[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 43 (Wednesday, March 11, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3020-S3022]
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:

       Thanks for asking our input. As Republican delegates to the 
     convention in Sandpoint, my wife and I were pleased to help 
     pass resolutions encouraging energy development.
       I am really not sure what blend of ineptitude/conspiracy 
     (not you, sir) to blame for not drilling in Alaska and off 
     our coasts for the last 15 years, but I am glad to see that 
     clearing up.
       I do encourage domestic and offshore drilling; China is 
     already drilling past the 16 mile limit off the coasts of 
     California and Florida. (I gave a letter from delegate Jack 
     Streeter to Bill Sali regarding this at the convention; he 
     may recall it).
       Also, I would like to plug Idaho developing not only 
     nuclear power (I could go either way on that) but I really 
     think, as our forefathers had the wisdom to use government 
     resources to develop hydroelectric power, which we still 
     benefit from, so we should develop wind power, in a state so 
     blessed with wind, water and mountains!
       Rather than our children inheriting simply an enormous U.S. 
     debt burden, I would like to see us drill on a national level 
     (Idaho might benefit from deep drilling, like the Russians 
     are doing, 30-40,000 foot deep wells, unlike anything we 
     have--that is how you get oil in high altitude regions like 
     Idaho) and produce cheap, renewable energy from wind in Idaho 
     to bless our selves, and children and generations beyond.
       Please let me hear your thoughts; wind power for Idaho by 
     state funding or even a U.S. bill would be an earmark few in 
     the state would hold against you.
     Bob, Mountain Home.
                                  ____

       I heard on the radio that you want input from Idahoans on 
     the subject of gas prices and ideas for solutions. That is 
     why I am writing. In my opinion, this is a manipulated 
     situation, designed to pull more money from the pockets of 
     working Americans and put it in the coffers of corporate 
     America and a few of the mega wealthy citizens. We have seen 
     this happen before with the Enron debacle and the spike of 
     electricity prices a few years ago. We have seen it with the 
     .com stock market crash. We have seen it with the housing 
     market crisis. This is but another symptom of the larger 
     problem--corporate irresponsibility and subsequent government 
     bailout.
       The larger problem is the corruption in Washington. 
     Corporate business cannot run government and have the 
     citizens of the country be the winner in anything. The only 
     solution to the problem of gas prices (and drug prices, and 
     food prices) is to kick corporate lobbies out of Washington, 
     step up to

[[Page S3021]]

     the plate and legislate for the people, not corporate. If 
     this does not happen, next year's problem will be extreme 
     food shortages in the U.S., as is happening in much of the 
     rest of the world. Corporate farming giants are not producing 
     as the old-fashioned family farmer did.
       The other part of this problem is the [partisan blaming of] 
     each other for the problems. Continuing along this line 
     simply compounds the problems, and bipartisan solutions are 
     not found. Again, the citizens of our nation suffer. I am one 
     of a growing majority of Americans who are sick to death of 
     hearing the yammering and in-fighting coming from Washington. 
     At the rate our leaders in Washington are going, the 
     terrorists will not have anything left to terrorize. 
     Government and corporate corruption will have torn the 
     country apart for them. You all need to put your party 
     difference aside and come up with solutions with the other 
     party for the good of the country, or there is not going to 
     be a country anymore.
       It is not just a fuel price crisis; it is a country in 
     crisis, from sea to shining sea.
     Anna, Weiser.
                                  ____

