[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 67 (Monday, May 4, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5062-S5063]
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 the opportunity to share my feelings on the 
     outlandish energy circumstances of this great country and her 
     citizens. There is no question that increasing prices have 
     caused my family to rethink our spending habits. Though we 
     are able to fuel the vehicles right now, in an attempt to 
     save a little more we are spending substantially less in any 
     other economic environment. We do not go out to eat anymore. 
     Rarely do we seek entertainment the way we have in the past. 
     Though we will still travel, I can only do that because of 
     credit card points from my business. We are also relying on 
     food storage more so we spend a great deal less at the 
     grocery store. All of these combine to make one statement 
     from our household: Current energy prices and future 
     speculation have and will continue to impact our ability to 
     support a once thriving economy.
       For my business, I work with truck drivers: owner-
     operators. I have lost clients as they have shut down because 
     they cannot afford fuel. More are on the way. Everything 
     costs more. I do not need to belabor this point as I know all 
     are feeling this. What I just do not understand is the 
     stubborn bull-headedness in the legislature of those who work 
     to block everything that could ease the pain. It is as if 
     they want to destroy this country and her citizens--even 
     those citizens who elected them. It is as if there is some 
     conspiracy to destroy this country and such actions makes 
     less than no sense to me. I appreciate the few of you who 
     seem to be working to resolve the problem.
       Increasing domestic production is the only immediate 
     resolution and future technology is the only long term 
     resolution. I support green-focused energy but not at the 
     immediate and deadly cost to our society, economy and 
     national security--all of which are on the verge of collapse 
     through our reliance on energy purchased from those who would 
     have us destroyed--enemies foreign and domestic.
       Again, thank you for this opportunity.
     Troy.
                                  ____

       Thank you for allowing us to make our voices heard. I am 
     the mother of six wonderful children. My husband and I have 
     been married almost 15 years. We are raising a beautiful 
     family of good, caring, hard working children. The rising 
     cost of fuel has affected us. We do not even have the option 
     of purchasing a hybrid, or smaller car as our family will not 
     even fit. We will be staying closer to home this summer, 
     though we have family out of town we would love to visit. I 
     do not have a heart-wrenching story to give you, but it 
     affects our family every day. Due to the increasing price of 
     food, clothing, and transportation, we have cut back. We will 
     make it, but it takes money away from savings for college, 
     savings for medical expenses, and just general peace of mind 
     savings. I am a stay-at-home mom, who has thought more than 
     once lately of finding a way to enter the workforce without 
     leaving the upbringing of my six children to someone else.
       I would very much like us to open up the resources we have 
     in this great country. It seems ludicrous to me that we have 
     the resources right around us, and yet continue to buy 
     foreign fuels . . . The earth was placed here to support us 
     and we can still take care of it even when tapping into those 
     resources that are so abundant around us. Research 
     alternative energy methods, find ways to harness those things 
     around us to power our lives.
       Thank you for listening.
     Shel, Meridian.
                                  ____

       My husband and I are frustrated with having to spend so 
     much on gasoline these days when the oil companies are making 
     so high a profit that each quarter they set a new record. Why 
     are they charging so high prices at the pump when they are 
     continuously setting new records? I work in downtown Boise 
     and live in southeast Boise near Micron where there are no 
     public transportation services available and impossible to 
     ride a bicycle. So I have no choice but to drive a car to 
     work. Carpooling is not feasible due to my schedule after 
     work.
       If it were not for our Economic Stimulus Tax Rebate check, 
     we would have to cancel our summer vacation to Oregon to 
     visit family and the Oregon Coast. Due to gas prices we 
     cannot make a trip to Washington this summer to visit our 
     three other children and their families. Our daughter and 
     son-in-law who live near Belfair, Washington, are faced with 
     the difficulty with wondering how they will afford heat this 
     winter because they have oil heat in their house. They cannot 
     afford to purchase a new electric furnace nor can they afford 
     to have their oil tank refilled with the current prices. A 
     few weeks ago when it was still cold, they ran out of oil and 
     had the tank refilled one-quarter. It costs them 
     approximately $450. A tank does not make it through the 
     winter and they can in no way afford to pay current prices.
       These prices are causing difficulty for many people and our 
     government needs to take action to have the prices reduced to 
     affordable levels such as more drilling here at home and not 
     relying on foreign resources and other ways to help save 
     energy. Back in the 70s and early 80s when we had the last 
     fuel crisis, the federal government ordered all states to 
     drop the maximum speed limit to 55 mph so to save fuel. My 
     husband and I find that both of our vehicles get more miles 
     on a tank of gas if we drive under 60 mph so we are doing so. 
     Perhaps the federal government could take this action again 
     because driving 20 miles less per hour is not that difficult 
     when you plan and allow the extra time on a long trip.
     Betty.
                                  ____

