[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 65 (Thursday, April 30, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4957-S4959]
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:

       I appreciate a lot of what you stand for and accomplish in 
     DC. I am a high school teacher in Idaho and have chosen to 
     take a $10,000 cut in pay to have the opportunity of teaching 
     privately instead of remaining in the public system. So, in 
     addition to all the common woes of teachers, I have no 
     benefits and a smaller paycheck.
       I ask not for more pay; I only work 180 days a year, for 
     crying out loud. But I hold to that centuries-old 
     conviction--that the free American can provide for himself, 
     his community, his beloved nation, and for the world around 
     him when he so chooses. But the regulated, restrained, and 
     restricted American will find himself captive and controlled 
     as he watches the oppression, long familiar to the history of 
     mankind, push individual freedoms aside in favor of the 
     omniscience of a well-meaning government.
       I, with my wife and six children, used to travel every 
     summer to Mexico and the Western states. We no longer do so, 
     but we need no assistance from the Senate. We used to visit 
     Yellowstone and Craters of the Moon every spring and fall. We 
     no longer do so, but we need no assistance from the Senate. 
     We used to drive to visit grandparents in California every 
     Christmas. We no longer do so, but we need no assistance from 
     the Senate. Please, as you fought against climate change 
     legislation, fight also against any financial assistance that 
     would result in using tax monies.
       Our country flourishes best when its people are trusted to 
     be wise beyond mere elections. Too many politicos clamor for 
     wisdom of the people in elections, but then refuse to admit 
     that popular wisdom remains to allow for proper local self 
     governance.
       Help remove the restrictions that so cruelly keep us 
     dependent on others' petroleum sources. Help remove the 
     regulations that falsely inflate corn prices. Help remove the 
     restraints that continue to dim the American spirit of 
     ingenuity, entrepreneurship, and liberty.
       Perhaps, if Congress relinquishes their tightening grip on 
     the energy sector, I can return to the South rim of the Grand 
     Canyon with my wife and children to once again marvel at 
     glory that God has repeatedly demonstrated in my country.
     Jason, Rigby.
                                  ____

       I live in the wonderful town of Hagerman. I met you 
     personally one fall evening after you and other friends had 
     spent the day duck hunting and were in a very close game of 
     shuffle board. The town of Hagerman enjoys our fame for the 
     duck hunting and the people it brings to our town. The sport 
     of hunting is not cheap, and now with the gas prices??
       I work for Con Paulos Chevrolet in Jerome. It is 33-mile 
     trip one way. It used to cost $30.00 to $40.00 a week to get 
     to my job. Now it is $60.00 plus. Same car, a minivan, 2005. 
     How do our farmers and ranchers survive with their pick up 44 
     and the farm produce trucks? So gas is up, food is up and 
     Idaho Power needs a rate hike again. Our salaries in southern 
     Idaho are not up. Companies cannot afford any raises due to 
     all the ups. The oil companies report massive earnings, yet 
     we are paying and paying and paying. Why cannot someone put a 
     cap on the gas? Stop it dead; just say no. The gas 
     speculators would have to deal with that, the oil companies 
     should be sued by the people they are gouging and get busy 
     building refineries and spend some of that money we are 
     paying them for better fuels or give it back.
       Does it seem to you that the Middle East has been planning 
     our demise for some time now? It is working. The panic is 
     just around the corner; why cannot we see it coming?
                                                  Deana, Hagerman.
       P.S. I was impressed with one thing about you the evening 
     we met. You drank water!
                                  ____

       I am a recent graduate of BYU-Idaho, and I still live in 
     Rexburg. I have a job working for an engineering firm in 
     Idaho Falls. Each day I commute the 30 miles to work. This 
     commute is becoming increasingly expensive, and I am 
     considering alternatives on how to get to work and back. 
     Public transportation is limited to Idaho Falls, and I am the 
     only one from work who comes from Rexburg making it difficult 
     to carpool. One thing I have done is bought a Honda Accord. 
     It gets good gas mileage and reliability to save on the 
     travel costs. I would like to buy American-made cars if they 
     could match the reliability and economy of some of the 
     foreign cars. With the high-cost of gasoline driving my focus 
     though, I am forced to spend our American dollars on foreign 
     cars.

