[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 144 (Thursday, September 11, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8367-S8369]
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 [email protected] 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

[[Page S8368]]

     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! :)
       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

[[Page S8369]]

     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.

                          ____________________