[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 29 (Thursday, February 12, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2226-S2228]
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 1,200, 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:

       Thank you for asking for the opinions from residents of the 
     great state of Idaho. Clearly only one answer for this . . . 
     do something now! We all know that it will take a couple of 
     years to implement; however, we must remember this is for the 
     long term. I believe that nuclear and hydroelectric is the 
     way of the future, and the cleanest approach.
       My husband and I are long-haul truckers, and pay over 
     $1,400 per day to fuel. Yes, there are other countries that 
     pay more, but we have not prepared ourselves for ``mass 
     transit'' in the United States, and we are also, in my 
     opinion, very spoiled with our cars.
       Most Americans do not stop to realize what impact all of 
     this madness will have on them. It is not just ``fuel costs'' 
     at the gas pump; it is the big picture of the fuel costs. I 
     have seen all the corn fields in Iowa and Midwest that have 
     been bought out by foreigners. Our country is literally 
     vanishing before our eyes, and ``fuel'' does not even touch 
     the surface of our internal problems.
       Let us stop selling off America and do for ourselves, 
     quick. We could be a self-sufficient country, and get back 
     some of our power that we have so easily sold off.
       Thank you for your considerations.
     DiAnne, Boise Valley.
                                  ____

       We are in our early 70s retired and on a fixed income. We 
     now plan every trip to town (16 Miles one way) to do senior 
     things and shop. Our costs are going up on every area: food, 
     medications (Plan D ran out this month June; paying 100 
     percent now for the rest of the year). We have had to pull 
     money out of savings every year since retirement. Gas and 
     diesel is a joke and you people in Washington, DC are out of 
     touch with reality. Open up our reserve and kill the profit 
     takers. Open up by Federal Law our Drilling and harvesting 
     our own oil products while working on other alternative fuel 
     sources. We citizens know what is happening; why do not you? 
     Stop being lawyers and start being citizens and do what is 
     right for the USA.
       The environmentalists are OK along with the civil liberty 
     union folks but once in a while you have to make decisions 
     they are not going to be happy about for the good of the 
     country. You should all now know corn to fuel is not the 
     answer.--We need to build refineries back here in our own 
     country along with our manufacturing jobs. Do something right 
     and open up our own reserves and give us citizens a chance to 
     enjoy our retirement after 60 years of work. Thank you for 
     reading my letter.
     Marvin and Gloria, New Meadows.
                                  ____

       Please do not support off-shore drilling and exploration 
     for additional domestic oil. Sure, Idaho is a big state and 
     we have to drive from here to there, but finding us more 
     domestic oil is not the solution. Even if we starting 
     domestic oil exploration today, I understand we would not be 
     producing that oil for many more years, and that would not 
     solve our immediate self-induced crisis today.
       Conservation is not a ``personal virtue''--conservation is 
     key to reducing our oil consumption, and Idahoans have a long 
     history of conserving when it is necessary. Unfortunately, we 
     got lulled into a false sense of security and prosperity by 
     cheap oil prices for many years, and thought we could drive 
     our

[[Page S2227]]

     SUVs inexpensively forever. We chose to ignore the warnings 
     that we would eventually run out of cheap oil.
       And, nuclear energy is not the alternative, not if the 
     nuclear waste is going to continue to be stored in Idaho.
       Better use of funding: mass transit (even in Idaho) and 
     renewable energy sources, not domestic oil exploration.
     Becki, Hailey.
                                  ____

       I am retired (66 years old) and live with my wife. We have 
     carefully budgeted our retirement for a home, cars and a dog. 
     We find ourselves keeping our air conditioner off until it is 
     unbearable. We do not travel because of the high gas prices 
     and our children cannot afford to come see us. We keep the 
     lights off and use a couple of fans during the day. Food 
     prices are up forcing us to use some of our food storage and 
     rotation. We pay twice as much for food then we did last year 
     and electricity and gas are prohibited and there is no 
     leveling off in sight. House market is down and we cannot 
     even sell our house if we are forced to. It appears the 
     government wants to force greater taxes on Social Security 
     without factoring in that we paid into for many years and a 
     decrease of Social Security and other high costs will cause 
     us buying less food, gas, and electricity use. We need some 
     relief and quick decisions on solving these problems now. I 
     am for drilling, building new refiners, obtaining other 
     sources energy with protection of wildlife. We can do it.
     James, Eagle.
                                  ____