[[Page S4958]]

     I know the automakers are rapidly trying to change, but in 
     the meantime, they are losing money, making it more 
     difficult.
       I also know firsthand that research currently being done at 
     the INL on syngas production from nuclear power plants 
     coupled with hydrogen production plants could completely 
     revolutionize the gasoline market. It would allow us to still 
     use gasoline, and so not have to change our infrastructure, 
     but we would never have to dig any more fossil fuels. We 
     could make our own hydrocarbons chemically. If done the right 
     way, this process would also be an almost zero pollution 
     process. The carbon would come from garbage, sewage, and 
     mulch already being collected at local dumps and waste 
     treatment facilities. Rather than rot and naturally send 
     methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (that so many 
     people seem to be worried about these days), it would be used 
     in the production of hydrocarbons. The carbon that would 
     already be entering the atmosphere through the decomposition 
     process would just be intercepted and used it in our fuel. A 
     patent has already been filed on this technology. I feel like 
     one way to help in lowering energy costs is to give groups 
     like this one in Idaho ample funding to develop these 
     technologies. The budget on that program is entirely too 
     small.
       If you are looking for areas to get funding from, I would 
     suggest rerouting some of the money being sent to help out 
     ``honest'' consumers who did not realize they were getting 
     into a debt-trap by overspending, overborrowing, and over-
     mortgaging their lives. It is a sad situation, but fiscal 
     responsibility will never be instilled in our minds if the 
     government is always standing by with a handout. In the long 
     run, a future catastrophe could be avoided if we ride this 
     crisis out and educate our consumers but do not give a 
     handout. People are still responsible for their actions, even 
     if millions are guilty of them. A $300 billion handout does 
     not seem like it teaches us as consumers anything.
       Thank you for considering my comments; I hope they are 
     helpful. If you have any further questions or comments, I 
     would love to talk.
     Bryant, Rexburg.
                                  ____

       Thank you for the opportunity to vent on energy. I believe 
     we should look past the current prices and look to be energy 
     independent ASAP. There is so much technology available in 
     almost all areas of energy. Renewable sources such as solar 
     wind and hydro should be promoted along with bios out of 
     byproducts and waste. Fuel from our food bad idea. Assistance 
     for private enterprise to facilitate the distribution of 
     hydrogen gas since the current energy providers do not want 
     to make the investment because it will cost them. Let them 
     know it will really cost them if they do not move in that 
     direction the tech for hydrogen is amazing and profitable at 
     $4 as I understand it, production cost on large scale would 
     be under $3 per gallon and is our best long term source. 
     Combine that with solar as the tech becomes available our 
     cars and homes and roads etc. will be painted with solar 
     collectors. Right now! It should be required to have a 
     posting of where fuel comes from (nation of origin) like 
     seafood so we can choose not to support our enemies even if 
     it costs us more. States should make the decisions on mining 
     exploration and development of resources. Help the 
     innovations get power to the people. This should be what 
     saves freedom and liberty. Get the government out of the way 
     and let free I mean really free enterprise be allowed to work 
     remove the restrictions on new refineries and development of 
     hydrogen gas take all the red tape out of the way and let us 
     get with it and nuclear power as well. Let us do it and do it 
     now.
     Harold.
                                  ____

