[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 154 (Friday, September 26, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9639-S9641]
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 well over 1,000, 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:

       If you want to really understand what is going on with our 
     energy crises, please view all eight sections of: http://
video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3870461488930715065.
     Brad and Dee. 
                                  ____

       These rising fuel prices are hurting my family and our 
     business! We own a logging company which, being all 
     mechanized, requires use of a lot of fuel. In addition, our 
     jobs are usually 100 miles or more away and even with our 
     employees commuting together, the cost is outrageous. In the 
     logging industry, it is not all that easy to pass the cost on 
     to the customer. The jobs we are doing right now were bid on 
     last year; therefore the price is set and was set without the 
     prediction that the fuel prices were going to be this high. 
     Our employees can forget

[[Page S9640]]

     raises, bonuses or benefits as we cannot afford them, 
     therefore it will be harder to keep and find new employees. 
     We subcontract our log hauling and the truck drivers that 
     have not quit driving completely are charging a fortune to 
     haul our logs to the mills. At this point, we are unsure of 
     our future as a business which, in turn, is affecting our 
     family and our employees' families.
       We have to be careful with our spending and put money 
     aside. Forget that vacation to Yellowstone or any camping 
     this summer as the cost of hauling our camp trailer is too 
     high. Forget enjoying our beautiful lakes and rivers as the 
     cost of fueling our boat is too expensive. And even driving 
     to our favorite fishing hole is too costly. These things, our 
     Idaho way of life, that have always been inexpensive family 
     fun are now considered luxuries.
       I have always and especially now support utilizing our own 
     natural resources and relying less on foreign sources for 
     anything. Although, I am suspicious that the rising fuel 
     costs can be more controlled and are not just a factor of 
     supply and demand. I wish I could do more other than tell my 
     story and something needs to be done now by those in power. I 
     feel powerless and controlled as you were saying, Mr. Crapo; 
     Idahoans have no choice with the distances we have to travel 
     and the lack of public transportation, and our jobs which 
     require the use of fuel. Thanks for your efforts but this 
     problem needs a solution immediately!
     Deanna, Post Falls.
                                  ____

       One way to give back to the community is to volunteer for a 
     non-profit. My wife does this regularly. The group that she 
     is with will do home visits to help a particular group of 
     people--those that are on the margin about to fail 
     financially. The idea is to give people a little boost and 
     prevent them from falling into a cycle of dependence for a 
     long time.
       Frequently, she'd ask me to go with her as they always 
     require two people for safety reasons. I sit and watch the 
     faces of the people being harmed by the current inaction in 
     Congress. They know that so much is riding on what happens in 
     the near future. Today, they are proud and know that they pay 
     their own way. However, they fear having to live off the 
     backs of others, becoming a burden and losing their pride in 
     the process.
       People know what is going on. Regarding Congress, the words 
     we speak at these meetings are pretty simple. The people 
     leading this country have worked for a long time to put us in 
     this position. They are pushing you to the ground, and then 
     grinding their heels into your head.
       Many are suffering today--not because Congress does not 
     give them stuff, but because Congress erodes the foundation 
     of their prosperity--access to energy.
     Robert.
                                  ____

       I am a manager of low-income senior housing in Boise. Many 
     of our tenants are on a fixed income and no longer drive. I 
     have been transporting a few of my residents to the food bank 
     as a courtesy to those that cannot drive and who do not have 
     family to help. I have had to discontinue this charitable 
     action because I can no longer afford to drive around unless 
     it is absolutely necessary. This is truly unfortunate. One of 
     the residents told me they cannot afford a taxi (especially 
     now with the higher rates) so how are they supposed to get 
     around?
       On a personal note, I used to enjoy recreational activities 
     throughout Idaho. I know I personally cut down on about half 
     of these trips due to the gas prices. This must have a 
     negative impact on tourism and small businesses. I would 
     drive up to Cascade to the Flea Market or to Horseshoe Bend 
     or Lucky Peak to go fishing. I haven't been able to go 
     camping or fishing yet this year. We need some relief from 
     the gas prices because it is impacting everyday quality of 
     life: the price of groceries, visiting friends and family, 
     normal daily activities become a tough choice.
       Please help!
     Amber, Boise.
                                  ____

