[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Pages 23447-23448]
[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 well over 1,200, are 
heartbreaking and touching. To respect their efforts, 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 am listening to you on ``Probing America'' and wanted to 
     express my thoughts on the current oil situation.
       We, as a family, have obviously cut down on our driving 
     around town and the trips to the store. We recently moved 
     back to Idaho from Washington to be closer to my parents, who 
     are having many health problems. They live in the small town 
     of Soda Springs. Due to employment, I am not able to live 
     closer than a couple hours away in Idaho Falls. Recently my 
     father has had a stroke, and we have not been able to travel 
     to Soda to help my mother out on the farm. We are a fairly 
     new family (not well-established) and do not have a large 
     amount of disposable income. Just the rise in our everyday 
     gas costs has cut the remaining disposable income down to nil 
     and now we cannot afford to do the needed extra traveling. My 
     oldest brother has been helping as much as he can, but I know 
     that gas prices are a burden for him as well. This is 
     frustrating to us as this is the only stumbling block that is 
     preventing us in doing what we moved back to do. This does 
     not even account for the increased price of all the other 
     everyday items that are more expensive due to the retail 
     market passing on their increased costs to the consumer.
       I also just heard on the radio that Meals on Wheels in 
     Pocatello may start turning away new customers due to high 
     gas prices.
       I think that the number one priority should be to expand 
     our own resources. I am tired of being pushed around by a 
     radical few. I believe that pollution is bad and that we 
     should protect our surroundings as much as possible. However, 
     I believe that a few radical environmentalists have outspoken 
     the silent majority. I think that we should tap into the oil 
     reserves that we have hear in our own back yard. I think that 
     it is ludicrous that other countries are drilling for oil 
     just off the coast and we are not able to. By allowing them 
     to drill off our coast, we are accepting the risk of 
     environmental pollution without any benefit. I think that we 
     should tap into the reserves in ANWR. I believe that the 
     imprint would be minimal compared to the benefit that we 
     would receive.
       Other energy resources, such as nuclear, should be 
     expanded. However, our priority for the near future should be 
     to start processing our own oil.
       Thank you for your work and allowing us as Idahoans express 
     our views.
     Justin.
                                  ____

       I am a retired Idahoan who spent much of his professional 
     career working at the Idaho National Laboratory, which, as 
     you know, is our nation's premier nuclear energy research 
     laboratory. We have not realized the real potential of 
     nuclear energy for decades. It was often said (at my 
     workplace) that we will not appreciate the need for this 
     technology until the brownouts and the cost of energy 
     overcomes our fear of nuclear power. I think the time is 
     near, and the sad part is that it takes years to permit and 
     build new nuclear power plants.
       As a retiree, I am constantly reminded of my family's 
     vulnerability to the rising cost of living. Fuel prices 
     continue to force the costs of many of the staples of our 
     life higher and those of us on fixed incomes have no recourse 
     to mitigate this change to our lives. It takes little 
     imagination to realize that our food chain, and everything 
     connected to fossil fuels will be affected by this. Energy 
     independence is crucial for our nation's prosperity and to 
     our children's legacy as leaders of the free world. I am sure 
     each of us has a vision for our future retirement and the 
     quality of life that we have spent a lifetime planning for. 
     We depend on the leadership in the congress and our nation's 
     administration to preserve our future economic security. This 
     includes prioritizing the things we must do to avoid threats 
     to our economy such as is occurring with this fuel crisis. 
     Your help and those of your colleagues in congress is needed, 
     now more than ever, and I support your efforts to make a 
     difference.
     R. E., Blackfoot.
                                  ____

