[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 56 (Thursday, April 2, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4304-S4306]
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:

       Due to the price of gas, my husband might get laid off. He 
     shuttles the railroad employees around Idaho. At this time I 
     do not have a job due to being laid off from St. Al's, so gas 
     prices have and will continue to affect our family until 
     something is done about it!
     Sarah.
                                  ____

       In short, the fuel prices are making small farming 
     extremely difficult. I have been retired for seven years, and 
     have a small farm to help supplement our income. I have 
     empathy for all citizens in this fine country who are 
     struggling. The time is far spent; our resources need to be 
     utilized now. The environmental hacks and the tree huggers as 
     well as the nuke protestors [have caused harm to our 
     country]. America is hurting because of political gaming. My 
     grandchildren desire to see my wife and me; however, we can 
     no longer afford the fuel for long trips. I am thankful for 
     being able to plant two gardens with intentions of helping 
     less fortunate with food items as they struggle to make ends 
     meet. I have discontinued use of any recreational outings to 
     help stave off the discomfort of tight budgets. A sad 
     commentary after working and saving for over 45 years, and 
     this is the kind of retirement that has been foisted upon 
     millions of us seniors.
     Ralph, Mountain Home.
                                  ____

       Thank you for asking: Here is the data--I spend $85 a week 
     or $340 a month driving to work. I spend an equal amount for 
     health care; or that amounts to two paychecks in a month 
     leaving me and family two paychecks for food and housing. 
     Simple math makes one question--in whose interests are our 
     elected leaders working?
     Floyd, Pocatello.
                                  ____

       When we talk about energy, most people think of two things; 
     Gasoline and the power and gas for their homes. When I hear 
     you politicians talk about weaning ourselves off of fossil 
     fuels, it makes me cringe. How far are from having the 
     technology to produce electric engines that will fly an 
     airplane and what will it cost to produce them? Right now we 
     are at least 50 years from become free of fossil fuels unless 
     I am not up to speed on things, (which is possible). Let us 
     not forget also all the other petroleum-based products we use 
     in our everyday lives. Plastics, foam, etc., are all going to 
     still be wanted and they are also going up in price. I like 
     where you stand on nuclear energy, but until we can quiet the 
     environmental extremists on this point, we will not soon get 
     there. As long as this country is held hostage by special 
     interest environmental groups we will continue to slide 
     economically. I hope [conservatives have not] moved so far 
     left already to start curbing some of this.
       My husband and I live in Oakley, which is a small farming 
     community located 20 miles from the nearest town of Burley. 
     Our farmers are getting hit extremely hard due to the cost of 
     diesel, which also raises the cost of shipping. We owned a 
     trucking company that we were forced to close due to the 
     rising costs of fuel. My husband is also a disabled Viet Nam 
     veteran and must drive to the VA hospital every week for 
     various treatments. That is a distance of 200 miles. Since we 
     are on a very small fixed income, we are soon going to be 
     unable to afford to pay our basic living expenses. Our 
     elderly parents live on the coast, and we have had to cancel 
     all plans to visit them this summer. Please stop

[[Page S4305]]

     this runaway inflation. I am in favor of using domestic 
     energy sources but congress has been ignoring it. It will 
     soon be too late for most of us.
     Unsigned.
                                  ____

       Yes, I am spending more on gas this year. Yet, I believe we 
     need to put more of our government money into conservation 
     and alternative energies not increasing energy exploitation 
     in the U.S. We have the technology and the innovation as 
     Americans to be creative about this problem. I would love a 
     tax break to purchase a hybrid vehicle or a vehicle that uses 
     biodiesel. Please represent us well and keep our pristine, 
     beautiful environment in Idaho and the coastal U.S. any 
     further.
     Jennifer, Victor.
                                  ____