       I am writing in response to your recent request for input 
     about gas prices and how it has affected our lives in Idaho. 
     As you mentioned: ``The driving distances between places in 
     our state as well as limited public transportation options 
     mean that many of us do not have any choice but to keep 
     driving and paying those ever-increasing prices for fuel.'' I 
     could not agree more. The opportunity for good solid 
     employment in Idaho is not something that can be found too 
     often in the little towns spread across the state. This of 
     course means that if you want a good job you will have to 
     commute. Being a single mother, I have had no choice but to 
     find good steady employment. I have been commuting from west 
     of Blackfoot to Idaho Falls to work every day. Due to the 
     price of gas, I have recently been forced to sell my home and 
     try to relocate in Idaho Falls. I have had to uproot my 3-
     year-old little boy from his daily routine and child care. I 
     have had to move away from family and friends who helped with 
     him therefore causing yet more costs to me in the form of 
     more expensive daycare. It is so sad that my son will now 
     have to be with strangers each day while I work to support 
     the two of us all because I could not afford to commute a 
     mere 45 miles to work. It is sad that I am forced to be 
     secluded from lifelong friends and family because now that I 
     am moving to Idaho Falls I cannot afford to drive to 
     Blackfoot to see them. Sick--it is just sickening.
     Sheri, Blackfoot.
                                  ____

       Sir, you asked for input on energy issues. Here is mine:
       First, I fully support nuclear energy. When viewed in terms 
     of energy independence, being environmentally friendly (e.g., 
     green house gas emission, waste), sustainability, cost and 
     efficiency, it stands out above every other option. Wind, 
     solar, ocean tides and the like may be reasonable 
     supplemental energy sources in certain cases but they are not 
     primary energy sources. The public needs to be educated on 
     this.
       Second, the gas tax holiday concept is foolish. It is 
     robbing Peter-to-pay-Paul. We need that tax money for highway 
     maintenance and construction. Also, a gas tax holiday would 
     do nothing to increase supply but would increase demand (in 
     the short term due to a drop in pump prices), therefore 
     worsening the supply/demand situation.
       Third, we need to aggressively pursue gasoline's ultimate 
     replacement (e.g., ethanol) like Brazil has. E85 fuel is a 
     prudent start. Also, we are at the door step to the hydrogen 
     economy; we need to be seriously working toward it.
       Regarding a response to this inquiry, just an 
     acknowledgement that you received it is adequate. Thanks.
     Chris, Falls.
                                  ____

       The people of Idaho are affected by the energy crisis. This 
     is why we in Idaho and across our country need to learn to 
     conserve and to develop clean and safe energy alternatives 
     which do not pose a risk for our children's future. I oppose 
     the use of nuclear energy as it does pose a health risk 
     however small. Remember Chernobyl and Three Mile Island. In 
     addition, I oppose more domestic drilling. Harming our earth 
     more just to feed our excessive oil habit is a short term 
     knee-jerk reaction. I strongly hope that Idaho can be a role 
     model for other states, by really looking at the problem and 
     creating long term solutions such as conservation, more 
     public transportation, and investment in extensive wind and 
     solar power energy.
     Sheila, Hailey.
                                  ____

       You ask for people to tell you their story about what the 
     high cost of gas and energy is doing to them. Well, here it 
     is. We live in rural Idaho. For those that do not know what 
     that means, it is ninety miles to a doctor or a reasonably 
     priced grocery store. Some people are going to say, ``take 
     mass transit''; we do have a subsidized transit system (it 
     costs over $90 for the round trip). They also charge extra 
     for more than one stop. It is cheaper to pay $4 per gallon 
     for gas. Some will say ``buy a hybrid'' that would be nice if 
     I could afford one, $40,000, and it will not do me any good. 
     They get great mileage in town but at highway speeds, they do 
     not get any better mileage than what I have. My family, 
     daily, makes the choice ``do we put gas in the car or do we 
     buy food''. I do not think anyone in government has ever had 
     to make that choice.
       I am so disgusted with our government and Congress in 
     general that, I think, for the first time in fifty years, I 
     will sit the next election out. In long-term results, I do 
     not see an ounce of difference in the two candidates running 
     for President. You need look no farther than congressional 
     approval ratings. The government (all of you) have lied to 
     the American people for so long that I believe you have 
     started believing your own lies. You take my Social Security 
     money and spend it to buy votes. You take the items out that 
     we all have to buy to calculate inflation. Everything you do 
     is calculated on a political power basis. You borrow money 
     from my grandchildren to send me a check and tell me it is 
     good for the economy. You have us so deep in debt that what 
     money we have is not worth anything. I do not expect my 
     Social Security check to feed me the rest of my life.
       I guess I have ranted enough. You ask for it; there it is. 
     I do not expect it to do any good. You will not do what the 
     people want, you are going to do whatever generates you the 
     most power wither it is good for the country or not. Drill 
     here--drill now!
     Jess, Aberdeen.
                                  ____

