[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 26 (Monday, February 9, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2024-S2026]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                IDAHOANS SPEAK OUT ON HIGH ENERGY PRICES

  Mr. CRAPO. Madam 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. While energy prices have dropped in recent 
weeks, the concerns expressed remain very relevant. To respect the 
efforts of those who took the opportunity to share their thoughts, 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:

       I am not going to bother with ``how'' we are affected by 
     high energy prices. Just about everyone buys fuel. Just about 
     everyone buys food, and uses electricity or natural gas to 
     heat and cool their homes. It is a given that everyone is 
     affected. It is not the

[[Page S2025]]

     ``how'' that is important; it is the ``why''. I have a firm 
     belief that the crisis is not in energy; it is in government, 
     and monetary policy. The price of fuel and other forms of 
     energy are increasing due to a combination of several things: 
     1) Lack of a truly free market, 2) An excess of government 
     involvement, 3) Greed and a desire for control, and 4) 
     Inflation directly caused by the Federal Reserve. The latter 
     is the most probable cause of the increase. I do not believe 
     for a second that prices have anything to do with supply. I 
     believe we have enough oil within our own borders to easily 
     become energy independent, if only it was allowed (by 
     government) to be tapped. I believe the Federal Reserve (a 
     private entity masquerading as a government entity, 
     completely controlled by private bankers) is one of the main 
     (if not the main) evils in our time. The Federal Reserve 
     should be abolished, and sound money, backed by gold and 
     silver, should be restored. All economies that have ever been 
     based on a flat currency fail, and ours will as well (mark my 
     words, and the words of the Founding Fathers). The Fed has 
     done absolutely nothing to secure the value of the dollar, 
     but instead has done everything possible to erode it. Soon 
     the paper and ink that is used will be worth more than the 
     currency itself, as it is backed only by the people's trust 
     in their government; something that is quickly declining.
       I do not want the Congress involved in this issue. It is 
     not government's responsibility to be involved, or to ``fix'' 
     anything; it is rather their responsibility to not be 
     involved. Let the free market work. If it was not for the 
     presence of corporatism, several alternative energy sources 
     (such as domestic oil, electric cars, solar power, etc) would 
     have already been developed and be mainstream choices.
       I would encourage you to read (or listen to) The Proper 
     Role of Government, given by Former Secretary of Agriculture 
     Ezra Taft Benson. You can find the text and audio at the 
     following link: http://www.wakeup saints.com/truth/
     Ezra%20Taft%20Benson%20 %20The%20Proper%20Role%20of%20Govern 
     ment.php.
       I would also encourage you to read (or listen to) The 5,000 
     Year Leap. A summary (and entire audio) can be found at the 
     following link: http://www.wakeupsaints.com/truth/W. 
     %20Cleon%20Skousen%20%20The%205%2C000 %20Year%20Leap.php
       Thanks for your time,
     Nate, New Plymouth.
                                  ____

       Thank you for asking us to write to you regarding the 
     energy crisis. I used to laugh at my mother-in-law when she 
     complained about $1.80 a gallon gas. Dave and I have always 
     tried to plan our trips and walk whenever possible to 
     conserve gas, especially since the ``crisis'' of the 70s, so 
     gas was just a necessity and there was no sense driving all 
     over town looking for the cheapest station. It is really too 
     bad that something was not done then to use our own energy 
     resources, but the environmentalists took over and 
     successfully squelched any progress. Now we are dependent on 
     foreign oil and it will take several years to get our own 
     resources up and running. If our plan was to drain all of the 
     oil out of the Middle East before using our own, it really 
     backfired. I would like a bumper sticker proclaiming, ``Do 
     not like the price of gas? Blame an environmentalist.''
       That being said, we had better get busy and start drilling 
     in anywhere we can, building refineries where we can (what 
     about President Bush's idea of converting unused military 
     bases?), and developing nuclear power. When the price of gas 
     goes back down, it will all be forgotten if we do not use 
     this crisis to get started!
     Jacqui, Boise.
                                  ____