       Normally I wait until election time to express my opinions 
     through my right to vote. However, at this time, I feel so 
     strongly about a plague facing our country that I cannot bear 
     to sit idly by until November, praying for a change to take 
     place. This plague which I speak of is our current gas 
     prices. I am certain you are hearing about this on a daily 
     basis as a representative for the state of Idaho, but I want 
     to be included amongst those who choose to elevate this 
     issue.
       Gasoline prices have been a concern since they crept up to 
     the $3/gallon mark for regular, so why is it that nothing is 
     seemingly being done about this by our government as those 
     prices further creep up above the $4/gallon mark? There is 
     plenty of talk, but no immediate action. According to the 
     Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average wages earned in Boise 
     for 2007 are $33,072, thanks to the high paying tech jobs 
     that the majority of Boise residents do not possess. 
     Supposedly, the average cost of living here is only $29,864. 
     So, that leaves the ``average'' Boisean with $267 a month to 
     pay their bills outside what is considered ``cost of 
     living'', and those are 2007 statistics. We haven't seen a 
     wage increase in our fair town to compensate for the fact 
     that we are paying double for gasoline what we paid a year 
     ago. Not only is gasoline cost eating up our income, but cost 
     of groceries has gone up as a direct result of cost incurred 
     while transporting food. Many of the people in this area you 
     represent are suffering over something that the government 
     you work for has indirect control over. I plead with you--
     this issue needs to get resolved prior to the elections in 
     November. We as a country cannot wait five more months for 
     economic relief and then endure the growing pains the first 
     year with the President-elect brings. The rising cost of 
     gasoline and lack of an increase in personal income needs to 
     be addressed immediately. What are you doing to intervene on 
     behalf of the Idahoans? I ask rhetorically, but sincerely. 
     The answer is not to be found in requiring people to purchase 
     more gas-friendly vehicles (they can no longer afford the 
     monthly payment that a new car brings) nor is it to be found 
     in another pittance of a stimulus package. The answer is for 
     our government to be proactive in finding resources for our 
     glorious country to use that come at a considerably lower 
     cost.
     Erica.
                                  ____

       In response to a detailed message as to the effect of gas 
     prices in our family budget, I would like to forward this 
     message; yes, it is another area where it is affecting 
     everyone in just about everything we do. In some ways, it is 
     a good thing to give us an awareness of mistakes we have made 
     in the past and bring about new solutions. One solution that 
     I am aware of is the use of a product called Ferox, which was 
     developed in 1986 from work done on experimental burn rate 
     modifiers for solid rocket propellant systems use in the 
     aerospace industry. Ferox is a catalysis which treats fuel 
     (gas or diesel) so it will burn at a near 100%. The results 
     is a average 20% increase in fuel efficiency, 95% reduction 
     in emissions, 80% increase in oil life, and increase in 
     horsepower as much as 15% & it works 100% of the time 
     doubling engine life. Very affordable to the point of less 
     than $20.00 it will treat up to 150 gallons of fuel giving 
     upwards to a 600% return on the $20.00 investment. We are 
     trying to get the word out to as many as we can, because it 
     is and will make a difference. For more on line information, 
     go to www.FeroxFuelTabs.com/FeroxUSA
     Gordon, Twin Falls.
                                  ____

       The environmental movement has just about brought this 
     nation to a standstill and is basically punishing the lower 
     wage earners just so they can try and change society into the 
     model that they feel is relevant for the next century. I 
     truly feel sorry for those people; especially since they are 
     the ones that the ``left'' supposedly is championing the 
     right of.
       Drilling for oil is not dangerous to the environment any 
     longer. There is no basis for this thinking in fact, plus 
     there is no evidence that humans have ever been able to do 
     anything that has caused climate change, so we need to stop 
     this insanity and get our country moving forward again and 
     begin using our natural resources.
       Are we going to remain hostage to the Arabs and the radical 
     fringe that is taken over this country of ours? Everyone 
     needs to step up and be accountable and do something so we do 
     not become a country that is irrelevant in the world we live 
     in.
     Lowell.
                                  ____

       A really simple way to show your colleagues on Capitol Hill 
     how the high price of fuel is affecting the ``real people in 
     Idaho'' is to give up all the freebies our Senators and 
     Representatives get through the government and try living on 
     your actual salaries for 60 days. No free trips, free airfare 
     or lodging, discounted gas, food, benefits, medical 
     insurance, retirement savings, etc.
       Have your families (wives & kids) try and live on what you 
     actually make, just like the ``real people in Idaho.'' Get 
     back in touch with reality and then maybe you will see why 
     some people have to choose between putting gas in the car or 
     food on the table. I know none of our distinguished 
     legislators will actually do this because then you would have 
     to face the facts that Americans are drowning and our 
     government is throwing us anvils to help.
     Caralea, Boise.
                                  ____