       Thank you for the opportunity to sound off my concerns 
     regarding the rising oil prices. The rising cost of gasoline 
     affects my family not only with the higher cost to fill our 
     van but prevents us from spending our dollars in ways that we 
     would prefer: family trips, clothing and shoes, an occasional 
     TV update. This is the first year in our 11-year marriage 
     that my husband and I have been able to enroll our children 
     (we have 4) into extracurricular programs (karate and 
     swimming lessons) and we will now need to cancel one or both 
     due to the higher cost of driving to and from work. Food 
     costs have skyrocketed, making it difficult to feed our 
     family in a healthy way. It surprises me to see that the less 
     healthy foods are less expensive than healthy options like 
     fresh vegetables and fruit. Hamburger with a higher fat 
     content is much cheaper than a more healthy option. Like all 
     families, we make accommodations--we buy much less snack 
     foods, sodas and breads to allow us to purchase basics such 
     as chicken, hamburger, some vegetables and a few fruits. 
     There are no evening or weekend excursions to the movies, 
     Boondocks Entertainment Center or the water park. We will be 
     unable to travel around Idaho this year to show the kids how 
     wonderful their state is. Our heating bill this coming winter 
     is something I am afraid to think of.
       Many families that we know have lost jobs from Micron cuts 
     and now Albertson's cuts putting their very families into 
     jeopardy for homelessness and hunger, let alone higher gas 
     prices. With higher prices in everything and wages not 
     increasing to accommodate the rise, crime is also on the rise 
     and police departments are facing even higher costs than we 
     are because they are unable to do their jobs properly which 
     will reflect in a very negative way despite the fact that it 
     is not their fault. The elderly and people with disabilities 
     are affected by higher gas prices in the same ways as the 
     rest but additionally with higher taxi fares and reduced bus 
     routes preventing them from getting to medical appointments, 
     Social Security Administration appointments and other 
     appointments or events critical to their well-being.
       Solutions that we can think of: We believe in the nuclear 
     options and hydrogen powered cars. We believe in increasing 
     the use of solar power and wind power--especially in Idaho. 
     These need to be priorities in Washington. Our dependence on 
     oil hurts the USA in many ways other than basic dollars--such 
     as our very credibility. It would also be prudent of our 
     Congressmen to encourage their state counterparts to 
     encourage and develop public transportation options, 
     especially in rural areas. It is an expense that would 
     eventually pay off.
       Thank you for your time.
     Ginny, Boise.
                                  ____

       What can we do about the rising cost of fuel in this 
     country? Once the economic power country of the world is now 
     in a very sad situation. Opec is dictating what we pay for 
     oil and we are standing still letting it happen. Some of the 
     politicians are suggesting tax the oil companies on the huge 
     profits. Really who would wind up paying for that tax? The 
     consumer that is who.
       Here are some suggestions, which I am sure you have heard:
       1. Start using our reserves now and begin using pumps that 
     are standing idle. We have the oil in reserve to cut off 
     importing Opec country oil and put the squeeze on them.
       2. Begin drilling ANWR and forget about the 
     environmentalists crying about it. They will soon realize we 
     have to do this before it is too late. At the same time stop 
     exporting oil we now drill in Alaska and use it here at home.
       3. Give the big oil companies incentives to build new 
     refineries in the form of tax credits etc. Maybe if we use 
     our oil and they build new refineries the supply would 
     increase. I have a hard time dealing with the saying ``supply 
     and demand.'' Why should we be paying nearly the minimum wage 
     for a gallon of gasoline. Why should people have to worry 
     about buying fuel or food. This is The United States of 
     America, and it is time our reputation of being the economic 
     leader of the world return to us.
       I have a small business and the cost of having products 
     shipped to me is eating away at my profit margin. I cannot 
     continue to have to raise my prices and get sales in my type 
     of business.
       I am sure a person of your level does not even have to 
     worry about what you spend on food and fuel but the majority 
     of this country does and we cannot sit still and wonder when 
     this is going to end. It is up to our elected leaders to step 
     up and do something about it now. The American dream is not 
     the American nightmare. Mr. Craig has been on the news and 
     had some good ideas. All of you in Washington need to band 
     together as one and do something to fix the situation. When 
     9/11 happened Republicans and Democrats united together as 
     one and again it is time that you do that.
     Terry.
                                  ____