       My husband is a dentist and earns a good living, but we 
     have felt a need to curtail our usual driving habits because 
     of fuel prices. My husband drives a diesel pickup to and from 
     work and we also use it to pull our boat. He has been 
     considering buying a scooter/m.bike to ride because of the 
     high diesel price, but I really do not want him crossing busy 
     roads on a vehicle that is harder for another driver to see. 
     I have curtailed my trips to town which cuts down on my 
     consumerism. Not a bad idea, but it will likely be what 
     others are doing which is not good for the local economy. Our 
     own dental practice feels the crunch of conservative 
     spending. Our grown children that live away from this area 
     are cutting back on their visits. I do not like not being 
     able to see my grandchildren as often. Higher gas prices 
     limits the lifestyle of everyone. We are so spread out in 
     this country that it is an investment to go anywhere. Let us 
     get drilling!!!
     Renee, Twin Falls.
                                  ____

       I am in the insurance business and use my vehicle for work. 
     The high fuel prices are really eating into my margins and 
     are making it increasingly hard to stay on top of my personal 
     and business finances. The way I see it is we need to: First, 
     increase our refinery capacity. Build new refineries. Second, 
     increase drilling for more crude. But this will not help 
     until we have the refinery capacity to process it. Third 
     build nuclear power plants for inexpensive electricity.
       Of course, all of the above are extremely difficult with 
     the left wing environmentalists fighting us but somehow we 
     have got to get it done! I am just not sure alternative fuels 
     are the answer because of the cost of production.
     Kent, Paul.
                                  ____

       I have supported you because you have always listened and 
     tried your best to solve the problems of all of your 
     constituents. Now you ask for stories about how the high 
     price of oil has affected Idaho families. I would like to 
     give you rather than a story is a solution, albeit a simple-
     minded one.
       As gasoline prices keep racing towards $5 per gallon, I 
     think it is time to rethink some of our policies. OPEC feels 
     it has a stranglehold on the West and continues to tighten. 
     Now a real simplistic approach to this problem from a purely 
     capitalist point of view would be to look at what goods these 
     countries cannot produce themselves and increase prices there 
     until they feel the pressure to release oil at a more 
     reasonable cost per barrel. You know it is supply versus 
     demand. Last time I checked, they cannot grow enough grain or 
     other food products to sustain life in that region and yet we 
     continue to give away everything. I know this does not 
     breed friendship abroad but they are not our friends 
     anyway, they have proved that time and again.
       We also need to release all the energy alternatives that 
     oil companies have been withholding from this country to 
     continue [their] stranglehold on the United States for their 
     profits. This would allow us to relinquish our addiction to 
     foreign oil and strengthen our economy, rather than making 
     continually throwing money at our enemies. Then and only then 
     can we become the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave once 
     again.
       Just my opinion, Thank you for your time and allowing me to 
     vent these ideas to you.
     Jeff, Nampa.
                                  ____

       My wife and I like many Idahoans and Americans are feeling 
     the pinch with energy costs rising. There are many issues 
     that attribute to the problem and I feel helpless as an 
     individual that any of these issues will be resolved but we 
     must try, we have no alternatives but to try. If I could 
     prioritize a list of things that I feel we should to do help 
     immediately relieve some of the pain, I would say do the 
     following in order of priority:
       (1) Stop the big oil companies from getting so much profit 
     by putting controls on their profits and not help them get 
     such big profits;
       (2) Use domestic energy sources;
       (3) Nuclear power; and
       (4) Renewable and alternative sources of energy.
       Now the number one priority in my opinion will be the 
     toughest because I believe like so many other Americans that 
     most government officials will not allow this to happen 
     either because of special interest or under the table money 
     they are receiving from big oil companies. The problem is our 
     government officials are doing nothing illegal in most cases 
     because it is not against the law for special interest groups 
     to contribute to or otherwise [provide a political benefit to 
     their supporters]. As long as this is going on, our rising 
     energy problems will never be solved. We need to get this 
     under control otherwise the big oil companies will pillage us 
     Americans as long as they can.
       Other obvious fixes are to use domestic energy sources and 
     nuclear power as much as possible. But as long as the oil 
     companies have free reign, our skyrocketing energy costs will 
     never get under control. We need to pass laws against extreme 
     profits and against allowing big oil companies to lobby our 
     Senators and Congreesman.
     Dirck and Cindy.
                                  ____

