[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 103 (Friday, June 20, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5937-S5939]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IDAHOANS SPEAK OUT ON HIGH ENERGY PRICES
Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, earlier this week, I asked Idahoans to
share with me how high energy prices are affecting their lives, and
they responded by the hundreds. The stories, now 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 printed in the Record today's letters.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Senator Crapo: We are not going to be able to take any time
to enjoy our great state of Idaho this summer as with years
past. The gas to go and return from our favorite spots like
Stanley basin, Warm Lake, McCall's Ponderosa State Park is
just too much to make it enjoyable. The cost of food clearly
is reflective of the fuel pricing. This just makes it far too
expensive to go anywhere this summer. I am absolutely
disgusted in the way our government is allowing this to
happen to the American people.
I look forward to a movement to begin re-commissioning our
own drilling rigs that still sit idle in the Gulf of Mexico.
I look forward to a movement to begin drilling on our own
land for oil that we all know is right under our own borders.
I look forward to a movement to release and discontinue the
excessive storage of emergency fuels.
I also know that I am not alone in monitoring the existing
administration who will not lobby for these items I list to
be addressed and resolved. It is time we start taking care of
our own with our own resources. This includes limiting the
impacts on the greater population by the loud concerns of a
few groups. With today's technology we can certainly drill
and protect our environment and begin to reduce greatly our
dependence on foreign oil(s).
Respectfully,
Bill, Boise.
____
Dear Senator Crapo: As one of those who voted for you I am
pleased to provide a bit of input on the costs of fuel and
the impact on myself, my family, and my business.
Just like the majority of Idaho families, our family has
been directly impacted by the very high prices of gasoline
and the way it happened . . . so quickly and without reprieve
or real alternatives.
In my business, I must have a good supply of gasoline in
order to function. I operate a flight training school for
pilots in Nampa. My costs for fuel are always around $10,000
per year and that is normally my one major expense associated
with my business outside of the other normal overhead costs
any other business has. Even so, it is the Numero Uno cost
for my business, and now it is about 50% increased from that
already very high price. What compounds this loss is that so
many people have become too financially short that my
customer base is very low now.
Normally, in the past 7 years, I would be looking at a full
student schedule, with at least 3 or 4 on a waiting list.
This year, I have a 20% load and no waiting list. It is that
sparse due to the economy, then compounded by the very high
fuel costs.
Thanks for the opportunity to provide some direct input on
the subject to your office.
Sincerely yours,
Gary, Nampa.
____
Dear Senator: The biggest impact that gas prices has had on
me affects our family. We have six married children and one
single daughter spread throughout the west. One in Colorado
Springs, CO; another in Mesa, AZ; two in the Orem, UT, area;
another in dental school at Marquette; and two in the Boise
area. We plan a family reunion every summer, which is usually
our once-a-year gathering. We have cancelled our reunion this
year, scheduled for Colorado Springs, CO, because of the cost
of fuel for everyone. I just can't tell you how disappointing
it is to all of us not to have an opportunity to be together
this year. We hope that it will not stop us next year.
I hear all of the reports that America has ample supplies
but legislation and environmentalists prevent us from
developing the natural resources. We are too late for today,
but tomorrow will be here and we need to be prepared to
provide for ourselves. All that you can do to make this
possible is needed and necessary. Please do your best to make
it happen.
Doug.
____
PLEASE pass emergency legislation to exploit America's
natural resources. Authorize drilling wherever oil companies
think there might be oil or natural gas, authorize nuclear
energy and wind power. Set up drilling stations off America's
shores instead of letting Cuba and China take our oil. Show
some resolve and Yankee ingenuity!
Americans will downsize and conserve--the market will take
care of that, but you should have had us energy independent
years ago. We could be sending money to America instead of
supporting people who do not have our country's best interest
at heart.
[[Page S5938]]
Americans used to take care of problems before this
developed into such a serious situation. We used to take care
of people who wanted to cause us harm instead of insisting on
being ``politically correct''. Strong countries do not get
attacked. Weak countries like what we are becoming do!
Congress and the rest of us have all seen this problem coming
for many years. Do nothing now and we are on our way to
becoming a second-class country.
Please show the leadership that you were elected to use.
Make us energy independent. It does not matter if it takes
ten years. Ten years ago, if Congress had ``taken care of
business,'' we would not be in this dire situation now. Every
drop of oil that is produced in this country is one drop that
does not have to be imported from another country.
