Idahoans Speak Out on High Energy Prices
Floor Speech
IDAHOANS SPEAK OUT ON HIGH ENERGY PRICES -- (Senate - October 01, 2008)
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 well over 1,200, are heartbreaking and touching. To respect their efforts, I am submitting every e-mail sent to me through an address set up specifically for this purpose 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:
The company I work for has just closed the doors to the center I have worked in for eight years and offered us jobs in a center over 50 miles away. Because I am three miles short of qualifying for a moving package, I (and 64 of my co-workers) will be forced to commute over 50 miles each way every day. We live in a rural area so public transportation is not an option. To get a new job would cut my wages more than half, so I must follow my job. I have three small children (ages 2, 4 and 6), so I cannot stay away during the week and go home only on weekends.
I do not know what I will do if the cost of gas continues to rise. I, along with others that I know, could actually lose everything we have worked so hard to achieve. For the first time, I am really afraid of what is happening to my country.
Please do something now.
The rising price of gasoline is hurting nearly every family in America. We are tired of Congress doing nothing but bowing down to the environmentalists.
It is time for Congress to develop a program which allows the exploration of America's energy sources without materially affecting our environment. Congress should put our families first, ahead of the environmentalists!
YALON, Pocatello.
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In response to your request on the impact of high gas prices, here is my story:
To help reduce the impact of higher fuel prices, I am taking personal responsibility of my own actions. It is actually really easy. I have made a habit of driving much less by riding a bike, walking, combining trips and cutting out unnecessary trips. The net impact has been less money spent at the pump (conservation) and I am in better health because of it.
As I ride around town, not a day goes by that I come across people letting their vehicle run idle in a parking lot while they do their errands. This includes sheriff's vehicles that idle outside the nearby office. This lack of overall awareness regarding high oil prices tells me we are not even close to changing the wasteful consumption habits Americans have adopted over many years. In the meantime, we learned nothing from the 70s. Since then, our politicians have failed to adopt a viable, self reliant energy policy. Instead, we drive bigger vehicles and have become even more reliant on mid-east oil. The money that is being sent overseas is what allows the bad guys to fund the terrorist efforts. One in which we are fighting at the cost of over 4,000 deaths, many more permanent injuries and billions of borrowed taxpayer dollars. At this point, there is absolutely no end in sight for the war that most politicians will still not admit is all about the oil. After five years of false promises, we now have record oil prices and, what I believe is, over an eight trillion dollar deficit.
What this all has meant for me is, I woke up. I now realize how terribly screwed up things are in Washington. We are running out of oil! And the rest of the world wants the same standard of living we have! And the lack of resources and the environment cannot allow things to stay the same way, period!
In summary, your e-mail tells me you are not looking at the big picture. We cannot drill our way out of this. At best, it would only be a band-aid. I fear too many people still believe the same career politicians that are to blame for getting us into the mess we are in. They will say whatever it takes to fool voters that they have the right answers, even though history proves otherwise. What a shame.
Although I know I am fooling myself to think otherwise, I hope you have the guts to include this during your presentation to the Senate. Thanks for your time.
STEVE.
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The one theme missing from so much of the concern over the rising price of energy in our country is searching/researching for alternatives! To continue to open up every potential oil source in our own country is so short-sighted since petroleum is a finite resource and does not solve the real problem. Our leaders like you need to provide leadership to help our nation find through research and development alternative energy resources and stop this nonsense of giving the oil companies access to every square inch of natural landscape to extract oil. If our nation had had the guts to deal with the need to diversify our nation's appetite for petroleum energy back in the 1970s instead of letting the oil and auto lobbies keep us dependent on their services, we would not be in today's mess.
What concerns me is I hear you falling in step with the international oil corporations [and other groups] that feel threatened by the US being weaned off of oil products. [Dynamic leadership that leads us to alternative energy sources is most important.]
CATHERINE, Pocatello.
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Per your request, I am sending information concerning my concerns about the high fuel prices.
The population [of my town] is less than 1,000 in town with less than 2,500 total in the entire county. The closest large city is Blackfoot with Idaho Falls being the next closest. Idaho Falls is larger, and it contains most of the trade support that we need. For example, pet supplies and food for us. It now means, thanks to the higher fuel prices, we can only travel to Idaho Falls once a month. It takes over $120 to fuel my truck with diesel. With a round trip mileage of close to 150 miles and making only 16 miles-per-gallon, I am using close to 1/2 a tank of fuel. I am retired and with fixed income. This affects me in a big way. My wife and I have a small vehicle for when driving is necessary within the local area. Still with both vehicles, we are spending close to $200 to $250 during a good month. These higher prices, in our area, means we must cut on other items, such as dinner out.
