10 March 2011
Editor
The silence in Washington about the possibilities of quickly opening the idled Gulf of Mexico oil platforms is deafining. Don’t even mention ANWR in Alaska. It seems, that the solution, one that the majority of Americans want, that of more domestic oil production, is “Gone With The Wind”. The current Administration apparently would sooner talk and talk about costly windmills, solar electricity, hybrid cars or opening the National Petroleum Reserve than do something with an immediate impact on the rising price of fuel.
Why in heavens name are we fiddling around talking about possible partial solutions that are at best twenty or thirty years away? How about right now, Mr Obama? What about the rising prices of goods/materials other than vehicle fuels which will make an exponential jump in our cost of living in just a few short months? Wind or a breeze is great on a hot day and solar is great for a tan, but come on Mr. President, we need action now.
We, the United States of America, have vast untapped oil/gas and coal resources in our country just waiting to be put to use. We presently have thousands of people out of work in the petroleum industry alone, all wanting to get off the government dole and collect a real pay check. So why are we not marshaling our available forces? What in the name of the American Public are you waiting for Mr. Obama? Is your goal to make us like Europe or some destitute third world country?
The Washington, Chicago and Los Angles elite you seem to represent, Mr. Obama, don’t have a clue about the reality of life outside the Beltways that surround their great, but impoverished fiefdoms. You claim to want the best for Our Country, but what price do you really expect us to pay? Well, we pay at the pump and we pay more and more each day for every thing, while you and yours, party in DC or fly around making fluffy fund raising speeches. All this on the taxpayer’s dollars or doner funds, nothing out of pocket for the DC elite or the well heeled politicians like you.
What about our rusting inefficient refining plants? Everyone knows that American refineries are really old, no new refineries have been built in the last 30 years. If we want lower cost and availablity of the various types of fuel and petroleum products then it is time to act. The Administration (Yours, Mr. Obama) must cut the volumes of EPA rules and regulations immediately and thereby allow private industry to quickly build or expand refineries with new clean technology. Mr. Obama, now is the time to create really good jobs across the country as you have promised for years. Help us keep our petroleum based industries like plastics, paint and polymers right here in the USA. Insure American industry stays right here at home and not in India or China. Keep our farmers in the driver seats of their tractors and combines. Keep our great trucking industry on the road, railroads running and our aircraft flying. We, Americans can come up with and produce more and cheaper products if the United States Government just gets out of the way and lets good old American Industry do it’s thing in the great old capitalistic way.
The answer to the American Domestic Oil Problem is simple; Drill and Refine in America. Results will be assuridly a lot quicker than the current expensive wind and solar power long term solutions that are touted by your advisors. The answer both yesterday, today and tomorrow, is black sticky domestic oil, drilled and refined right here in the old USA. Let Americans drill and refine America’s untapped resources now! Open up ANWR and the Gulf of Mexico and all the public lands that sit on top of oil or gas! There will soon be no dependency on Foreign Oil if you and the Congress act now, but we need you, Mr. President, to quit standing in the proverbial “school house door” with your Czars and obstructing Americas future.
The Tea Party seems to be making a dent in over taxation and the bloated government problem. Well, maybe we Americans need to oil up a Tar and Feathers Party and get that energy engine moving towards Washington, too!
Austin M. “Gus” Wilgus