       You asked how high fuel prices have affected our lives.
       1. I am a sales rep and travel S. Idaho & E. Oregon. Since 
     April 15th I have driven 13,000 miles. I am sure that I have 
     spent over $600.00 since then on gas. I knew that I could no 
     longer afford my Toyota Sequoia. So I downsized to a Honda 
     Accord. I now get 27 MPG's. I have had to make a tough 
     decision. I now have to ask my customers if they will be 
     spending over $2,000. Otherwise I can no longer afford to 
     make the trip. What I would be making off the sale would 
     basically be going back into gas making me nothing. It is not 
     fair to my customers. They no longer get the personalized 
     customer service they deserve. The company I work for does 
     not reimburse us for fuel, food, and hotel. My customers have 
     also had an increase in shipping costs.
       2. My husband switched jobs. He was driving 60 miles round 
     trip 5 days a week. The cost to fill up his diesel truck is 
     over $100.00 now (it used to cost $60.00 2 years ago). He now 
     works closer to home being able to make the tank last 2-3 
     days longer now.
       3. I now run errands once a week. I conserve gas by making 
     one trip into town. I could halfway understand the high cost 
     of fuel if the gas companies (Chevron, Texaco, etc.) were 
     posting huge losses in their profits. But they are not. They 
     are posting some of the largest profits in history.
       Everyone is feeling the pinch. Something must be done and 
     fast. Thanks for your time.
       Cheerfully,
     Alyson.
                                  ____

       I firmly believe that our answers will not be found simply 
     by extending our addiction to oil. Saying that drilling in 
     the Alaskan wilderness or off the coast of Florida will fix 
     our problem is akin to saying that the cure for an alcoholic 
     is to go to a bar with a larger selection of drinks. We, as a 
     nation, must eliminate our need for the limited resource that 
     is oil.
       We have spent, by conservative estimates, over $550 billion 
     on the Iraq war during the last five years. By ending the war 
     and spending even \1/4\ of that amount solely on alternative, 
     renewable energy resources, we would be off of oil in a 
     decade and the Mideast would no longer mean anything of 
     consequence to us except as a coalition of countries to which 
     we could sell food and goods.
       President Kennedy made up his mind to lead us to the moon 
     in a decade, and he made it our national goal. We succeeded 
     in that national goal. It is now your turn, Senator Crapo, to 
     lead us toward our new national goal. Clean renewable energy 
     that will forever take us out of the shackles in which 
     limited oil has us bound. Imagine how this goal affects us by 
     taking us out of war during the next ten years. Boosting our 
     economy by injecting money into ground breaking research and 
     industry. Helping to balance our budget by eliminating the 
     need for at least another $550 billion of war funding and 
     directing the remaining dollars to technology that builds 
     our country. It would help level the trade imbalance by 
     reducing our imports of foreign oil and increasing our 
     exports of food, technology, energy, etc. Our economy is 
     built up, the dollar is strengthened and our independence 
     is safeguarded while we maintain our role as a world 
     leading nation.
       Thank you for the opportunity to be heard,
                                                Brian, Twin Falls.
       P.S. I also believe that nuclear energy is not the answer 
     as it sacrifices the long-term future for a short-term gain. 
     Leaving the nuclear waste problem to our children and 
     grandchildren is simply the wrong thing to do. We are greater 
     than that. Be part of the long term answer, Senator Crapo; do 
     not be a hostage to re-election politics. Be great, do the 
     right thing and let history show that you held future 
     generations in the highest regard and laid the foundation for 
     the enormous success those generations will create.
                                  ____

