[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 11] [Senate] [Pages 15503-15504] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]IDAHOANS SPEAK OUT ON HIGH ENERGY PRICES Mr. CRAPO. Madam 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 energy_prices@crapo .senate.gov 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: Thanks for your stand. I believe you have it exactly right. I sent you an e-mail a month ago with some of my thoughts, but here are a few more. I work in the distribution business. With the cost of diesel almost $5, it is inflating the cost of all our products. We have already had increases the when printed are the size of a phone book. We are seeing a big slow down in our business that is directly related to the cost of fuel. It has a domino effect in that our customers are cutting back because the average business and home owner does not have extra money to spend because it is all going to fuel. If it gets any higher I see it destroying our economy. There will be an ever increasing slowdown in the economy as everyone cuts back more and more. Thanks for your hard work. Dennis, Meridian ____ It is time the Congress and Senate quit looking for stories and do something! America needs to be independent from foreign oil and energy. We need an energy bill brought before President Bush before [a new President is elected]. Items that need addressed: domestic construction of nuclear power, clean use of coal, renewable energy resources, construction of new clean technology, oil refineries, renewed domestic production of oil, legislation that would hold those accountable for hindering achieving these goals by crying about ``not in my backyard.'' [Such] people are a threat to our national security. Where is this legislation you claim to strongly support? Mr. Crapo, I am 39 years old. I have worked hard and look forward to being able to achieve a comfortable life in retirement. I am afraid that our country is going in a direction where that will be the least of my concerns. It costs me over $5 a day to get to work, and I live less than 15 miles from work. With what those of you in Washington are currently doing, prices will only worsen. [The] negligence in previously addressing these needs has brought our nation to its current economic distress. You can't just support issues; you need to take the lead in promoting new policies. Give me something to judge you by your actions. Rob. ____ Senator, Nightly, I listen to a number of pundits and politicos debate the ``solutions'' to our energy problems. One of the more ridiculous ones is mandating people switch to higher fuel efficiency automobiles (i.e., buy a new car). As a small business owner, our health insurance premiums have just gone up (again), the minimum wage has risen, grocery costs are rising and our 401k is diminishing. The very thought of anyone in Congress telling me I have to replace my ``paid for'' cars, and take out a loan to buy a new (more energy efficient) car is ludicrous!! Gasoline would have to be over $10 a gallon to make economic sense to my family, in lieu of absorbing a car payment. I support drilling offshore and in ANWR, as well as shale oil extraction. I think it is time that the world's most technologically-advanced nation illustrate to the world the most technologically-advanced means of extracting energy. I am deeply offended that the United States government, who cannot profitably manage Amtrak, the U.S. Postal Service, or even its own Senate cafeteria, has the audacity to pretend to convince me that they know more about ``safe and sound'' energy extraction than the companies that are professionals in this endeavor. I hear people crying about how drilling in the U.S. might ``spoil national resources''! I would be willing to wager that if we were not dependent upon Middle Eastern oil, we could have, most likely, saved about 4,000 U.S. servicemen and women's lives. That cost of natural resource is infinitely greater than a handful of caribou! Respectfully, Daniel, Boise. ____ Thank you for your time. I am on Social Security and believe me, if I could work, I would. But I cannot. So, as a person who is now on the bottom half of an almost pretend income, it took more over $800 last year for hearing, not including the $356 that is all I need for help. I personally would love to have a new pair of teeth; the ones I have are broken and pretty useless. But can I even save to get a pair of teeth? I am weighing in at 101 pounds, because all of my money goes to propane and forget about going anywhere. My gas budget only allows me to go to doctors, and then I go to the store. I worked until I got hurt. I raised four children. They all work every day, and their wives and husband. I taught my children to always be kind, helpful and to be good people. I am sick of paying money to places that have every want to kill us. What did happen to our rights, and why are you not all fighting harder. Even the money we use has been allowed to be changed. What is wrong with the people in power? I live off $6,000 a year and have no rights. What is wrong? Thank you. Marylynna. ____ I am unhappy with the spin stories that the media tries to share that our prices are not comparable to those in Europe. They forget to tell everyone that the taxes on their gas prices are 1/3 to 1/2 the price per gallon. Our taxes are not unreasonable right now, but the price per gallon is. We are rural residents and must drive to work. Our income has changed radically in the past 2 years and leaves us with no money to spare for the extra gas cost. We pay our own insurance and that has just taken a 25% premium hike. My parents live in St. George, Utah, and that makes the cost of travel even more of a concern. They