       Yes, high energy costs are impacting my family quite 
     significantly. I grew up in Idaho and convinced my hubby and 
     family to move to Idaho about five years ago. We plan on 
     living here forever. We sold our house in Oregon and moved to 
     Ashton into our family's old farm house. My hubby works in 
     Jackson, WY because he only has three years left before he 
     qualifies for his pension. Gas was approximately $1.50 when 
     we moved here. It is now $4.15 and rising. Our house is 
     heated with an old oil furnace that my dad was so proud of. 
     Oil costs have also gone sky high, too. Our savings for 
     purchasing a house are now exhausted. My son did not get 
     rehired for his job because the local farmer he worked for 
     last year cannot afford to transport him, and he does not 
     drive yet, and it is too far to bike.
       We are very close to my hubby having to sleep over in his 
     car in the work parking lot. This is not the best situation 
     as he has to use a CPAP machine and has three of our 
     daughters also driving to work with him. I try to cut down on 
     gas, but with eight kids and living in a very small town, we 
     do have to drive 30-60 minutes to a bigger town at times, to 
     see the eye doctor, for allergy treatments, etc. I do use my 
     daughter's small Subaru as much as possible but it does not 
     hold all the children, so someone has to stay home or we take 
     the van that holds everyone but costs twice as much.
       Our house savings has been exhausted as we have been forced 
     to draw on our savings for basic necessities. I am very 
     frugal person--I feed the ten of us on $100 a week. We rarely 
     buy new clothing, and my kids are not spoiled with computer 
     games, and modern toys. We garden, sew, and whatever it takes 
     it make it work. I have stopped doing WIC, even though we 
     qualify and I am considering stopping the free school lunches 
     due to allergy and other concerns.
       This is my story thus far, and I am happy to share. I am 
     aggressively seeking way to cut our costs and keep my 
     family's needs met.
     Vickie, Ashton.
                                  ____

       That energy bill was a great idea. Higher gas prices mean 
     less driving. My wife and I drive very little and have since 
     that mess in Katrina. The only solution to this ridiculous 
     oil situation is to tax the oil companies and use the money 
     for new renewable energy technologies. The prices will go up 
     anyway due to avarice. We do not need cheap oil; we need no 
     oil!
     Unsigned.
                                  ____

       While I favor alternative energy sources, I am hesitant to 
     support energies that will ultimately lead to another 
     calamity, such as nuclear power. If our air cannot handle the 
     particulates from petroleum, imagine creating a system 
     dependent on nuclear and the vast amount of highly hazardous 
     waste that it creates.
       Support of renewable and alternative energies, increased 
     funding for public transit and rail, and promotion of local 
     businesses rather than dependence on goods that have to be 
     trucked in on diesel fueled trucks is essential.
       Thank you for your time, consideration and thoughts on 
     these matters,
     Jenah.
                                  ____

       Thanks for putting this as one of your high priorities. 
     High energy prices are extremely affecting the way we have to 
     budget our money since rising gas prices affect the cost of 
     shipping food and clothing those commodities are rising in 
     prices. High gas prices are affecting everything that one 
     would want to

[[Page 23448]]

     buy. We have to cut back in what we buy for food. What our 
     food budget could once buy, it does not buy the same amount 
     of food now for the same amount of money. Therefore, we have 
     to cut back in other areas like medical visits, travel to 
     family, clothes, and electronic gadgets. Not only are we 
     dealing with rising gas prices, but we are dealing the 
     increased cost of living in our own home by paying more taxes 
     and utility fees. It just seems to be hitting us all at once, 
     and Congress does not seem to be doing anything about it. I 
     hear a greater concern for health care insurance, but that is 
     not what is breaking the bank right now in the average family 
     it is the high rising gas prices. It is going to put our 
     country in a great financial bind. My family still has enough 
     of what we need to get by, but that is because my husband 
     works more than 50 hours a week to make ends meet.
       I think that our first priority should be in investing in 
     domestic energy possibilities so we do not have to depend so 
     much on the foreign market for our supply and then nuclear 
     power (although I am concerned about long time waste that is 
     created by nuclear power).
     Shari, Idaho Falls.
                                  ____