       I have read with great interest your articles on the high 
     fuel prices. Sorry, but I believe it is all a load of bull 
     and brain washing!! Listen carefully--The problem is the 
     greed of the oil companies! Pure and simple. There is no 
     reason on earth why they should make billions of dollars per 
     month in profits, by screwing the American people! The cost 
     of a barrel of oil does not equate to the price of the fuel! 
     They have put our entire country into a tail spin! What they 
     are doing is nothing short of criminal. My wife and I are on 
     a fixed income, retired and unable to enjoy any travel! We 
     are only able to see our grandkids once a year from Kuna to 
     Spokane, due to the price of fuel! The electrical has just 
     taken a big jump as well. The government needs to step in and 
     stop these thieves from bilking the American people. Just 
     because they have a product that is required by all, they 
     take advantage of it and are robbing the nation! Drilling for 
     oil is not the problem. We have already proven with ethanol 
     that the price of American produced fuel is even higher! The 
     CEO of Shell Oil on ``The Today Show,'' said we have enough 
     oil for 300 years. Supply is not the problem. Greed of the 
     oil companies is the only problem! Please save our country by 
     forcing them to lower the price!
     Carl, Kuna.
                                  ____

       I am retired from Idaho State Police. I served 18 years. I 
     have lived in Idaho since 1967. Thank you for trying to save 
     our country. As a recently retired public employee, I had 
     dreams of fishing and/or golfing a couple of times a week. 
     Those simple pleasures used to be limited to available time, 
     and not by how much it cost to get there. Now that I have the 
     time to do those things, I have to consider the additional 
     costs fuel has made in getting to those destinations and 
     limit myself to once a week or a couple times a month. This 
     not only dampens the hopes I had for my retirement years, but 
     affects those that would have provided other services to me 
     along the way. Those people that would have sold me ice, 
     lunch, beverages, clothing, equipment, etc. are all losing 
     out on my ability to travel.
       We live 30 miles from the nearest `large' retail area and 
     have begun to delay trips to the city; combining our shopping 
     needs into one visit rather than three. And, as would be 
     expected, we find all of our required purchases have 
     increased in cost because high fuel prices caused increased 
     shipping expense for the retailer. The presumption that the 
     average person sees $50 more a month increase on fuel is only 
     a drop in the bucket to the true impact to ones' retirement 
     budget. So we tend to stay home, contemplating going back to 
     work. On the positive side, my yard sure looks great because 
     I have so much time to dedicate to it!
     David, Kendrick.
                                  ____

       Gas prices are affecting us at home our level pay electric 
     went from $62/month to $87/month and no increase in electric 
     use. We have to drive to Boise from New Plymouth once a month 
     because my husband has Traumatic Brain Injury and requires 
     once a week therapy. The 100% disable pay from the VA that my 
     husband is on is a fixed income; the travel money is not 
     enough to pay for the round trip to Boise along with he does 
     not get the full amount of travel pay for the 3 or 4 visits.
       He cannot drive himself so I take a half-day to full day 
     off work to drive him and to be a part of his appointments 
     because he is not able to remember what was said by the 
     therapist or the doctors. So our income is hurt with me 
     missing work.
       Our food budgets support one child full time, another child 
     half the time along with their friends (it is better to open 
     our home to friends to know what they are doing and support 
     them). Not that we have a lot of children coming and going.
       Luckily my job is here in town, Internet Truckstop, so I 
     can walk most days to work, which I have been doing for many 
     years.
       I can only imagine what people are going through with 
     smaller incomes. The food prices here in town are 
     considerably higher compared to driving to Ontario, Oregon, 
     or Payette, Idaho. It is still worth grocery shopping across 
     the river if you are already going to be there. Payette 
     County does not have a lot of service-related businesses so 
     there are many times we have to go into Ontario to meet our 
     needs as county residents.
     Jeannette.
                                  ____

       Thanks for the opportunity. We own a small residential 
     building company in Boise with a small fleet of pickups. As 
     you know the home market is weak at best and this one more 
     item, higher gas prices, does not help. But in the end, it is 
     the consumer that will pay for my increased cost just as I 
     will pay the increase when any corporation or other entity 
     above me gets a tax increase. We need to drill now, anywhere 
     and everywhere we can and rely on our own resources.
     Steven.
                                  ____