       Promoting the transition to a hydrogen economy (fuel cell-
     powered cars) benefits Idaho in two ways: (1) It reduces our 
     dependence on oil and (2) It will fuel the expansion of Idaho 
     National Lab's nuclear research efforts. The two best 
     contenders to replace fossil fuels are batteries or fuel 
     cells. Fuel cells are more compact and better suited for 
     cars, but energy to charge a car battery is much more readily 
     available.
       The Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) being developed at 
     INL (among other national labs) will produce hydrogen at low 
     cost with no carbon emissions. By promoting the growth of the 
     hydrogen economy, Congress will steer research in the 
     direction of NGNP as a replacement to current oil-derived 
     hydrogen.
       To make hydrogen viable, the government needs to make more 
     hydrogen available. This means subsidizing hydrogen ``gas 
     stations'' in high-commuter areas and pushing the NGNP 
     concept through DOE funding. Idaho is a big part of the 
     solution, but the federal government needs to start tapping 
     its valuable scientific resources now.
     Aaron.
                                  ____

       We live in Parma. There is nothing here, a little store and 
     a gas station, but nothing else. To do any serious shopping 
     we have to go into Caldwell or Nampa or Boise, at a cost of 
     over $50 for one trip. We do not go shopping often and paying 
     for the gas makes it so expensive we have to cut down on 
     other purchases. We are eating a lot of beans and cornbread, 
     grinding our own wheat and raising a garden because I cannot 
     afford both fuel and food for my little family.
       What's going to happen this winter? Where are the programs 
     for underwriting the cost of propane and natural gas? How 
     about helping with the purchase of wood? Have you considered 
     a quick program that would insulate the homes, or help 
     purchase new windows and doors?
       There is a new solar energy development from NanoSolar that 
     no one will make available to homeowners. We could have solar 
     power for a few cents a foot on our roofs. Solar is free and 
     clean, unlike the deadly option like nuclear power. If we do 
     not know how to take care of the garbage from nuclear, then 
     we should not have nuclear power in the first place.
       If action is not taken in a big way to save what we have 
     and get into renewable power, the country is not going to 
     survive and this winter will be deadly.
     Ann, Parma.
                                  ____

       I first want to thank Mike Crapo for taking an interest in 
     what we the people are worried about. Finally, someone in our 
     government that is listening to the people and their 
     concerns. I hope that these concerns do not fall on deaf ears 
     and can promise each of you if they do, you will not remain 
     in office long. We as Americans will not tolerate being 
     ignored.
       I work in a hospital and help people in need every day by 
     using my field of expertise. (I expect the same from our 
     government representation.) However when I see people holding 
     off until they have no choice but to come in for major 
     medical issues because of financial concerns and when I see 
     many who die because they did not get help soon enough, I 
     feel it time for someone to stand up for them and say enough 
     is enough. It is time for a change.
       I do not make a ton of money but know that I am in much 
     better shape than those who work so hard in housekeeping, 
     maintenance, and other lower paying areas in our hospital. I 
     feel the crunch pretty hard with five kids, a mortgage and 
     such and have tried not to drive but walk or ride my bike 
     when I can. However, with the winters, we have and the 
     distance we have to travel in our great state, this is often 
     not possible. So I have to drive. When I get down to a half a 
     tank of fuel, I fill up. Why? Well, it costs me $72 for a 
     half a tank of diesel and I fear that I would have a stroke 
     on the spot if I had to fill it from empty. That gentleman is 
     ridiculous! I cannot even imagine how those in lower-paying 
     jobs can even make it! When I go to the store and see food 
     prices I am again appalled at what is happening. When I buy 
     clothing, still again I am shocked at the staggering prices. 
     Everything seems to be going up but our wages. Now we do not 
     have the best. We do not buy name brand. We have tightened 
     our belt, and there was not a lot of fat to trim before that. 
     Then we have tightened again. There is not much more to 
     tighten. And I would consider us to be a family in a very 
     modest home, with not much in the way of extras and we have 
     tried to keep our debt to home and car (and never a new car). 
     But with the price of fuel, both for cars and home, things 
     are getting out of hand in a hurry. Why? Greed and power 
     through fear!
       Here is the deal. We sit on more oil then OPEC. And yet we 
     have closed at least three refineries in the last ten years. 
     We have never been able to refine oil as cleanly and