       My request for you is to pursue legislation that opens up 
     more areas of the US to oil and gas exploration. We need more 
     secure supply, and that means drilling in areas we control.
     Jim.
                                  ____

       In a way, the high energy costs may be the one thing that 
     forces the majority of Americans to wake up and demand action 
     from our government. Since I have been voting (1980), I have 
     heard time and time again that we need an ``energy policy''. 
     To date, all we have is a lot of talk with little to no 
     action on any policy. I believe that Ford, Carter, Reagan, 
     Bush1, Clinton and Bush2 have all talked about an energy 
     policy. They always set the timetable for doing something 
     long after they have left office knowing full well that 
     nothing will be accomplished.
       The best thing that could happen is for gas to go to $5-$7 
     per gallon because, at this level, Americans are going to 
     demand action. No more talk. No more promises. Action. It is 
     really sad to see that all branches of our government have 
     really dropped the ball in so many areas.
       We have the Senate holding hearings on steroids in 
     baseball, on whether the NCAA BCS Bowl system is fair, and so 
     on. In the meantime, the national debt is sky rocketing, we 
     have millions of illegals living here, and we pretend that 
     BCS and steroids are important.
       We have undeveloped and undrilled deposits here in the US 
     that we cannot touch due to environmentalists. Instead we 
     send billions of dollars overseas to countries who pretend to 
     be our friends.
       History repeats itself all the time. We are following the 
     same path that Rome followed. Have we not learned anything? 
     Is our Senate any different from the Roman Senate? Time will 
     tell but so far the future does not look bright.
     D.
                                  ____

       This was to be the year that my husband and I were to 
     become debt free. We have been like other people, living 
     paycheck to paycheck. We will soon own our home free and 
     clear, we have no car payments, and are only luxuries are 
     DirecTV and internet.
       I do not work due to cost of daycare and driving distance 
     the amount coming in compared to going out it would not add 
     to our income and most likely cost us.
       My husband makes approximately $16 an hour and usually at 
     this time of year works 60 to 70 hours per week. He drives 30 
     miles one way to work. Due to the rising fuel prices, no one 
     is doing any road improvements which, in turn, the company 
     has had to reduce the hours their employees work, trying to 
     keep them at 40 hrs per week. The closest grocery store from 
     our home is 35 miles. For nearly two years, we have, due to 
     fuel prices, made no unnecessary trips to town for groceries, 
     we even put off needed dental and medical appointments 
     because what money we have extra, goes into gas for my 
     husband to get to work.
       I agree in conservation and alternative fuels, but that is 
     for the future, not help for what people are going through 
     now. We cannot go out and buy a new hybrid car, and most 
     people in this state are in the same boat, or worse they are 
     sinking. The cycle is this: gas and groceries are at an all-
     time high, you cannot afford the gas, you cannot go to the 
     store, people spend less, businesses have to lay off or close 
     leaving more people out there, to lose their homes, cars and 
     no way to feed and clothe their children, and what about 
     those whose only income is Social Security. Do you know 
     anyone that can live on $600 a month? That is what my mother 
     is trying to live on, her Medicaid and food stamps were taken 
     away, her rent from Idaho Housing went from $60 to $153 per 
     month due to what I feel is a clerical error that no one can 
     seem to help her with, her phone shut off because she was 
     late, which she cannot turn back on she cannot afford the 
     fees. We cannot help her, so what is she to do?
       I am sorry, but I feel that most people in our government 
     right now have had it too easy and do not see what is 
     happening, and I bet any of them live in a 30-year-old mobile 
     home and are proud of it. They have forgotten what it is like 
     to struggle or ever knew what it is to juggle everyday needs. 
     I pray to God that my son, now 5, will someday be able to get 
     a higher education. I do not see it happening right now.
       Thank you for reading this, and giving me a chance to speak 
     my mind.
     Kari, Jerome.
                                  ____