Stan, Boise.
____
Dear Senator Crapo: Thank you first for this opportunity to
voice my concerns, which I'm sure are no different than
millions of others. The energy price effect on me is no
different than on, I'm sure again, millions of others. It
means no vacation, less ``extracurricular'' activities and
simply prioritizing vehicle use. Unfortunately, the energy
prices have a ripple affect on a lot of things, but I suspect
what has the largest impact is the price of food, which is
also increasing substantially as it costs so much more to
transport it.
I think Congress' number one priority right now should be
reducing the cost of oil/gasoline; however, it is done. I
believe that, by doing so, you will resolve and/or improve
the majority of other inflation concerns, i.e., the cost of
food, clothing. By reducing energy costs, it would likely
free up businesses to expand and provide additional jobs,
thus reducing unemployment. I see gasoline prices as the
``bane'' of our life right now and anything you can do to
resolve this problem is much appreciated.
Ket, Emmett.
____
You and Congress know what needs to be done. Drill now--
drill HERE! Join China and Cuba off our own shores and become
self reliant again. Start drilling in Anwar. Start drilling
in Montana. Start using the resources in Colorado in shale.
And build more refineries--and you--CONGRESS--loosen the
hurdles that make it impossible for anyone drilling and/or
building those refineries we need so much--as well as provide
alternatives (such as nuclear and solar). Stop wasting time
telling ``stories''--and loosen the restrictions that
environmentalists have shackled us with! Do your job.
Just let us become a self reliant nation again!
Unsigned.
____
The rising gas prices have really affected my life. I am a
widow who is on a very limited budget--every nickel counts. I
am still working and live about 15 miles from my work. There
is no public transportation out where I live in Kuna, ID, so
I have to bite the bullet and pay these exorbitant prices at
the pump, do without going to the movies, out to dinner or
buying the new pair of sandals I need for the summer. My
elderly mom lives with me and requires lots of travel into
town for doctor appointments, which take gas. I usually take
her each summer to Wyoming to her home town for a visit. No
way can I do it this year what with the gas prices, rising
motel costs, food costs, etc. I was in hopes I could look at
retiring in a couple of years, but that is definitely on hold
now. I can't afford not to work with gas costing me over $50
each week to fill up my car. Sure hope Congress gets going
and allows us to start drilling for our own oil!
Louise, Kuna.
____
What I would like to see is a two-pronged approach, One is
drilling offshore in Alaska, and oil shale in Utah/Colorado/
Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota, along with nuclear, solar
and wind.
The other is conserving in ways such as: by 2010 all
appliances sold are Energy Star-rated; all houses and mobile
homes to be built to the Energy Star rating. Instead of the
government giving big grants for research, why not do like
the X-prize for space travel and put up money for benchmark
improvements in things such as 100-mpg cars, solar
improvements, wind generator improvements, home energy use
improvements, etc. I used to own a hatchback in the late
1980s that I would get 42-44 miles to the gallon on the
highway. Why cars of that size can't get 60+mpg now is beyond
me.
Without the Republicans acting more like Teddy Roosevelt
and less like George Bush, the Democrats will never go along
with the offshore or Alaskan drilling. The other thing that
you and other Republicans need to do is to go before the
American people and say ``The Democrats in Congress are
against the middle class jobs and real living middle class
wages and benefits that would be provided with the opening of
these locations. Norway can drill safely off their shores,
and I know the American people can do an even better job of
protecting the environment then they can.
Thanks for your time,
Unsigned.
____
For us personally the high costs of fuel and heating oil
have caused some huge changes in our lives. We are senior
citizens on a fixed income and the rising costs of fuel and
food are way greater then our income and projected cost of
living raises that we get from Social Security. Recently we
had a death in our family--in another state. The cost of
driving or flying there made it very hard for us in our
decision not to go. Also we are staying home a lot more. We
cannot afford pleasure trips so we have to make every trip to
town count. We see people who have to drive out of town to
work--and the fuel costs can outweigh the benefits of
working. I see American aid poured out to other countries who
are in crises and yet the crises right here at home are being
overlooked.
Please take care of Americans first! Stop this oil from
going any higher!
Sincerely,
Ray and Vi Mueller, Priest River.
____
We are an average family of five--Dad, Mom, 16-year-old
boy, 9-year-old girl, and 4-year-old girl. My husband is in
new home construction, and I am an accounts payable clerk for
a university. We both work full-time jobs, and both of us
work part-time night and weekend jobs to help make ends-meet.