[[Page S4306]]

     efficiently then we can now and yet our government chooses 
     not to build more refineries and sink more oil wells. Supply 
     and demand still runs any business and yet if we were to 
     increase supply, we could still make a healthy profit. Enough 
     to pay for the refineries in a hurry and to put more research 
     into alternative fuels. Not to mention lower dramatically the 
     prices not only at the pump, but everywhere else as well. We 
     might even start to help replenish our failing Social 
     security and pay down our national debt. Business sense is 
     what we need in Washington. Reagan Economics that helps to 
     build for the future, not run our great nation further into 
     the ground. We do not need more taxes; we need more 
     initiative in Washington. We need leaders that put the 
     interests of the people first and the world second. We need 
     to use what we have while developing new technology for 
     the future. We need some good old fashion farm boy ``fix 
     it''--live within your means, balance your own checkbook 
     logic. Occam's Razor says that ``the simplest answer is 
     usually the best one''. We do not need bickering and 
     fighting; we need cooperation. We do not need pork bellies 
     and hidden agendas; we need playing well in the sandbox. 
     We do not need environmentalists dictating to us; we need 
     people who look out for the environment while utilizing in 
     the best way we can, the resources that we have. We need 
     to tap into the creative genius of a nation that has 
     continued to wow the world for over 200 years. We need God 
     and we need to humble ourselves enough to see the other 
     person's ideas for what they are, [accept] what we can use 
     and build together the nation we have had in the past. It 
     is time to put away selfishness and start working with 
     each other toward a stronger more sound America.
       Remember that people cannot create and press forward when 
     they can hear nothing but their bellies growling and feel the 
     discomfort of not having their physical needs met. It is when 
     their physical needs are met that they can concentrate on 
     other higher creative thought processes.
       Fuel has brought us down in a hurry of late and is a great 
     place to start to bring us back up. Roll up your sleeves and 
     get to work. Supply and demand is still what runs a business, 
     and it seems that we have more than enough supply of 
     professional politicians, saying one thing and doing another 
     or just plain ignoring what we the people say, each of you 
     know where that leads. Be the one to stand shoulder to 
     shoulder with those that have Americas best interest at heart 
     and make a change for the better. We sure do need it if we 
     are to survive.
     Steven, Idaho Falls.
                                  ____

       Thank you for giving the people the opportunity to be 
     involved. There is definitely a need for concern about the 
     energy crisis, economy and environmental impacts. These 
     problems are linked and have been around for a long time. 
     They are only going to get worse unless we take stronger 
     action now. There is a solution for the crisis and there 
     always has been. The solution is to unite the people for the 
     cause. ``For united we stand and divided we fall''.
       The following are topics that can immediately be addressed: 
     (1) personal choices; (2) clean energy economy; (3) adoption 
     of renewables; (4) enhanced energy efficiencies; (5) 
     innovative leadership. Visit www.wecansolveit.org for more 
     details.
       My story is to get involved and encourage others to get 
     involved! We can start with personal choices by using 
     products and technologies that enhance energy efficiencies 
     such as light bulbs, water saving and efficient toilets, 
     dishwashers, clothes washers, moisture controlled sprinkler 
     systems, biodegradable products, etc.
       Fuel reformulators would increase fuel economy by as much 
     20% and decrease hydrocarbons in the atmosphere by at least 
     30%. A bridge over troubled waters? (If everyone participated 
     in this one, it would be like taking approximately 
     145,000,000 cars and trucks off the highway nationally or 
     175,000 in the state of Idaho alone!). Visit 
     www.forearthonline.com/EarthLink
       Recycle materials and Vote for candidates who are for the 
     people, for the cause, for the earth!
     Larry, Hailey.

                          ____________________