       I read your message: Thank you. I recently drove to the 
     Idaho State Convention at Sandpoint. I have only good things 
     to say about the highway 95. It was a joy to drive and is 
     probably why I was able to drive to Sandpoint and return with 
     a quarter tank of gas left. Of course I had tires checked for 
     pressure so that may have helped. My complaint such as it 
     is--my car is a 2004 Buick I had asked sometime ago about 
     using Ethanol additive in it, I was told by the dealer's 
     mechanic that I should use regular gasoline as the engine is 
     not set for ethanol use. So I made a point to do that and 
     usually bought Chevron. Imagine my reaction when I discovered 
     all gas stations are required to use 10% Ethanol. I was told 
     that might require more frequent fuel filter change. Of 
     course I have no idea if using ethanol improved my mpg on 
     trip to Sandpoint, which is a possibility. The gauge on my 
     car said I averaged 23mpg.
       I, of course, definitely support drilling for oil in the 
     Gulf States and I do not think it would be a disaster 
     environmentally to drill and start more drilling and 
     production in Alaska! I visited Fairbanks and also saw the 
     pipeline and I understand the caribou used some of the 
     structures as posts to scratch their backs.
       Good luck with the energy crisis! The cost to suppliers is 
     definitely a worry that affects everyone.
     Marie.
                                  ____

       In a global energy market in which we now live, we need to 
     stop complaining about the current reality of high gasoline 
     prices and limit our energies to the real problem of how to 
     facilitate an increase in our domestic energy production, 
     refining capabilities, and alternative energy research. The 
     priority in Congress should be to help resolve our current 
     energy dependence by attempting to eliminate the restrictions 
     to exploration (i.e. ANWR, etc. etc.) and the production of 
     other domestic energy sources? Why do we continue to focus on 
     the current hardships caused by the present day cost of 
     gasoline instead of looking at ways to facilitate pragmatic 
     long term solutions to the problem!
     Ron, Boise.
                                  ____

       I would like to tell you how the high gas prices are 
     affecting me and my wife. I am 76 years old, retired, and 
     have a chronic heart and lung disease. We live in Salmon. 
     Salmon, being a small town does not have a hospital to care 
     for major heart and lung disease. The nearest hospital that 
     has facilities for major heart and lung is Missoula, Montana, 
     about 160 miles north of Salmon, making it a 320-mile round 
     trip. My car gets 27 miles per gallon, making it about 12 
     gallons per trip. Today, in Salmon, gas costs $4.23 per 
     gallon (and I am sure it will continue to go up); that is 
     about $50 per trip in gas alone. Between the two of us. we 
     have to make the trip to Missoula approximately 20 times per 
     year. That equates to about $1,000 for gas alone. That 
     smarts.
       Please do what you can to stop this senseless rise in 
     energy prices. We have the resources here in our own country. 
     Let us start using them. Drill for oil; use nuclear; mine 
     coal; we are smart enough to do this sensibly. Do it now.
     J. C., Salmon.
                                  ____

       Even if we opened up Alaska and any other likely source of 
     oil, I doubt very much it would bring the price of oil down. 
     Until we get rid of corporate government, nothing we are 
     presently experiencing is likely to change, certainly not 
     sharing stories of hardship.
     John.
                                  ____

       My husband is retired, and I am only able to work part-
     time. It has put a great deal of stress on us. When we did 
     retirement planning, we planned for cost of living, i.e., 
     food, electric, water, gas, but never could we have imagined 
     that we would under budget our gas costs. This country has 
     the opportunity to resolve this issue. As other costs are 
     also rising, medical care, food, etc, this is one area that 
     the government can step in and resolve and help our not only 
     our economy, but also their fellow Americans. It is our 
     congressmen duty to take care of this issue, if not, then who 
     is going to take care of all the people who cannot afford the 
     gas to get to work and do not have access to mass transit or 
     cannot afford it. Do tell.
     Signe.

                          ____________________