       I need to express my concerns over the cost of energy. It 
     has affected every part of my life. I drive 40 miles one way 
     to work every day. I do this because I live in the country. 
     My costs have tripled in the last seven years. I am now 
     looking for a job that is closer to home. But, this is my 
     problem. I am 55 years old and the sole support for my 
     husband and I. He got laid off from the INL several years ago 
     after a bad car accident and has not been able to find a job 
     that pays more than $8 a hour. As I am also older and I look 
     closer to home, it will also cause me to find a lower-paying 
     job with less benefits. I am currently spending about $500 a 
     month in gas. If I purchase a newer car that gets better gas 
     mileage, I am not gaining anything because I would have to 
     pay a larger car payment and more insurance which would eat 
     up any savings. There is no public transportation in my area 
     that I can use instead of driving. I have tried carpooling, 
     but those who have ridden with me have not paid so, I am 
     hauling people without any help. I am in an endless 
     circle, and I do not appreciate the position it has put me 
     in. I am an older person who sees that I am not going to 
     be able to retire for a very long time.
       What do I expect the government to do? I do not expect them 
     to nationalize the oil companies or discourage business. I 
     would like to see more alternative options than just 
     gasoline. There are autos out there in other countries that 
     are running on compressed air. According to the article I 
     read on the internet, we do not accept them in this country 
     because we do not recognize ``air'' as a fuel. Why not? If it 
     works, let us allow it. Why are we behind other countries. I 
     have heard that we do not have the support system for other 
     resources like hydrogen. Why not? We did not have support for 
     the gasoline engines either but we did it. What happened to 
     the good ole American spirit? We have a can-do attitude and I 
     do not think we should be whipped by the oil companies. Let 
     us give them some competition in other alternative fuels. 
     India uses methane gas to cook with. We have a lot of dairies 
     here in Idaho with a lot of cow ``by product'' that is 
     definitely renewable. So, lets encourage the American Can Do 
     attitude and support ideas promoting renewable resources.
     Elaine.
                                  ____

       Gas prices do not affect us in one single way but in 
     hundreds of ways. They make everything more expensive and 
     work to slow the economy as a whole. People travel less and 
     buy less consumer items because they cost more. Therefore, 
     companies buy less, expand less, and spend less on their 
     facilities. It is like a self-fulfilling prophecy.
       Please forget about short-term solutions such as the gas 
     tax amnesty. That is a ridiculous idea. Our real solutions 
     are all long-term. Invest now and in ten or twenty years 
     you'll be patting yourself on the back.
       Here are my priorities for making the U.S. energy 
     independent:
       1. More drilling everywhere, ANWR, the Gulf Coast, etc. 
     Give oil companies more areas to drill.
       2. More nuclear production. Please do everything you can to 
     make it easier and cheaper for companies to put in new 
     reactors.

[[Page S5063]]

       3. More electric and plug-in hybrid cars. Most people do 
     not seem to make the connection that nuclear, coal, wind, 
     etc. produce electricity and without electric and plug-in 
     hybrid cars, gas prices are not going to go down. We have the 
     technology now for both of these types of cars. Let us start 
     producing them! This is probably the quickest and most 
     immediate way to reduce gas prices. We already have all of 
     the infrastructure in place.
       4. Clean coal production. Nuclear alone will not cut it. We 
     need to get off of coal but it is going to take several 
     decades.
       Low, Low, Priorities:
       1. Alternative energy (wind, solar, etc.). It is a 
     ridiculously small percentage of our total power production 
     for several reasons. I know that it is great politically but 
     the technology is generations away. Nuclear is a technology 
     we already have.
       2. Hydrogen Vehicles: This technology is a long way off. 
     Also, what about the infrastructure? It would be ridiculously 
     expensive.
       I would say this to any politician: Please do what is right 
     for the United States, regardless of what is right for you 
     personally or politically. That is really what we need.
     Nathan, Idaho Falls.
                                  ____