are 80 and 75 and presently independent of any special care needs, but the cost of heating/ac and travel will be a burden for them and the family as well. I believe in taking action on the possibilities of drilling for oil at home, nuclear energy, and coal use. I am so sick and tired of the environmental nut cases taking over our country and without logic, locking us into unrealistic laws, taxes, and restrictions that make the U.S.A. weak and unprepared for things that will leave us at the mercy of even greater issues than gas prices. I appreciate your information and concern. I hope you can bring some sense to your fellow Senators. Thank you. Susan, Rexburg. ____ Thank you for your e-mail. Yes, we agree these prices are out of control. Why are we not drilling in our own country? I cannot believe the environmentalists have such control of this. There must be more to this than we hear about. Is there anything coming up before Congress to be able to start being a self-sufficient country with our energy? All these studies and research for alternative fuel are a waste of time and money. We have plenty of oil right here. We as citizens of Idaho are counting on you and our other Congressmen to get moving on this problem!!!!! Please let me know what is happening on this subject and why the prices are out of control. Our dependency on other countries can sink us. Please do something!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gard and Jerrie. ____ In your second paragraph you parsed your comment by saying ``proven American oil and gas reserves.'' Does that mean that you do not support further exploration for unproven or unknown reserves? Thank you. Pat. ____ My husband and I are Idaho residents, and are retired with limited income because all we basically have for income is our individual Social Security and my pension, which is small through the company I retired from--Albertson's corporate office previously in Boise. My primary health insurance is with Medicare, and I do have a secondary retiree insurance through Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Minn. (Supervalu). Unfortunately, since Medicare pays 80%, Blue Cross will not pay the balance (it's a carved policy) until I meet the annual max of $2,500 per year out-of-pocket. My monthly cost is $263.90 with a $500 deductible. To top it off, Supervalu cancelled all dental and vision coverage on retirees that I previously had with Albertson's. Fortunately, my husband is a disabled veteran with a 10% disability with diabetes, so he can get a lot of help through the VA. We have wintered in Mesa, Arizona, for the past five years. We do have a 38-foot Class A motor home that we have travelled back and forth in, but feel because of the high gas prices, we may be forced to sell. We do still owe on it, so probably is not the best time to sell. I am going to try to find work when I return to Mesa this fall, but I am also 69 years old, so this might be difficult. The high gas prices are not only hurting people who have to work and maybe travel a distance like a lot of people employed in Boise that live in Meridian, Nampa, Caldwell or even Emmett or Mountain Home. I remember working with some of these people. A lot of them carpooled then, but also the retired people like me and others who have worked hard all these years looking forward to our retirement years to hopefully afford to do some travelling let alone trying to exist from month to month. [[Page 15504]] We would appreciate anything you can do to help bring down gas prices. We do drive a Honda CRV, which helps some with mileage, but we are making monthly payments on it too. Sincerely, Avlin, Boise. ____ What we need to do is drop the tariffs on ethanol imports- particularly from Brazil. Our government-sponsored corn- ethanol push is a bad idea and should be halted immediately. Sincerely, Will. ____ On a Sunday Fox News program, Senator Dorgan stated that the commodity oil speculators are the blame for the rising costs of gas. The oil industries profits were 7.45%; industrials, 8.2%; the commodity (money vultures), pensions hedge funds, Dubai and others, 80%. On June 3, 2008, the Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing. Suggest you get a copy. Mr. Greenberger (one of the witnesses) testified that Congress, by revising the law on December 15, 1999, is the cause of the problem. He stated that Congress can fix the problem immediately to cause oil prices to drop 25%. As of today (June 16, 2008), Congress has not acted. [Congress must act to correct the problem; we should be able to start pumping our own oil. It is not acceptable that we cannot use our own nation's resources like ANWR.] Jon. ____ I think $200 a month is very conservative. To fill most tanks, it is $100 plus. People are not able to take vacations as they planned. People will have to stay right at home more. The only way to really help us is to drill and open up capped wells in the U.S. Yes, if we drill it will take awhile to get things to market, but we have to start some time. Had we shut the environmentalists down ten years ago, these new wells would be producing now and in our tanks. Please don't keep putting this off. Middle east, Argentina, Mexico could cut us off any time they want. Drill our own wells, uncap the ones that are already here. Shut down environmentalist extremists! Thank you. Kaye, Idaho Falls. ____ We have not taken trips to Boise or Stanley Basin to visit family on the weekends or holidays. $100 in gas is just beyond our budget. We also have not utilized our motor home for anything except a trip to the South Hills to go tubing in over a year. Basically, it has limited our recreation and family travel. We also have cut back on eating out. We are