       I live in rural Idaho, and my wife and I have five 
     children. Since we have a large family, my wife drives an 
     SUV, which gets an average of 14-16 mpg. Each time we have to 
     run the children to piano, dance, clogging, baseball, etc., 
     it costs us $2-$3. Making several trips a day can cost as 
     much as $15-$20. If you multiply that by 5 days a week X 52 
     weeks, it becomes very expensive. Our lifestyle has been 
     drastically changed, and I do not see any light at the end of 
     the tunnel. We drive less, we save less and we feel less 
     secure in our future and the future of our children.
       The really sad thing is that, because of special interest 
     and environmental groups, we are not able to utilize the 
     resources we have at our disposal. In my opinion, we have sat 
     on our hands for far too long. Drill on the North Slope, 
     drill offshore and develop the technology to extract from oil 
     shale. Let the Middle East sell oil to the Chinese, the 
     Russians and each other. I do not think we can dramatically 
     reduce our consumption in the near future. $100+ a barrel oil 
     will destroy our economy; something needs to be done now!
     Bryan.
                                  ____

       It is really unfortunate that the prices for gasoline have 
     risen to such extreme levels, but we know they will only get 
     worse. I have

[[Page S9641]]

     combated this by riding my bike everyday to and from work and 
     school but I know not everyone has this option. I think that 
     these prices are a wake-up call to us and should be taken 
     seriously. I hate it when people complain about the costs 
     when they are not realizing that driving their trucks and 
     SUVs on a 30-minute commute through town is awful for the 
     environment and completely irresponsible. Although our public 
     transport system [is not adequate], there are ways to work 
     around having to drive. Idahoans are just too lazy. There are 
     park and rides, regular buses, bikes, and the green belt that 
     we can utilize to commute. Congress needs to make it their 
     priority to not just focus on one ``fix'' to the situation, 
     but how we can utilize all of our resources. I think you can 
     promote more bikers if there were safer and larger bike 
     lanes, as well as a more publicized public transportation 
     system with bike racks on them. This problem will always be 
     the topic for summer because everyone wants to go out of town 
     and go camping, when it becomes an environmental issue more 
     so than an economical issue we can combat all of the 
     complaining and suffering. There needs to be a paradigm shift 
     that will only come by congress's support, education, and 
     from advertising these goals. Please consider what I have 
     said. I am in the same boat as other thousands college 
     students who are realizing our real problems and we need to 
     see some change towards clean energy. The only thing I do not 
     agree with, however, is the use of nuclear power. It is a non 
     renewable resource, what we want to get away from and the 
     amount of heating it causes to the water resource it uses is 
     bad for that ecological environment. Thanks for reading my 
     email.
     Rachael, Boise.
                                  ____

       You are right, gas prices are high! But you really got it 
     wrong voting against the energy bill. It is time to start 
     solving the problem not just pushing it out to the future, 
     where it is going to cost a lot more. You need to start being 
     part of the solution to these challenges, and not part of the 
     problem.
     Rob, Boise.
                                  ____

       The rise in gas prices has caused me and my family of three 
     to cut back the number of times we eat out, visit the store 
     and go out for entertainment. We just do the essential things 
     now. If we do decide to do any entertainment, we pay for it 
     on a credit card, the balance of which has been continually 
     rising as our economy has declined.
     Walt, Jerome.
                                  ____

       We need another ``Manhattan Project'' to solve the energy 
     problem. Private industry has focused its solution for the 
     energy crises on developing vehicles that will run on 
     something they can ``sell'' you. I noted that a Japanese 
     company (Genepax) is developing a car that runs on water. I 
     believe that a government initiative to develop a vehicle 
     such as that is needed. But, I would not stop there.
       Once the technology is perfected, the U.S. should license 
     it to the remainder of the world. That would help to 
     underwrite the cost of the second phase of the solution.
       Once the technology is developed, the government should put 
     out a bid for U.S. industry to build such an automobile. 
     (That would put American's back to work). Second, the U.S. 
     should give every taxpaying household one of the cars. (To 
     get one of the new cars you would have to turn in your old 
     car). That would be much better than ``tax cuts'' or 
     ``rebates'', and would serve to get a lot of the old, carbon 
     producing, gas guzzlers off the road.
       This solution would, end our dependence on foreign oil; put 
     American's back to work; reduce the emissions problem; and 
     give every American family a boost up.
       Of course, the cost would be enormous, but since we can 
     spend $900 billion on a farm bill and untold billions on the 
     Iraq war to maintain our oil supplies, it should not be out 
     of reach.
     Charles.

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