       You may not like what I have to say. I believe in tough 
     love and tough policies. Current oil prices are causing 
     changes, but they are the types of changes that create a 
     ``correction'' whereby the cost of fuel is real. It is real 
     that foreign oil prices are too high to ignore. Governments 
     getting in the way of a natural rebellion to that real cost 
     does not offer long-term sustainable solutions. Okay, so I 
     become a bit more frugal with the miles I drive; and so I 
     start looking into buying a more fuel-efficient vehicle. 
     These changes cause real and natural consequences like 
     manufacturers dumping more of their money into creating 
     greener options for consumers. Consumers will rebel 
     against costs. Lifestyles will change. Why do not we 
     embrace the positive direction this drives us--away from 
     materialism and consumerism (the hatred of which caused us 
     to be the target of the Taliban in the first place)?
       War on terrorism is still war. Showing love to our planet 
     and global community by accepting the consequences of prior 
     mistakes (need I elaborate?) and vowing not to repeat or 
     continue the rape our natural resources: this will heal the 
     hatred. There is something much deeper at stake here than the 
     pocketbooks of the American people. I urge you to dig for 
     that, not for petroleum.
       All the issues are as connected as we Americans are to the 
     cultures that span the globe.
     Susan, Ketchum.
                                  ____

       I am a disabled Vietnam Veteran; my disability benefits are 
     $914 a month. With the cost of gas now and the rising price 
     of food, I cannot really afford to go anywhere. It takes me 
     three months to save enough extra money to buy a tank of gas 
     to go visit my mother. who is in a home in Jackson, Wyoming. 
     If gas and food prices get any higher, there will be no need 
     for me to even own a car, for I will not be able to afford 
     the insurance and tags.
     Robert.
                                  ____

       I am less concerned about gasoline price than I am about 
     heating fuel. Being recently (involuntarily) placed in the 
     ``fixed income'' category, I am in a position that I do have 
     a fair amount of discretion regarding the number of miles I 
     drive each year, but as both my wife and myself are advancing 
     in age, thus increasingly more sensitive to hyperthermia, I 
     am much less flexible regarding heating. The projected global 
     cooling for the next decade, with return to harsh Idaho 
     winters, simply exacerbates the situation. A few years ago, 
     the highest monthly home energy bill I faced (fuel oil, 
     electricity, and propane) was on the order of $500. Last 
     winter, that cost rose to $1,500. Looking at projected fuel 
     and electricity costs, within a few years that will increase 
     to $3,000. Should that happen, I am faced with the prospect 
     of having to sell my house in order to afford heating it.
       In the 1970s, the citizens of this country accepted energy 
     conservation as a stopgap measure to allow the federal 
     government time to devise a self-sufficient and affordable 
     energy infrastructure for the country. The federal government 
     has not only squandered the three decades of grace given it, 
     but has actively blocked all measures attempted by private 
     enterprise to develop a workable domestic energy supply. The 
     only measures that have been taken by the federal government 
     (such as ethanol) have made the situation worse by 
     skyrocketing food costs, which we are only seeing the leading 
     edge of. I raise poultry. A 50-pound bag of turkey finisher 
     (of which corn is a major component) cost $8 in 2004. In 
     February of this year, it was $15, Last month, that same sack 
     of turkey finisher was $30. A 50-pound bag of scratch grain 
     rose from $5 to $15 during that same time frame. Chicken feed 
     ain't chicken feed any more, and although transportation 
     costs have contributed to feed cost, it certainly is not the 
     major contributor. Whatever were you people thinking of when 
     you decided to subsidize competition of this country's energy 
     supply with its food supply?
       As far as what I want to see our federal government do, 
     first, dissolve the Department of Energy and replace it with 
     a commission drawn from private enterprise, then task them to 
     correct the total failure of the DOE to devise an effective 
     short-term and long-term energy policy for the USA. Second, 
     remove the hobbles the government has placed on the oil 
     companies for using currently known petroleum reserves, 
     including off-shore and, especially, ANWR. Third, roll back 
     the excessive and crippling regulations the federal 
     government has placed on this country. Quit the insane policy 
     of requiring our dwindling number of refineries to produce 
     dozens of different gasoline and diesel blends. Return to a 
     licensing process that allows a nuclear plant, coal-fired 
     plant, or refinery to be on line within five years of license 
     application. Fourth, immediately start rebuilding our nuclear 
     infrastructure. Even if you take the first three steps I 
     propose, we no longer have the internal capability to build 
     and operate nuclear plants at the scale needed 
     for significant contribution to the energy future of the 
     country. Without the government immediately commencing the 
     domestic equivalent of the Manhattan Project, we will find 
     ourselves contracting with France, Japan, and probably 
     even Iran to build and staff our new reactors.
     Darwin, Idaho Falls.
                                  ____

