[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Pages 18802-18804]
[From the U.S. 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 over 1,000, are heartbreaking 
and touching. To respect their efforts, I am submitting every e-mail 
sent to me through [email protected] 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:

       Soaring gasoline prices are putting a tighter and tighter 
     pinch on our pocket book for transportation needs. We've 
     taken many steps to reduce the cost of fuel including 
     reducing the way we drive as well as where and how often we 
     drive. Savings from these steps, however, have not caused a 
     reduction in our fuel costs. Rather the cost of fuel has 
     jumped so rapidly, that these efficiencies are almost 
     invisible.
       We have an older home which needs a new roof but the cost 
     of composition shingles has risen so significantly that other 
     areas of our budget, if possible, will have to make up the 
     difference. The aging process bringing the shingles to the 
     end of their life is not slowing so a replacement delay is 
     not possible. Working against these circumstances is the 
     escalating price of petroleum products.
       The price of products we purchase from the grocery store 
     has risen in correlation with fuel costs. Our food budget is 
     being strained to the limit because the cost of 
     transportation to deliver the products to the grocery story 
     is much more.
       We have been advised by government in some communities that 
     the cost of public services, e.g. law enforcement and fire 
     protection will have to be decreased or curtailed because of 
     the extreme jump in the cost of gasoline. We envision our 
     property as well as persons becoming less safe.
       We are thankful there are security regulations in place 
     that prevent investors from being ripped off by unscrupulous 
     people. At the same time, we are extremely concerned that in 
     today's world speculators in commodities can manipulate the 
     market. Why cannot the US Government take action immediately 
     to bring control to such activity? Wouldn't this be a good 
     place to start and one where something could happen quickly?
       We were citizens of Washington State several decades ago 
     when a governmental entity, Washington Public Power and 
     Supply System (WPPSS) attempted to construct nuclear power 
     plants according to the wishes of the citizens. We watched 
     millions and millions of hard-earned public dollars go down 
     the drain as environmentalists' voices were given audience 
     and commitments. We literally witnessed the promise of 
     nuclear energy disappear. One of us was employed in State 
     Government. One of our sons is now employed in a nuclear 
     energy support position and we have an in-depth understanding 
     of the benefits as well as risks. The fear tactics used by 
     environmentalists (not facts and data) drove the actions of 
     government.
       We have a sleeping giant available in nuclear energy and 
     facts and data, not emotions needs to govern our elected 
     officials' decisions. The problems with energy are not new 
     and have been spoken of frequently since we were born in the 
     late 30's and early 40's. We would hope our Senators and 
     members of Congress would wake up and do that which is best 
     for today and tomorrow.
       In a short 9.3 year period, the cost of regular grade 
     gasoline has risen from $0.899 per gallon to $4.079 today. 
     That is a 430% increase in cost. At the beginning of this 
     period, we had time to make changes but have squandered them 
     away with political posturing and contention.

[[Page 18803]]

       Let us do something now. Now does not mean never or 
     whenever. It means Never Override Wisdom. Help Please. Do 
     something now.
     Keith and Patricia, Idaho Falls.
                                  ____

       I appreciate the opportunity to share a little about how 
     the high fuel prices are affecting my family. I have the 
     great opportunity to work as a teacher in the public school 
     setting and to work on the family farm in the summer. I have 
     experienced higher prices for fuel and everything else that 
     is needed (i.e. food, clothes, etc.) over the past year. When 
     everything is going up but our paychecks it makes it 
     difficult to raise a family. While already living with 
     limited means, it is hard to cut back the necessities when 
     all we are there aren't many. The family farm is also 
     suffering. My father-in-law is considering selling a portion 
     of the land to pay for overhead costs of running the rest of 
     the lawn. He may also have to lease the ground out as he can 
     no longer afford the expenses that go along with the small 
     operation. This farm has been in the family for over 75 
     years. My wife struggles with her part time job because as 
     she goes to work for several hours a day, one hour of the day 
     goes to pay the fuel to get there.
       I guess that I could go on and on about how we are all 
     struggling because the high cost of energy; fuel for cars, 
     propane for heat, electricity, higher food cost, etc... but I 
     guess that I would like to share my thoughts on our 
     dependence on foreign energy sources and the hold these 
     entities have on us. I believe that we have been blessed in 
     our country with the resources that we need. More and more of 
     our jobs are being outsourced to other countries and we are 
     buying more of their products. Because we have these oil 
     reserves that we are not accessing because a minority 
     squeaked and got the grease, there is a serious problem. The 
     USA is known for high standards in both safety and 
     environmental protection for anything that we do. If a few 
     Caribou have their grazing area slightly interrupted because 
     of an oil well, it is okay. They will adapt and everything 
     will be okay. Conservation and Protection is very important. 
     I believe that our God has given us this great land for our 
     use. We must be careful and use it wisely, not foolishly. I 
     believe that our current practices are foolish. We have made 
     ourselves a target and it is hurting us all. Our country is 
     so far in debt and our dollar is worth less and less. This 
     has to change. Even if the use of our own oil is temporary, I 
     believe that it will send the message to the oil cartel that 
     we are not solely dependant on them.
       I also believe that we need to stop the large oil companies 
     from hindering our development of technologies of alternate 
     fuel sources and different engines. With all our knowledge 
     today, why has the internal combustion engine, basically, not 
     changed in all that time. We hear of Hydrogen Fuel Cells, 
     Electric Cars, BioFuel, etc... but somehow these ideas are 
     not making it full time the consumer. Things have got to get 
     better. I shutter to think that it is going to get worse for 
     it gets better.
     Kevin, Georgetown.
                                  ____

