a month. We
have tried to make our trips to town count as we would stock
up and shop for necessities a few times a month. However,
that has also changed as we cannot afford to stock up as
grocery prices have skyrocketed. We now do without. Our extra
money is being eaten up by fuel, energy costs and groceries
and we are not living high on the hog!! We cannot afford the
fresh food that does not last a week in the refrigerator and
cannot afford to go 50 miles for fresh stuff weekly.
We have tried to help our only daughter who lives 80 miles
away and can barely cover rent and student loans (who, by the
way, did not qualify for a stimulus check when she has worked
and went to college, her income was $6,000.)
To top it off, we do have credit card debt and perfect
credit, which we've worked hard to achieve!! But apparently
due to the credit crises(?), we received a letter that now
our interest rates are going up even though we have never
been late with a payment or exceeded our limit! Our
retirement accounts are crashing, according to news releases;
that is also due to oil prices and speculators! We have had
the American Dream, and it is slipping away!! Time for some
changes, sick to death of environmentalists who probably do
not even work! Fed up in rural Idaho.
Scott and Shannon, Deary.
____
I advised my state representatives against passing
legislation for ethanol production. I hope I was not the lone
voice.
I am alerting all who are willing to listen or read of the
manipulation of the United States of America into the North
American Union and subsequently an Emergent World Government.
You will either be unaware of this activity, a proponent of
it, or opposed to the premise of the dissolution of the US of
A. I know what is on the horizon for America and planet
Earth. Our current path need not be a willing venture. We
have the resources and the resolve to lead the world. We do
not need to abdicate that role to a dozen Global families.
The link I provide below is revealing. According to Lindsey
Williams, a Baptist Minister who worked with oil exploration
companies in Alaska, the U.S. has all the oil it needs for
the next 100 years or so.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3340274697167011147
This information needs but one Senator or Representative to
bring it to the floor and into the light. It may be too late
already. If you wish to discuss this at length, I will avail
myself.
Respectfully,
Dennis.
____
I am a typical Idahoan, born and raised here. I work as
Rehabilitation Counselor for
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the State of Idaho. I work with individuals who are typically
low income, or reliant on Social Security Disability Awards
for their living. The gas prices have hit these individuals
very hard. Many have a strong desire to obtain employment and
earn a gainful wage, but with gas prices at $4/gallon, they
simply cannot afford to go to work. There is not a reliable
bus system, no train system to be utilized, and so they
decide to sit at home. The nearest areas offering the best
employment options are 20 miles away in either direction. Not
a bad commute as the traffic is relatively minimal, but an
$8, $9, $10/hour job simply does not offset the cost of fuel.
I live five minutes from my office, and I find myself
wondering how I will pay for the fuel. I laugh when I see the
oil representatives say they pay the same amount for gas as
the rest of us. They may pay the $4/gallon I do, but it has
minimal to no impact on their wallet when compared to the
average American. Please work harder to find a suitable
solution that is long term and equitable to all Americans.
My story is not dramatic. It probably is not unique, but I
think that is why I am taking the time to email a response to
your news letter.
Trenton.
____
I am a thirty-year-old mother of two young boys and
registered nurse. My husband and I budget. We save. We avoid
debt. Our home is modest, much of it built with our own
hands. We each drive a ten-year-old car. We rarely eat out.
We will also earn nearly $86,000 this year, far above the
median Idaho household income. Yet, I am feeling the burden
of increased energy costs.
How can that be? Our story really began with 9-11, or the
economic downturn that immediately followed it. Downsizing,
and then more downsizing meant layoffs for my husband, a new
college graduate at that time. Jobs were scarce for new
grads, and we depleted our savings, eventually turning to
credit cards in order to feed and insure our young family.
The economy picked up and he found consistent work. Then, I
graduated from college and we began attacking our credit
cards with added fervor. The future began looking brighter.
We set debt payoff goals and looked for ways to reduce the
number of my hours away from home so that I could focus on
our young boys. This December I was going to work one less
day per pay period. It was going to be our Christmas present
to our family.
Now that dream does not seem likely.
Increases in energy have led to price hikes around the
board. Wheat costs have skyrocketed, fresh produce too, and,
let us not even talk about milk and gasoline. The increases
mean that, in order for us to pay off our debt and continue
saving, I will have to continue working my regular schedule.
If we want any extras, like a date out, an occasional
vacation, or to finish projects around the house, I have to
work extra shifts to cover those. I do not see how I will be
able to reduce the number of hours at my job.
You ask what priorities I think Congress should set to
solve this crisis? My answers may seem a little strange, but
I am a believer in capitalism, fiscal responsibility and hard
work. They really do work! I would like to see our leaders:
Increase domestic oil production & alternative energy
production. Remember the South? Many say that they lost the
war because they did not have infrastructure. We need to
remember past mistakes so they do not revisit our future. Our
refineries are aging. We import more than we export.
Regulations make it nearly impossible to build new refineries
and expensive for new drill sites. We need to find a balance
with responsible environmental practices that allow new
refineries to be built and natural resources to be extracted.
Do not set price caps. If oil and gas become too expensive,
there will be incentive for alternative fuels & for Americans
to conserve!
Look at ways to decrease our tax load. Americans work very
hard for every penny we earn. Find ways to be more fiscally
responsible so that our tax burden can be lightened to help
offset our increasing energy expenses.
Do not forget the younger generation. My generation is
paying thousands in to social security & other programs that
will be bankrupt before we ever get to use them. We feel the
added strain of paying now, while trying to find ways to be
self sufficient because we expect to have a bankrupt country
by the time we get to retirement age. We need to invest in
our future. And please do not forget our little children.
What legacy will we be leaving them?
Quit labeling the Oil Companies as the bad guys. Our
current conundrum is nothing more than the classic supply
versus demand. If demand goes up and supply cannot meet it,
the cost will go up. This concept is taught in economics
classes around the country. Why should we expense the oil
companies to work for nothing? These companies provide many
Americans with good jobs. Let us find a way to bring more of
these jobs home!
Thank you for your time,
Dixie, Rexburg.
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