       I am a wife and mother of two children with another on his 
     way (July 21st C-section is planned). We are a family who 
     strongly believes in the importance of the mother staying at 
     home in a child's early years to ensure confidence, morals, 
     and stability is taught before each child starts school. Due 
     to these strong beliefs, we are a one-income family living 
     off $39,500 per year before taxes and church tithing. Living 
     on such a strict budget to ensure that I can stay home with 
     my young children has not been easy over the last few years. 
     We do not enjoy conveniences most Americans take for granted 
     so we do not have to put our children in someone else's care. 
     For example, we do not subscribe to the newspaper, cable or 
     satellite television, any magazines, and until having the 
     need for my husband and I to finish our degrees in an 
     internet-based university, we did not have home internet 
     access for six years.
       Financially, we have been struggling for years; however, 
     now gas, energy, food, health care, and utility prices have 
     consistently risen at such enormous rates, I am facing having 
     to leave my young children and new baby in daycare and go 
     back to work. Even so, when I was working before and my 
     children were just babies, my paycheck went straight to 
     daycare and I was lucky to break even financially. Obviously, 
     I quit to tend to my own children to ensure they were getting 
     the nurturing they needed and due to the fact that my family 
     financial contribution was canceled out by daycare costs. 
     Even though I have a degree now, I will have three children 
     as well, and I cannot imagine I will be able to find a high 
     enough paying job to break even anywhere in the Boise area. 
     With the economy and housing instabilities, the last thing 
     our family wants to risk is moving to another area for an 
     insecure job and not being able to get back into a house, 
     which is the only secure item in our lives right now. So, we 
     are stuck . . . not to mention I have such incredibly low 
     confidence, (after just graduating at the end of May), that 
     my husband and I could support a larger family; thus, I am 
     having my tubes tied. These economic stresses are taking 
     control of our way of life, family, future goals, and now 
     even the size of our family (and therefore future generations 
     of our family).
       How do we battle the high rise in gasoline and energy costs 
     (and everything being affected by these prices) when employee 
     income levels have been stagnant or only rising 2-3% for 
     years? Expenses have risen from 10% to 200% on varying 
     services and products. The economy has spun out of control 
     and, for Idahoan families like ours, we feel completely 
     helpless and in dire straits for the future. Just making ends 
     meet from paycheck to paycheck and trying our best to stay 
     out of credit card debt has been tough enough, but now with 
     two sets of student loans going into repayment with no hope 
     of an income increase and yet substantial increases in 
     necessity items, what hope do we have of ever saving a dime 
     for retirement or kids' college expenses? The future is 
     looking extremely dim, and we feel trapped. I guess my 
     husband and me, both college-educated and wanting to obtain 
     MBAs, may have to give up on our dreams and get two jobs a 
     piece and put our children in full-time day and night child 
     care to make ends meet. The sad thing is I do not feel any 
     confidence this will be a short-term sacrifice but the way of 
     life for the future. I only see things getting worse. I have 
     lost confidence our country will ever get to a better place 
     economically. America may have to change the border patrol to 
     the Mexican side as Americans may start jumping the border 
     soon to a better life down in Mexico!!
       Thank you for your time and what you are doing to try to 
     get us out of this mess.
     Janiel, Boise.
                                  ____

       I read your e-mail regarding your request as to how high 
     energy prices have been affecting me and my family, and may I 
     say the effect has been positive. Now that gasoline prices 
     more accurately reflect what actually is happening in the 
     global market, I have been taking steps to reduce my gasoline 
     consumption.
       Primarily, my family and I are no longer taking unnecessary 
     trips, but are trying to consolidate trips to the store or 
     other venues so as to maximize the efficiency of our trips, 
     rather than taking repeat trips to the same or nearby 
     locations. We are attempting to carpool as much as possible, 
     and have been utilizing alternative forms of transportation 
     such as bicycling. Also, I have been altering my driving 
     techniques in order to be more fuel efficient, for example, 
     driving slower, and slowing and accelerating more gradually.
       All these techniques are simple and painless, as well as 
     being beneficial both economically and environmentally. It is 
     unfortunate that those of you who have the power to act to 
     change how we as a nation utilize our energy lacked the 
     perspicacity to make changes in our energy policy which would 
     likely have prevented, or at least softened the impact from 
     these market changes.
       However, now that the market has taken over, I believe it 
     would be disingenuous of you to attempt ``reform'' that would 
     ultimately lead to more of the same. Please allow the market 
     to drive oil prices upward. This will result in ordinary 
     citizens such as me conserving fuel, which will lead to 
     diminished greenhouse gases and less global warming. It will 
     also allow alternative forms of clean and renewable energy to 
     be more competitive in the global market, encouraging 
     entrepreneurship which will stimulate our lagging economy, 
     create new jobs, and will be a market driven path to 
     decreased greenhouse gas emissions and reduction in global 
     warming.
       I hope you have the courage and the integrity to evaluate 
     what is currently occurring in the energy market rationally. 
     Please do not interfere with the counterproductive and likely 
     ineffectual means you are proposing.
     Frank.
                                  ____