       Thank you for being an advocate for Idahoans in Washington. 
     As you know, those of us in sparsely populated states often 
     feel disenfranchised and like our voices are not heard, even 
     that our votes are for naught. I, for one, am grateful that 
     you are a strong voice for Idaho.
       You asked for stories of how the high cost of energy is 
     impacting our lives. My story will not have the power of 
     those who must drive long distances to work or those who are 
     engaged in providing our nation with food and who find their 
     very livelihood threatened. I am a widow; I lost my husband a 
     year ago. The last year has been lonely and bleak in many 
     ways, and I miss my husband more than I can express. Our 
     children all live far away--the closest is in Portland, 
     Oregon, one in Houston, another in London, England, another 
     in California. While I do have a few family members here in 
     Idaho Falls, including my sister who lives with me, but my 
     children are who are my greatest comfort since the death of 
     my husband. They cannot afford to travel to see me. And now I 
     cannot travel to see them, nor can my sister see her 
     grandchildren in Boise very often because we cannot afford 
     the gas. In fact, I have not left the city limits of Idaho 
     Falls since Thanksgiving because we simply cannot afford to 
     travel.
       My house is all electric--a change we made in the 1970s due 
     to the oil embargo. My heat bills were close to $300 a month 
     during this very long and very cold winter we just had. As a 
     disabled widow living on a fixed income, this increase was a 
     burden, to say the least. And I know the city of Idaho Falls 
     is preparing to increase our utility bills. I cannot even 
     imagine what really poor people are doing, but if the prices 
     go up, we will have people right here in Bonneville County 
     who will freeze to death. And I am sick at heart thinking of 
     what the next winters brings when I think of gas and 
     electricity and food even for my small household.
       The cost of everything has gone up, food prices are 
     skyrocketing, and the trickle-down will be a burden of those 
     of us in the middle and lower classes. When people cannot pay 
     their bills or pay for the basic necessities of life they 
     become desperate. And we all know the most dangerous thing in 
     the world is not a fanatic, but someone who is desperate.
       Please help us, Sen. Crapo; please plead our cause and the 
     cause of this nation before Congress. This is not about 
     Democrats or Republicans, liberals or conservatives. This is 
     about the people who elected them becoming desperate with no 
     end in sight. Please tell them we need responsible 
     representatives, not posturing demigods out to line their 
     pockets and further their own agendas. I pray for the day 
     that we can tell the oil producing nations (except for those 
     in North America) to go to hell, that we will no longer need 
     their oil. It is time this nation ceased being a hostage to 
     those who would destroy us. Enough is enough.
       I am sorry this is so rambling and poorly expressed. But 
     Sen. Crapo, I know you're a good man and that you truly speak 
     for us in honesty and dignity. Thank you for letting me say 
     my piece. God Bless you and your staff.
     Stella, Idaho Falls.
                                  ____