       I fully agree with this excerpt from your email letter:
       ``Congress should not be sitting on the sidelines while 
     Idahoans are paying the price at the pump, and I hope 
     together we can spur some real action on this issue.''
       Unfortunately, this is exactly what it seems that Congress 
     is doing. As long as the United States' economy is petroleum-
     based, we will experience increasingly higher fuel costs. 
     Regardless of how many barrels of oil are pumped globally, 
     the refining capacity of this country is at max capacity, or 
     so we are led to believe, therefore gas and diesel prices 
     will continue to remain high. This reality will not change 
     regardless of coastal or Alaskan exploration. The only 
     solution to our situation would seem to be increasing our 
     ability to run our economy on alternative fuels i.e. nuclear, 
     hydro, solar etc. To that end, it would seem that the nation 
     which set a bipartisan goal of putting a man on the moon 
     within a decade--and succeeded, would be able to set a goal 
     of weaning our nation's economy from petroleum within a 
     reasonable period of time. However, given the extreme 
     bipartisanship nature of our Congress and the influence of 
     legacy lobbyists on legislation, I do not see that happening.
     Fred, Boise.
                                  ____

       Thank you for providing this forum to learn and receive 
     feedback as to how the outrageous fuel price increases are 
     adversely affecting us personally. Sadly, with all of the 
     feedback that you have received, there is no ``quick fix'' or 
     immediate resolution to this issue, unless of course, the 
     major oil producers and suppliers wish to ``pay it forward'' 
     by reducing the price of unleaded regular and diesel by 50%.
       My fuel costs, like everyone else's, have doubled since 
     2005. We are making every effort to reduce our costs by 
     driving less, even with two diesel powered vehicles. Boise 
     lacks viable and practical public transportation that would 
     further help reduce everyone's costs, so we all continue to 
     struggle with these outrageous price increases.
       Here are some facts for you, to illustrate these price 
     increases:
       On July 4, 2005, the price of diesel was $2.43 per gallon. 
     Today, the price is $4.75 per gallon, nearly double in three 
     years!

[[Page S2026]]

       On January 31, 2008, the diesel price hit $3.24 per gallon, 
     and on May 23, 2008, the diesel price hit $4.55 per gallon. 
     Major oil company stations are now selling diesel in excess 
     of $4.89 per gallon, over 200% increase in three years.
       Since January 31, 2008, diesel prices have increased 67%.
       In the meantime, as a new and recent retiree now living on 
     Social Security, my benefits increased $50 per month from 
     2007 to 2008, hardly enough to offset these constant rising 
     prices. Tack on the recent increases for Idaho Power (25%), 
     Intermountain Gas (10%), and food costs, senior citizens on 
     fixed incomes are juggling to keep pace, and still pay for 
     their necessary medicines.
       The major oil companies have all boasted significant 
     profits ranging from $5 billion to $10 billion per fiscal 
     quarter, and some executives have testified that they are 
     paid in excess of $10 million annually. The oil companies 
     have also indicated that profits to shareholders have jumped 
     a whopping 40 cents per share. It is very easy to see that 
     the oil companies, their executives, and the shareholders are 
     becoming very wealthy at the expense of the American 
     consumer. That is simply not right, nor is it fair!! The 
     major oil companies are also exporting large quantities of 
     diesel fuel to European and Asian markets, which have much 
     larger price increases driving their markets.
       The oil companies, like any other business, needs to focus 
     on providing a quality product, at a fair and reasonable 
     price, to all consumers. Rather, the oil companies are 
     rapidly increasing their profits, holding back on product 
     delivery, speculating on oil futures to further drive up 
     prices, and the American consumer is getting victimized daily 
     by the oil companies actions.
       Sadly, there is no immediate fix for this problem! Any new 
     drilling will fail to drive down prices for at least five 
     years. New and more efficient vehicles will be expensive such 
     that many Americans will be unable to afford them. (A $45,000 
     hybrid vehicle would cost consumers over $600 per month in 
     payments and interest.) Production of biodiesel and ethanol 
     is counterproductive if the cost per gallon of these products 
     exceeds the current gas and diesel prices. Consumers clearly 
     need gas and diesel costs lowered.
       Yet we (America) are spending $150 billion a year on a war 
     in Iraq that has no perceived outcome and that has not 
     positively influenced oil price reductions! NASA is sending a 
     space craft to Mars to investigate planets on which we could 
     never reside or survive! In the last five years, NASA space 
     craft failures have cost American consumers at least $165 
     million per failure. We simply do not have that luxury to 
     waste money! Cut NASA's budget in half and give that money 
     back to consumers! Stop the war and bring our troops home 
     safely, and give that money back to American consumers! Stop 
     pork barrel spending and give that money back to consumers! 
     We in Idaho do not need to help finance projects in other 
     state's Congressional districts where we fail to realize any 
     benefit, except for loss of revenue.
       Congress's job is to provide for the American people, not 
     special interests, and operate the government's business 
     successfully, providing any profits to the American consumer. 
     That is not happening.
       The business of running the federal government is a 
     business, and Congress and the President has failed miserably 
     to provide for the American consumer. With the trillions of 
     dollars racked up in Congressional debt, America could soon 
     be bankrupt. That would be a hard lesson in reality. The gas 
     and diesel fuel crisis is a significant indicator of a 
     failing economy. I will be watching to see what Congress can 
     do. Thanks again for allowing this forum.
     Jack, Boise.
                                  ____