My daughter was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
a year ago, so we have some very big medical expenses. We
have had to travel to Primary Children's Hospital in Salt
Lake City, Utah, from our home in Rexburg, Idaho, every six
weeks for the last year. Because of the rise in gas prices
and the rising medical costs, I have to work a second job to
pay for these expenses. Our vehicle is a 2005 Yukon that gets
about 16 miles to the gallon, so this trip is not economical,
but I don't have any choice but to make this trip every
six weeks. Because of the rise in gas, I can't even trade
my SUV in on another car because the car dealers won't
trade with me. My employer provides medical insurance with
my monthly premium costing $250 for my family. My
daughter's medication is almost $200 per month and I pay
hospital/doctors/lab bills almost $300 per month. With
each increase in our monthly expenses, it becomes more
difficult to pay our bills. We need help! I am hoping and
praying for something good to happen that will help reduce
our monthly expenses.
Thank you,
Taunya, Rexburg.
____
Dear Senator Crapo: As you know the driving distance in our
state is unlike most states. My husband and I both travel
over 23 miles one way to work every day. Due to the continual
increase in cost of the gas we have been carpooling together
for over a year now. The biggest problem we have is with
every increase in gas so does the increase of everything else
you buy, but the wages have not gone up with it.
Every time we fill our tank, it takes away from groceries
and other necessities; with every increase, we are to the
point there is not much more to give up. The cupboards are
bare, and we try to get by on what is the cheapest and bare
minimum, if it continues to go up as it has, we will get to
the point were we have to choose between the mortgages and
utilities or gas in the tank. If it were not so far away, we
would consider riding horses to work every day.
I think as long as the environment and nature is preserved
and monitored, domestic production is OK along with
alternative sources. We need to quit being so reliant on
foreign oil and start helping ourselves not only for now but
for the future.
Esther, Athol.
____
Sir: I am fairly new to Idaho only been here for five years
now. I was from Texas. I had some very good friends who [had
to cap their family well, which put out 10 to 15 barrels a
day]. A lot of people were hurt, not only in Texas, but in
other states as well. We should move forward much faster on
the part gas/part electric cars for now even the big one to.
We should use our own oil and move to anything that we can
make for ourselves. I don't like it, but we have to stop
being everyone's go-to-guy and start taking care of us for a
change.
Philip.
____
I do not wish to share my story but I would like to
recommend that we quit sending the Alaskan oil to Japan and
use it within the United States.
I also would like to see Congress open up the known oil
fields in the United States today (not someday). Many have
been shut down and capped for years. Plus we need to explore
for new sites as well as start drilling where we already know
there is oil. We need to start building refineries and
updating the current ones that we have. Why we ever got
ourselves in this mess is beyond me.
I would also like to recommend that you talk with John
McCain and help him get his head on straight. I am not sure
why our party has chosen a Socialist for its candidate. If I
didn't feel like I was throwing my vote away and maybe even
help elect Obama, I would vote for Barr.
If the Congress continues to do nothing about the energy
problem, I think this nation will come down on Congress with
a vengeance.
Suzette.
____
The cost of fuel has certainly changed the way I am now
living my life. After my retirement, I was planning on visits
to my sister (Arizona), my grandkids (Portland) and my
cousins in Missouri and New Mexico.
Now I am tending my garden, growing as much of my food as
possible to supplement and help offset the high price in the
grocery store. I am not using my clothes dryer; I am lucky
enough to live in a subdivision that still allows clothes
lines. This might seem minor, but I am cringing at the cost
of heating my home this winter and am applying extra money to
the gas company.
[[Page S5939]]
I do not go out to lunch with my friends; we talk on the
phone but do not have lunches out. We are planning on one
lunch a month at someone's home.
Extra shopping? Not on your life!! Since we have no clue
have high fuel is going to go, extra spending is not
considered. Is this hurting the economy, no doubt about it,
but with no reasonable end in sight we have no choice!!
Irene.
____
I would have much preferred to see the global warming
legislation go through. The energy prices right now are
short-term pain, but nothing compared to what we're headed
for if the current course is maintained on global warming.
Please think in the longer term and consider changing your
stance on global warming. And please don't send me one of
those garbage ``thank you for your support'' automatic
responses. I do not support your vote on this.
Ilana, Boise.
____________________