Arco currently is paying $4.19.9 for the lowest grade of gasoline and $4.89.9 for diesel. The prices north of Mackay are even higher; however, in Idaho Falls, unleaded regular is still under $4 per gallon with diesel just under $4.30. We in Arco cannot afford to travel to Idaho Falls or even Blackfoot for the lower prices due to the mileage roundtrip.
In my opinion, this economy is very deep in recession and very soon will be deep in a depression. The higher costs of energy, food and other necessities are definitely making it very difficult for us on fixed incomes to survive well. I can remember a portion of the depression, and if another occurs, the last one will be a ``cake walk''.
GUY, Arco.
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Happy to see that you are starting to see the reality of the things that I have been sending e-mails about over the past year! I am glad that you are soliciting opinions from your constituents. Here are my thoughts (again):
1. It is the housing bubble bursting that has precipitated the collapse of the dollar. If you look at something stable like gold or silver, you will see that it takes the same amount of gold to buy a gallon of oil now as it has throughout recent years. The dollar has lost tremendous value due primarily from the Fed lowering interest rates and adding liquidity to save (bail-out) banks and Wall Street.
2. There is no truth in bank balance sheets. They cook the numbers constantly and no one seems to care that they misrepresent earnings in order to sustain stock price and the Dow. This in tern gets dumped onto ``we the people'' since it creates a false sense of stability. Although this also is not sustainable, it does provide these large institutions time to try to manipulate the markets and make (steal) money from unsuspecting investors. This has got to stop immediately. Loosing 401K value by purchasing stock that is going to get pounded when the truth of the sub-prime exposure eventually gets reckoned. Let us stop this now. Let the banks take their lumps and let the people have a chance to invest in properly valued institutions.
3. Recent discovery of programs like ``Friends of Mozillo'' where housing committee leaders get preferred rates from banks.
4. Environmental lobbies insisting that we do not go after much needed oil. So, if the oil companies were to fund a few lobbyists, could they really get their way and prevent us from drilling? Should we allow this to continue? Should we insist that it is essential to save our country and just get the oil? I am told that the reserves in Alaska and Florida alone hold enough oil that we would never need another drop of Saudi oil? What are we waiting for?
5. Looking at the farming incentives for growing corn to make ethanol is not financially sound. Spending more to farm and wasting oil in the process makes no sense. Stop the subsidies to farming corn. It really will not help and will effect (negatively) the inflation we are already experiencing. You say alternate energy. Let us get some tax incentives for R and D here in Idaho. Attract business and grow our economy by encouraging these types of businesses.
6. Initiatives to help grow American manufacturing. Giving away all of our manufacturing jobs due to our short sighted attitudes by American companies succeed will only lead to higher unemployment, lower wages and declining property values. Idaho for one should be doing everything they can to encourage growth. Reducing tax obligations for corporations and providing cash incentives for companies wanting to move here would certainly help. If wages were substantially higher then we could better afford the increases at the pump and elsewhere.
7. Someone ask some tough questions of the Fed and its polices. I mean reducing interest rates has only increased the problem. Actually fixed 30-year rates have increased due to lack of confidence. Restore confidence, get the rates of short term debt back to sure up the dollar. It is sad that the Fed is owned by the banks, allowing them to continue unchallenged by Congress is ridiculous.
R.
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I am a sole provider of a family of four. I have been struggling to pay mortgage, insurance, food, electricity, and clothing bills as well as paying the high cost of gasoline for my vehicle to get to work. I feel as though I will need to get an additional job to cover the expenses. I was thinking about getting a loan to help with consolidating some bills; however, that is only a bandage to my problem. The problem is, that this year my employer only granted cost of living increases at a 1.5%. That does not even help since the true cost of living is far greater. I was grateful for the increase; however, it does not help feed my family. I now have to pay more than extra at the pump and now my vehicle needs an oil change and that is more costs added on to my transportation. I need the car for work in order to have money to take care of my family. There has to be a better solution to this problem.
JAN.