       I would like to tell you about how the high energy prices 
     are affecting me personally, as well as my family. I am an 
     outside salesperson with my company, and as such, I must 
     travel around to see different clients as well as potential 
     clients. Even though I do not necessarily travel great 
     distances as in metropolitan areas, the distances between 
     towns here in the Magic Valley are substantial. So, in order 
     to service my clients and get new business, I have gone from 
     spending approximately $150 per month in fuel to almost $300 
     per month, and that with cutting back on who I see. My salary 
     is based on sales, so the more I see and sell, the more I 
     make. With cutting back on where I go and who I see, my 
     potential for better earnings, for my family, is greatly 
     inhibited; and with the increase in fuel, I have actually 
     taken a decrease in pay!
       Then there is the issue of my parents who are on a fixed 
     income, with the increase in their fuel costs and the costs 
     at the grocery store, results from the increase in fuel. They 
     have no choices!
       I believe that we need more domestic oil production, from 
     drilling where there is plenty of supply, to more refineries, 
     to whatever it takes! We here in rural Idaho do not

[[Page S4959]]

     have mass transit, or any other alternative. I believe it is 
     high time that Congress stop catering to Big Oil and 
     conservationists who do not have a clue. Please help your 
     constituents!
     Vern, Twin Falls.
                                  ____

       Thank you for soliciting and receiving emails about the 
     high energy prices. As is so often heard these days, 
     ``something has to be done''. We are a middle class, working 
     family with two adult children (one in the Coast Guard, one 
     soon to leave for college) and one teen driver (yikes!) still 
     at home. I could elaborate on and on about how gas prices are 
     affecting all of us but will try to keep it concise. We had 
     been planning a congratulatory vacation to Hawaii for our 
     family for quite some time--to congratulate one son for 
     graduation from high school and to honor our son in the Coast 
     Guard for his promotion. Due to gas prices, we have had to 
     scale down our trip and will now be camping on the beach in 
     Oregon. Our youngest is working full time, so we have given 
     him the use of our fuel-efficient car to get to and from 
     work. He is unable to ride a bike due to traffic and for his 
     safety. Therefore we are using a vehicle (not by choice) that 
     is not fuel-efficient to commute to work. In an effort to 
     keep it affordable, we are carpooling and will soon be taking 
     the motorcycle safety course in hopes to utilize a 
     motorcycle. Using a motorcycle is only a band aid as it will 
     not help in the winter. We have been looking for a used fuel-
     efficient vehicle, but the prices have climbed dramatically 
     and they are very hard to find. I am so disappointed in the 
     gas mileage for all cars on the market. I know that our 
     country can improve this. Hondas and Toyotas for example have 
     gotten over 30 mpg for many years. Why cannot we raise the 
     bar and demand at least 35 mpg?
       My husband and I have discussed the huge ``trickle-down'' 
     that the gas prices will have on the economy. Because of the 
     high gas prices, we have chosen to cut out other services. We 
     are no longer subscribing to the Idaho Statesman (which we 
     have always taken), we will be discontinuing our home phone 
     service and are cutting back any way we can. I know of other 
     people such as us who are doing the same. The impact of these 
     cutbacks is just beginning to be seen, such as with 
     Starbucks, Round Table and other businesses closing. We 
     understand that we will be contributing to this downturn by 
     cutting back on services but it is necessary.
       Again, thank you in advance for your help with this matter.
     Gail and Dennis.
                                  ____

       Here is an addition to the testimonials you asked for 
     recently concerning the effects on the high price of fuel. 
     Not only am I going broke due to high gas prices, food costs, 
     etc., but also this is the first year we have had to scratch 
     items off the grocery shopping list. This is literally taking 
     food of the table and taking food away from my family.
     Dewey, Idaho Falls.

                          ____________________