       We should start drilling in ANWR and off our coasts. We 
     have shale in several states that we are not allowed to 
     access; we should open this up, too.
       One of our sons just driving to work and back is paying $8 
     a day for gas, and he drives a midsize Honda. Another son 
     drives a Subaru and he is paying $150 a month for gas, just 
     getting to work. Another son drives a semi-truck and cannot 
     take care of his family of eleven, with the cost of fuel 
     being so high. All of these sons are not in high paying jobs, 
     so it is affecting what they can pay for housing, food and 
     other costs. They are all hard-working and do not accept 
     government assistance; they want to stay free of government 
     help.
       Please consider drilling, we have oil here, why cannot we 
     use it? We feel that as soon as we start drilling the price 
     of oil will go down because of the threat of competition. 
     Thank you for asking for our input; we have sent your message 
     to other people also.
     Frank and Jo Etta.
                                  ____

       I would love to share with you the impact that higher gas 
     prices has had on our family. In the past two years, I have 
     suffered horribly with a condition called psoriatic 
     arthritis. It has had some very disabling qualities about it. 
     We have always been a very close family and have followed our 
     children literally around the country with their athletics. 
     My husband and I live in a small rural area of SE Idaho, and 
     our children and grandchildren love to come and visit. With 
     my health problems in the past several years, I am not able 
     to travel and get around like I once did, so our children 
     have been the ones to load up the grandkids and come to 
     Grandma and Grandpa's house. With the rising gas prices, my 
     children are now unable to come up as often, which is tearing 
     me to pieces. I have even offered to help pay for their gas, 
     but with our limited income, and their wonderful sense of 
     pride, they do not want to accept it. There are very few 
     areas they have to cut back from, while trying to raise young 
     families, in order to come up with the extra money to get 
     here on a regular basis. To us, there is nothing more 
     important than family, and our family has been greatly 
     affected by the high costs of gas/fuel.
       I would love to see us move forward and stop having to rely 
     on other countries (and playing games with the devil to do 
     it) and start utilizing our own resources. That has always 
     been one of the greatest things about our country is our 
     self-reliance and willingness to help others. In order to 
     help others, we must be able to help ourselves and put 
     ourselves in a position to where we do not have to beg, 
     borrow, or steal from other countries when we have the 
     resources here to take care of our needs. I would urge 
     Congress to get on board and start utilizing our resources to 
     save our country. It is only a matter of time before we start 
     having major trucking strikes--can you imagine where we will 
     be if this takes place?
       Then we do not have to just worry about where we are going 
     to get the money for fuel, but how we are going to eat and 
     survive. Businesses will soon start folding under the extra 
     heavy burden for fuel and gas prices. It really paints an 
     ugly picture of where we might be a year from now.
       We will be watching this issue very closely and the 
     candidates we select had better have this vision in mind if 
     you are going to earn our vote.
     Patti, Montpelier.

                          ____________________