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The point that must be stressed is that the economy of this nation and, particularly in the West and more particularly in wide open states like Idaho, is based on inexpensive personal modes of transportation. We have no other options to get from one place to another. (Neither horse and buggy nor any form of mass transportation is available.) In my particular situation, my wife and I are both retired and attempting to live on a fixed retirement income. We both have health conditions which require substantial travel to specialists ranging from Idaho Falls on the north to Salt Lake City on the south. (You must realize that Malad's medical facilities, while greatly appreciated, are, relatively speaking. very limited. We have only two general practitioners and for more serious conditions are routinely referred to specialists in the larger populated areas, again, typically ranging anywhere from Idaho Falls to Salt Lake City.)
We have church commitments, requiring regular trips to Salt Lake. Also, we have seven families scattered around southern Idaho and northern Utah. We have had long continued intercommunicative relationships with these families. Now, with gas refills requiring anywhere from $50 to $100 and a still limited budget, obviously, something has to give. Windmills, solar panels and changing light bulbs will not cut it. Quality of life has to fall, and, in the case of required medical attention, can have serious consequences.
Additionally, we have two divorced daughters who have legal requirements for child custody visits. In one case, the intervening distance is over 300 miles; in the other case, over 100. Transporting children over these distances regularly and frequently, obviously, becomes extremely onerous!
Also. I have a son, living in Pocatello, who has numerous clients, and makes a substantial portion of his income, in and around the Salt Lake-Provo area. Needless to say, with $100 gas tanks, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep these contacts economically viable, and has a serious impact on his ability to earn an income.
And, of course, this does not even take into account strictly pleasure trips to the mountains or to a lake for relaxation. Or to one of the nearby cities for entertainment opportunities not available in Malad. We basically become prisoners in our own home! Again, our economy, our way of life, is predicated on the ability to take advantage of assets, attractions and opportunities not available in our immediate locale, but readily available in the surrounding areas. Our ability to make a living and contribute to the economy, as well as enjoy what the economy has to offer us, in economic, social, charitable and pleasure situations, requires affordable transportation. We do not have that ability now and that is solely the result of short sighted, faulty energy policy.
Finally, I truly resent the suggestion that this nation is too rich and must be brought down to size. Choking off energy will certainly bring us down, but unfortunately, not only will it result in economically disastrous conditions here in this country, but in the entire world also. I am still looking for some responsible leadership out of Washington to rectify this insane energy policy. I certainly hope you can provide it.
J. WESLEY.
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This is a great idea! Thanks for the opportunity to share my thoughts on energy with you.
I made some changes in my life three years ago that have allowed me to reduce my gasoline costs substantially. I started my own business and I now work from home thanks to the wonder of the internet. I have been able to maintain my (still somewhat minimal) salary but have eliminated an 80-mile round-trip commute saving me hundreds of dollars a year in fuel costs.
We are also planning on augmenting our propane heating system with solar collectors. This will have a high upfront cost, but we are doing it to reduce our carbon emissions.
Here is my energy wish list for Congress:
Give larger and more consistent economic incentives for private and commercial solar and wind installation. Germany did this with solar and it is a run-away success.
Please support solar thermal for commercial electric production!! Idaho would be a great spot for solar thermal farms. We could be a leader!
Improve the nation's high tension power grid so power can be better distributed from new sources like solar thermal farms.
Give incentives to car-makers to bring the price down on electric plug-in cars. (See solar farms above for the power source.)
Stop the coal-bed methane production in Wyoming and Colorado. It is ruining the environment and endangering the pronghorn, sage grouse, air quality and water supplies. It is sad to watch this happening.
Please do not support nuclear energy. I lived through Chernobyl in Europe in 1986. It was not fun. No one has solved the nuclear waste problem and no one really wants the stuff stored for centuries in their backyard.
More light rail systems in Idaho. I would use it if it was available.
Thanks for listening--and for all your hard work in Congress!
LINDA, Driggs.
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My daughter drives from Caldwell every day to her job as a paralegal in Boise. She is divorced, and her husband pays $100 per month child support. She has one minor child at home and one child is 18 years old. The 18-year-old drives to Boise to clean houses despite a continuing terrible case of eczema. She married a young Marine in May. He is stationed in Okinawa as a Private First Class. My daughter is on a very limited budget and is having great difficulty continuing to buy food for her children and pay for her gasoline to continue working. I am trying to help, but am widowed and on a limited income. My husband was a World War II hero, whose honors included, among over 50 medals, two Purple Hearts and the Legion of Merit. We are trying to do our best to hang on but it gets harder every day. I paid $50 to fill my gas tank yesterday at a discount station. If the situation continues to decline, I do not know how we will continue to be able to drive to work or the grocery store. As of now, I am only driving when necessary, and am limiting my spending in every way. Thank you for your concern.
SHARON.
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