       Thank you for providing a convenient avenue for the public 
     to hear your personal view on this important issue and for 
     giving the opportunity to let our opinions also be heard. It 
     is comforting to know that the people's representative is at 
     least attempting to represent the people. Here's my take on 
     the situation:
       I own a '98 Honda Civic--hardly a gas-guzzler. I recently 
     paid my car off, but now my gas payments are equal to what my 
     monthly payments used to be. I pay more for gas each month 
     than I do for car insurance. I live like the majority of 
     Idahoans probably do: I drive to work and school during the 
     week; I go to church and visit family on the weekend. I make 
     a modest living and drive a modest car, and yet I am paying 
     premium prices for regular gasoline. I feel the pain at the 
     gas pump, at the grocery store, and in my wallet.
       Fundamentally, I see two sides of the solution to our 
     problem--the domestic side and the foreign side. Domestically 
     we should be producing and refining more of our own oil. We 
     know where to find it. It is in ANWR, it is off-shore, and it 
     is in many other places that should be made available to ``We 
     the People''. (It is our country, after all.) It is possible 
     to safely and responsibly recover and refine our own oil. We 
     the People need to provide incentives to American companies 
     for oil exploration and recovery. We need to make it possible 
     for American companies to build new oil refineries. All this 
     needs to happen while simultaneously discouraging the 
     formation of monopolies as we continue to build the national 
     oil industry. We should also continue to encourage private 
     research and development of new energy sources by American 
     companies. We should not be waiting for the world's answer to 
     oil to come from Europe or Japan. America leads the world in 
     power and in ideas; we should also lead the world in energy. 
     That is energy independence.
       The foreign answer is a lot more complicated, but it has a 
     lot to do with the notion of free trade (and it applies to 
     more than just the trade of oil). If an oil producing nation 
     pays its employees slave wages while US companies must pay 
     union wages, is it free trade? No. If they fail to comply 
     with environmental standards to which US companies are bound, 
     is it free trade? No. If the nation is a known sponsor or 
     sympathizer of terrorism or drug trafficking, is it free 
     trade? No. If they deny basic human rights to women, 
     children, a certain race/nationality, or a specific religion, 
     is it free trade? No. If we believe these are basic standards 
     of civilization for our own people, how can we support 
     governments that clearly do not abide by the same standards, 
     and yet still call it free trade? In good conscience, we 
     clearly cannot. So what do we do? Impose tariffs or embargos? 
     Maybe. How about trade incentives for like-minded countries? 
     Like I said, it is complicated. The answer may be that we 
     just work to set things right one step at a time, and 
     continue to move forward. We know oil is more than likely 
     just a temporary solution to our energy needs, and we know we 
     would like to achieve energy independence, so if We the 
     People are all united in our determination to approach that 
     goal, the solution may become clear.
     Craig, Meridian.
                                  ____

       I am responding to your newsletter soliciting stories of 
     how high petroleum prices and energy costs impact average 
     Idaho citizens and families like mine. Please read my story.
       I am a husband and father of six children. This escalation 
     of energy costs has a huge impact upon us. Gas is up past 
     $4.10 per gallon. I commute from Meridian to Boise 5 days a 
     week. My daily fluctuating 8-10 hour work schedule does not 
     allow for carpooling or Commuteride or bus. So public 
     transportation does not help me in the least. And there are 
     many Idahoans where public transportation is just impractical 
     with our many work schedules. I may do errands to or from 
     work as I pass by a store on my way to eliminate an extra car 
     trip. We also travel to our church in Nampa twice each 
     Sunday. My wife drives her minivan to grocery shop,

[[Page 18804]]