       Like everyone, I have been very concerned about the rising 
     cost in fuel, and everything else. I am trying to raise a 
     family with my husband, and we definitely feel the pinch. 
     Even as the price of filling our cars has increased 
     dramatically, so has the cost of feeding our family. It is 
     costing my husband almost $10 per day, in a fuel-efficient 
     sedan, just to go to work. We also have my husband's 
     brother's family living here to get back on their feet, so, 
     of course, the cost of running our household and everything 
     in it is a concern.
       I wanted to tell you that I strongly support domestic 
     drilling. It is something we should have done years ago, and 
     should be implemented as soon as possible. We need to 
     decrease our reliance on foreign oil! I also think that if we 
     are to continue fighting for the freedoms of the people in 
     the Middle East, we should expect that they compensate us, 
     maybe with oil. I know the answers are more complicated than 
     that, but there has to be something done. I would also, of 
     course, support alternative energy sources. I have heard 
     interesting things about algae, some of which you can see in 
     a video here: http://www.valcent.net/i/misc/Vertigro/
index.html.
       I am not eloquent or succinct, but I wanted my voice heard. 
     Please encourage Washington to lift bans on off-shore 
     drilling, and also to explore domestic drilling. Also please 
     express support for programs to research alternative energy; 
     and anything else that will decrease our dependence on other 
     countries for our energy.
       Thank you for your time, and your continued service to our 
     great state. Your representation is much appreciated.
     Jennifer, Nampa.
                                  ____

       You are trying to find out the public mind on what should 
     be done about the energy crisis and I really appreciate that. 
     Thank you.
       I am in college, married and working to pay for school. The 
     gas prices have not helped me at all.
       It is great that we are trying to get more fuel-efficient 
     cars but, I would like to see cars that do not need fuel at 
     all. (hydrogen fuel cell) The batteries for electric cars 
     have harmful chemicals in them and are going to be expensive 
     to replace and hard to dispose of. If we can push hydrogen we 
     will eliminate a lot of our dependency on oil altogether, 
     demand will go down; then the people who still need fossil 
     fuels can afford it.
       As far as powering the nation goes, I am a great fan of 
     nuclear power. I started working at the INL outside of Idaho 
     Falls; here I was educated on nuclear energy and radiation. 
     Education was the key to convince me of the benefits of 
     nuclear power. People are just scared of it because they do 
     not understand it or radiation. If the public can be 
     educated, I believe nuclear power can become much more 
     feasible. Even new coal-fired power plants have a near zero 
     emission operation and I would be OK with using our coal 
     resource to ease the burden until a new energy strategy can 
     be implemented. In recent years, windmills were placed east 
     of Idaho Falls, and I like the idea of making the best use of 
     the resources in our area. Some things may work well here, 
     and other things may work well in other places. Researching 
     what works best in our area and implementing that is a wise 
     strategy.
       Lastly, I favor drilling for our own oil. Self-sufficiency 
     is a principle that applies not only to individuals but to a 
     country as well. It is good to deal and trade with other 
     nations, but when a crisis is present making us pay unfair 
     prices we need to be able to step away from the problem and 
     be deal with it effectively. However, that oil is no good 
     without refineries. We need to make sure we can do something 
     with the oil we produce.
       Thank you once again for listening and hopefully this can 
     help you in making a decision.
     Kris, Rexburg.
                                  ____