       I support the development and utilization of our natural 
     resources including drilling on the north slope and 
     extracting shale oil in Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming. Why 
     would we endanger our sovereignty by relying so heavily on 
     foreign oil anyway? We should be producing our own oil like 
     we did in the 80s when the U.S. reacted to the oil embargo of 
     1973. OPEC realized that we were capable of being self-
     sufficient so they lowered the price of their oil. The way to 
     contain energy costs is to keep reminding them that if they 
     are going to take advantage of a free world economy then, 
     they will also have to deal with the natural results of 
     competition. Our founding fathers understood the concept--
     have we forgotten it? I do not support increased taxes for 
     oil companies or the consumer. Let the oil guys make some 
     money and remove the fetters of exploration, refinement, and 
     drilling. Let us take care of America for a change. Every 
     American should be able to afford to drive--it is part of 
     being free.
     Don.
                                  ____

       Fewer trips, less fishing, flying when I used to drive--all 
     because the [partisan behavior of politicians]. Most lack 
     plain old `common sense', lack any business or military horse 
     sense. I believe price of fuel will continue upward until we 
     fix [partisan posturing].
     Bob.
                                  ____

       I just wanted to take a moment to write to you to let you 
     know how the price of gasoline has affected me and my family 
     and the recent past. I am a student working on my doctorate 
     in Political Science at ISU. This last semester I had to 
     drive down from Rigby to Pocatello five days a week. As you 
     may be aware, that is a one-way distance of about 70 miles. 
     The cost last semester for transportation to and from campus 
     almost broke me. With the prices as they are presently I am 
     lucky that I am only going to have to go to the Pocatello 
     campus one day a week in the fall semester or I would have to 
     drop out because I would not be able to afford the 
     transportation costs simply to get from home to campus and 
     back home again.
       My wife works for janitorial service and Idaho Falls as a 
     night supervisor, and part of her job requires her to drive 
     from site to site, delivering supplies, checking on the 
     janitors, and making sure that they have done their job. This 
     means that she spends a good part of her job every night in 
     the car, putting miles on driving from spot to spot. Her job 
     does not pay her for mileage nor for gas used, and does not 
     pay enough for her to be able to deduct her mileage off of 
     her taxes. Since her employer cannot afford to give her a 
     raise and we have no way of being able to recoup the 
     increased costs of her doing her job, we have, in effect, had 
     a cut in income from her. I do not know what can be done and 
     I do not know what should be done, but something needs to 
     change because I know in our case we are falling farther and 
     farther behind simply because of the increased price in 
     gasoline.
       There is no doubt in my mind that we cannot drill our way 
     out of this problem. But there is also no doubt that ignoring 
     the option of drilling will make matters that much worse. I 
     believe we need to have a comprehensive energy policy that 
     includes drilling for more oil resources, increased use of 
     natural gas, a reduction in the policies that prohibit the 
     building of nuclear power facilities, and coal liquefaction 
     programs.
       Thanks for reading my comments,
     Jay, Rigby.

                          ____________________