     take kids to music lessons, dentist, eye doctor, little 
     league games, the library, etc. and as much as possible she 
     combine trips to conserve fuel. We may eat out as a family 
     once a month.
       In addition to soaring gas prices, Idaho Power was approved 
     for another 6% hike for electrical rates. Intermountain Gas 
     also recently implemented a similar rate hike. My property 
     taxes in Meridian went up 40% per year in 2006 and 2007.
       Senator, we are financially squeezed in so many ways it 
     would seem unbelievable if it weren't true. We grow a few 
     vegetables in our small garden. We buy goods in bulk when we 
     can. We use coupons and watch for the best sales. We do not 
     have cable TV or high-speed internet. My wife cuts everyone's 
     hair but her own. We live very frugally and frankly we are 
     just getting by. But let me also say, by God's grace, we are 
     a happy family.
       I look at the stimulus money we received as a way to pay 
     off some credit card debt we've accumulated. We have little 
     savings with the poor economy. So with the stimulus money 
     we'll buy gas, put food on the table, pay for the roof over 
     our head, buy the kids some clothes we could not get at the 
     local thrift store. Maybe have some money left over to go out 
     to dinner once or twice or see a movie in a theater for the 
     first time this year. It certainly cannot be used for many 
     luxuries as our buying power is shrinking day-by-day due to 
     the high cost of energy driving up the cost of everything 
     from food and fuel to goods and services.
       Senator, I am sad to say, you and your colleagues in the 
     House and Senate, Republican and Democrat alike, are for the 
     most part responsible for America's poor economic condition 
     especially as it relates to energy costs. You have the 
     influence and power to make positive changes but you thus far 
     have refused to do anything but blame the energy companies 
     and demand that automakers manufacture cars that nobody wants 
     to buy. Stop blaming energy producing companies for high 
     energy costs when it is largely the fault of Congress for 
     overregulation, high taxation, and prevention of domestic 
     acquisition!
       Why don't you actually do something to end this crisis? You 
     proffer wind and solar power which are currently very 
     inefficient, expensive and are decades away from having any 
     real impact on our plight. You fund public transportation 
     that only benefits the very urban areas. You subsidize 
     burning our food supply (corn)--which drives up food prices--
     to produce ethanol which creates more pollution due to energy 
     used in its production and its inefficiency in our automobile 
     engines. You allow our economic policy to be controlled by 
     the Marxist groups in our country, i.e. environmentalists, 
     liberal special interest groups, and the political media that 
     have no other desire than to turn our wonderful democracy 
     backward (economically) that it may become the utopian 
     socialist state they idolize.
       You asked for my solutions to help the American people out 
     of this crisis. Please note that my suggestions, unlike those 
     typical of Congress, will not cost the American taxpayers 
     anything. They are as follows:
       1. The President needs to address the American people and 
     declare an Economic State of Emergency and by Executive Order 
     mandate immediate and drastic measures to increase domestic 
     fuel production (oil, natural gas, coal).
       2. Drill for oil in the USA now! Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, 
     off-shore, anywhere there are great reserves of oil and 
     natural gas. We can drill in more efficient and 
     environmentally friendly ways than any other nation. We do 
     not need to fund private companies to produce more energy, 
     just get out of their way and allow them to do it! Net charge 
     to taxpayers: $0.
       3. Fast track building of oil refineries. Eliminate years 
     of red tape. Look at converting existing moth-balled military 
     installations near ports and energy sources. Just permit 
     private companies to do it. Net charge to taxpayers: $0.
       4. Mandate a single environmental friendly blend of 
     gasoline for all of the USA. Eliminate the six summer/winter 
     blends of fuel for different US regions which create 
     artificial shortages and inflate prices due to limited 
     refining capacities and inability to legally use particular 
     blends outside EPA specified areas. Just have all the states 
     use the one blend that works the best. Net charge to 
     taxpayers: $0.
       5. Stop mandating burning our food for fuel! Corn used for 
     ethanol is driving up the cost of everything we eat just as 
     fast as oil prices drive up the cost of transporting them. 
     Congress is to blame for this! This year, for the first time 
     in history, the USA will import wheat to feed its citizens. 
     This is an outrage! Do not continue to subsidize ethanol! Net 
     charge to taxpayers: $0.
       6. Stop wasting taxpayer money by buying carbon credits for 
     the federal government. Ridiculous waste of taxpayer money! 
     Need I say more? Net charge to taxpayers: $0.
       7. Remove the pending phase-out of (inexpensive) 
     incandescent bulbs in favor of the costly and toxic 
     fluorescent bulbs. That phase-out appeared in the last so-
     called ``energy bill.'' Net charge to taxpayers: $0.
       8. Do not increase taxes on oil companies. Taxes have never 
     produced one drop of oil. Stop punishing the companies that 
     make our economy possible. Remember your history? American 
     ingenuity coupled with cheap, abundant energy resources built 
     this country! Net cost to taxpayers: $0.
       9. Denounce those who would legislate based on the man-made 
     global warming environmental hoax. Every government mandated 
     policy that flows from this unproven, unscientific, misguided 
     environmental ``religion'' drags the economy down further. 
     The latest word from the scientific community is the globe is 
     now cooling. Go figure! Net cost to taxpayers: $0.
       If we work together, we can rebuild America into the strong 
     nation it once was by putting it back on the road to energy 
     independence. But Congress must be willing to act now; by 
     swallowing its collective pride and by removing obstacles 
     that hinder our potential for economic success from becoming 
     reality.
     Vance, Meridian.

                          ____________________