       Rising fuel costs are a big concern for us here in Idaho 
     where a large percent of the working public have to drive 30 
     miles or more to work each day. And even with fuel efficient 
     cars it still takes a large chunk of change to keep the gas 
     tank full I carpool with three other coworkers to help the 
     situation. Even with the carpool, it still costs me

[[Page S3022]]

     $200 to $250 per month for fuel. We have family that live 600 
     miles + away and we can hardly afford to go see them. A trip 
     to Reno costs over $300 so we have to limit our trips to 
     visit because it is too expensive. Our recreation has been 
     limited, too. W have a cabin that is in the mountains east of 
     where we live about 40 miles away but, because of fuel costs, 
     we do not go there as often. Fuel costs are also driving the 
     cost of everything we buy. Where is it all going to stop?
       I think that we need to become less dependent on oil from 
     overseas and do more work on developing our own resources. We 
     need to work on alternative methods for powering the 
     automobile. Charge higher fuel prices in the areas they have 
     mass transportation available. Do not hammer the work force 
     with all the high costs.
     Orin.
                                  ____

       High energy prices are affecting my ability to provide 
     resources for living for my family. I am a disabled veteran 
     and on a fixed income, which prevents me from offsetting the 
     costs of oil. We have had to make significant changes in the 
     way we buy food, travel to the store and how much gas we use 
     for cooking and heating, often times being stuck with a $500 
     gas bill for a few gallons. The American people are smart. 
     They know that Congress is scrambling to hide the real issue. 
     That issue being, that they are no longer looking out for the 
     best interests of the American people.
       Though I am grateful that you and others in Idaho are 
     finally trying to change things, this should have never been 
     a problem in the first place. We have one of the world's 
     largest resources of coal. We have very significant amount of 
     oil on the coasts and within the continental United States. 
     Still, you all bend to the wishes of eco-terrorists like Al 
     Gore and that fraud agency EPA.
       Drill now! Here! Kick China and other countries off of our 
     coast lines. What were you thinking!! Letting other countries 
     drill on our soil and coasts while forbidding and banning our 
     own companies from doing it. That is obviously an attack on 
     our sovereignty,
       Please sir, get Congress back on track, and let them know 
     we are on to them. For Idaho, For the United States of 
     America! Please allow refineries. Allow drilling. Allow coal. 
     Allow more nuke plants! Now please, stop wasting your time 
     with email and written answers. Action is worth a thousand 
     words!
     Adam.
                                  ____

       [We] converted [our] pick-up truck to all electric. Why 
     does not Congress give tax breaks to people who drive 
     alternative vehicles?
       In our home, we are conserving energy by making our house 
     more energy-efficient. Why is not Congress enacting 
     legislation to reward homeowners for replacing windows, 
     furnaces, appliances with more energy efficient ones?
       Rather than expand domestic oil supplies (off shore and in 
     Alaska), why does not Congress raise the CAFE and heavily tax 
     people who drive gas guzzlers for pleasure (not business)? 
     Congress should be enacting meaningful legislation to curb 
     consumption before jumping to open up off shore resources and 
     ANWR.
       I think Congress should be embarrassed for talking about 
     opening up domestic oil resources when they just defeated a 
     windfall profit tax on oil companies. Higher prices at the 
     pumps, record profits, a Congress who cannot do the right 
     things to curb consumption and encourage conservation/
     alternative resources, a Congress who caterers to the oil 
     companies at the expense of the environment and the non-rich.
       Come on, Senator Crapo--please vote, sponsor, support a 
     government ``of, by, and for the people''.
     Michael.
                                  ____

       We still pay less than European countries. What I think is 
     a total same is the fact that the Treasure Valley still does 
     not have a decent bus system. When I was in Olympia, 
     Washington (pop of 20,000) during the 1960s that had a better 
     bus system that included other cities than we have now. Think 
     of the energy savings possible if the bus system was easy and 
     accessible for all of the residents.
     Michael.

                          ____________________