waiting for our tax rebate in order to take a much-needed vacation somewhere and when we do, it will be close by, IN Idaho. We do not drive our truck except to haul stuff to the dump. Kayla. ____ This probably does not fit your agenda, but actually gasoline prices have been a lot worse. I paid a much higher percentage of my income when I was stationed overseas. The Energy Information Administration says we were reaching much deeper into our pockets to pay for gasoline in 1980 than last year. The real difference is that today's money buys less value. So the best way the government can keep gasoline affordable is to stop creating inflation. The next thing you do is require automobile makers to deliver cars that get better mileage. USA cars need to be more competitive. James. ____ Drill here, drill now. William. ____ Reference the high cost of energy, I expect you to vote to release the vast reserves of oil and other energy sources held hostage under the land masses in the United States that are ``protected'' by environmental minorities and their monetary vote-buying policies. The energy crisis is manipulation, when our abundant supplies are made available, supply and demand will suddenly bring prices to a livable level. Until these changes taken place, our country and its place as a world power are threatened. This fuel crisis has already reached a critical point as you know. Our nation cannot support itself, let alone the many countries in the world, when its people are living in a state of economic slavery. Do the right thing and stand for the people that keep this great country free. Lyle. ____ I agree with your positions on energy and believe strongly that we need to stop exporting our national wealth and financial security to the Middle East. We need to develop a strong nuclear program and provide financial incentives to consumers and businesses to select more fuel efficient options for their cars and heating needs. We also need to gradually but steadily increase a tax on gasoline that will be used for public transportation as the Europeans have done for decades. We Americans subsidize roads too heavily at the expense of other modes of transportation and our government agencies who focus on transportation do not work together. For instance, in the Wood River Valley, the planning for the highway, bus services, airport relocation and light rail connections to the airport, Twin, and Amtrak in Shoshone should be done cohesively, and with long term (50+) year horizon rather than by separate agencies with no budget sharing possibilities. Joan, Sun Valley. ____ Thank you for your letter regarding the high prices of gas and oil. I absolutely agree that many things need to be done to lower the prices. You mentioned many things, but action needs to be taken now in all areas you mentioned. My husband and I are retired so we do not need to drive as much as others, but we have very little possibility of having an increase in our income to compensate for the high gas prices. We do, however, buy things that are affected by the rising prices in everything. Please take some action and report that to us. One thing you did not mention is the war situation in Iraq. If we need to stay for some time because the country needs us, they should be paying for our help with their oil revenues. Ellen. ____ In response to your request for the Idaho experience re gasoline prices: My wife and I are recently retired as state of Idaho employees. As such, our income is now set and we no longer can anticipate even the miniscule raises sometimes provided by the state. As retirees we are certainly not unique in that regard, but we share with other retirees the inability to absorb the rapid and unjustified escalation of energy costs. We are fortunate to enjoy a comfortable home, although still with a mortgage. Because of the unjustified escalation of gasoline prices, we now find ourselves limiting our trips from home for shopping, medical appointments, visiting family, and just getting out of the house, to no more than twice a week. Those trips are carefully planned to incorporate as many needs as possible. Trips from home are now made for necessity. No longer do we enjoy the freedom to hop in the car for a ``frivolous'' jaunt. We now frequently forego fresh produce because of increased prices ostensibly the result of higher transportation costs. We purchase store brands in lieu of name brands. Dining out is now a true luxury and even then we often will order one meal and split it between ourselves. Clothes are sparingly purchased at store sales, and even thrift outlets. As said above, we realize we are not unique in our circumstance. We understand that there is a seemingly acceptable inflationary scheme. But the inaction by Congress to adopt a meaningful energy policy requires this nation to rely on our enemies for our energy needs. It has also allowed the greed of commodity speculation to exacerbate an inordinate rise in prices to such an extent that even the Saudi's question its validity. We categorically support a meaningful energy policy . . . one which eliminates detrimental environmental restrictions . . . realistic conservation . . . using our own oil reserves (ANWR, shale, offshore drilling), nuclear, wind, solar power . . . and build some refineries. Equally important, identify [those who are preventing commonsense policies from being undertaken]. It is time that those we have sent to Washington, D.C. do what they have been elected to do. Too many of us feel that this is not happening now and has not happened for far too long. Please share these comments with the rest of the Idaho delegation. Thanks for the opportunity to express our thoughts. Fred and Sandy, Meridian. ____________________