       I currently pay about $9.25 a day to get to and from work. 
     That is nearly double what I paid this time last year. I have 
     not had a pay raise in about two years. Its only obvious that 
     gas and food prices are causing a strain on our way of life 
     in the current economy. Its like I am making less now than I 
     was before.
       I believe our main focus should be to recover the valuation 
     of the dollar on the international market. At the time of 
     this

[[Page S2228]]

     email, the dollar is at 73.544. Oil prices have gone straight 
     up because the value of the dollar is way down from its 
     typical 100.000 mark. Drilling for more oil would certainly 
     help our economy in the short run, but without the focus 
     being on the valuation of the dollar, we are just applying 
     band-aids. I believe that America should apply working 
     solutions that reinvigorate American pride. Businesses need 
     tax breaks to survive the current shaky economy. Businesses 
     that deal strictly with products made in the USA should be 
     rewarded quite a bit more beyond generalized tax breaks. The 
     rebuilding of our economy needs to focus on the true roots of 
     our economic engine.
     Bob.
                                  ____

       First off, I want to thank you for taking the time to 
     listen to the average American on how high energy prices are 
     affecting our daily lives.
       My husband and I are getting close to retirement age. My 
     husband is in his 60s, Viet Nam vet and very proud of the 
     fact he was able to serve his county. I am 56. We live in a 
     small rural community, surround by farm ground, population 
     600. Both my husband and I commute to work--I have about 25 
     miles, he has about 17. I understand that it is our choice to 
     live ``out in the country,'' but the choice was made to start 
     up a business in our little town; my husband opened up a 
     small engine repair shop. Things were clicking along great 
     for a few years. We weren't setting the world on fire, but 
     life was good, until the economy took a downward turn. We had 
     to close our shop and my husband went back to into the 
     workforce resulting in the commute.
       I would say we have an average income, the two of us 
     bringing in approx $50,000. We do not own a lot of fancy 
     things, do not drive fancy cars, and we are just average down 
     home folks. As the price of fuel begins to climb, I see the 
     extra we set aside for our ``retirement'' dwindle, it now 
     fills the gas tank so we can go to work to pay the bills to 
     put gas in the gas tank. The circle continues with no end. I 
     worry about the ``golden'' years; will there be enough for us 
     to actually retire and when we do retire will there be enough 
     money to live on and enjoy a few things in life that we 
     worked so long and hard for. Such as travel, that now does 
     not seem to be in our future. We will not be able to afford 
     it. I worry about my children and their children, and their 
     future, will they be able to afford food, medical and fuel 
     for their cars.
       In our community, the rumbling at the local coffee shop is 
     the talk of the high energy cost, how it is starting to 
     affect all aspects of our lives, the farmers are struggling, 
     many are selling out because they just cannot make it. We 
     must make a change in our country to continue to be the 
     greatest, strongest, self supporting, independent county we 
     once were.
       For you in Congress, I urge you not to forget the everyday 
     people, there has to be way to work though this crisis. We 
     support off shore drilling, increase domestic oil production, 
     build refineries, study alternative fuel such as wind energy 
     and lastly tax credits on renewable energy. Environmentalists 
     have a place in our world, but the extremes they have taken 
     have tied our hands at making the USA self supportive as we 
     can and should be. Please urge your fellow Senators to work 
     for and with you on this much-needed cause.
       Again, thank you for your continued support for Idahoans.
     Gail, Melba.
                                  ____

       I hear cries for drilling. We should be hearing a challenge 
     from a President. Do you remember when John F. Kennedy issued 
     the following challenge ``within the decade we will put a man 
     on the moon''? Well--I was hoping that President Bush would 
     have cemented his name in history with a similar challenge--
     something like ``I challenge the Nation to effectively become 
     energy self-sufficient and efficient inside of the decade'' 
     but no--we just continue to hear--we need oil.
       I personally say--get off of foreign oil now. The 
     technology the world is benefiting from came from JFK's 
     challenge and think of all of the new technology if a 
     President were to stand up and issue a challenge in the 
     current era. Thanks for listening.
     Joe, Nampa.

                          ____________________