Posted on 07/24/2008 5:01:50 AM PDT by KLFuchs
Knowing of your interest in addressing rising energy prices, I want to share with you some thoughts on the current energy situation. There is so much we can do, and I will continue working hard in Congress to lower the cost of gasoline through effective and safe measures.
When I came to Congress 14 years ago one of the many issues I began to work on was the critical issue of energy supply. America’s economy was growing and with it was the demand for fuel.
At the same time, nations like China and India were throwing off the shackles of Socialism. As they prospered, global demand for fuel rose even more. Today, with $4/gallon gasoline American families and businesses are suffering while Middle Eastern dictators get richer.
Some will try to tell you this was inevitable and the days of cheap oil were going to end sooner or later. Don’t believe them. We still have a lot of oil and natural gas here in America. If the American people can rise up and silence the anti-energy chicken littles in Congress we can get off our dependence on foreign energy.
One of things that frustrates me most in Congress is that those who do the most to reduce supply often voice the greatest outrage about high prices. Congress has placed bans on three important areas of exploration that should be lifted immediately. They are ANWR, Drilling, and Oil Shale.
1) ANWR : It is estimated that there is so much oil in ANWR that it would expand our known reserves by 50%, which is equal to 30 years worth of imports from Hugo Chavez. And the drilling footprint required is small. If ANWR were the size of a basketball court, the drilling site would be no bigger than a business card.
Ten years ago Congress passed just such a bill but President Clinton vetoed it. Today, we have a president willing to sign such a provision but a Congress unwilling to bring up the bill.
2) Drilling : The next thing we need to do is lift the ban on exploration off our coasts where right now 85% is off-limits and where lies enough oil to fuel 60 million cars in the United States for 60 years and enough natural gas to heat 60 million homes for 160 years. Rigs can be placed over the horizon where we can’t see them. Katrina plowed through a large area of oil and gas rigs on the gulf coast without a major spill. The oil companies today know how to do it safely.
I know there are many Floridians opposed to this idea, but China and Cuba are talking about doing this. Castro is working with the Chinese to begin oil exploration off the Coast of Cuba. Drilling technology allows the drills to go sideways under the ground. So, we would be effectively allowing our oil to be sucked away by Castro and sent to China.
3) Oil Shale : The U.S is the Saudi Arabia of oil shale. To put this in perspective the world has used 1 trillion barrels of oil since that first rig in Pennsylvania in 1859. America is endowed with more than 2 trillion barrels of oil in its shale. But of the 700 million acres of federally owned land only 6% is being leased for any exploration and in 2007 the Democrat Majority, for environmental reasons, attached a rider on an Appropriations bill that placed this huge domestic resource off-limits. Estonia—a country half the size of Maine—produces vastly more oil shale than we do.
We also need to start building nuclear power facilities to augment our coal and natural gas plants. We can do it safely, freeing up oil for our cars and businesses instead of using it to generate electricity.
Yes, we need conservation and development of geothermal, solar and wind sources. But these sources currently supply only 7% of our power needs. Ignoring the supply-side of this crisis is a dangerous gamble with America’s future. It’s time that we drill here, drill safely, and drill now.
It is an honor to serve you in Congress. If there is anything else I can do for you, please let me know.
Sincerely,
Dave Weldon Member of Congress
By contrast, Congressman Wexler, that pillar of integrity, who represents Florida's 19th district, but doesn't reside therein, has a 0!
If you like $4/gal, Thank Congress.
Pray for W and Our Troops
I wish I had him for a congressman instead of Alan Boyd, Bill Nelson and Mel Martinez.
Oil is at about $124.00 a barrel, a drop of about $22.00 USD, that equates to about a $0.55 per gallon drop in the price of gasoline.
Let's ask him.
Is Weldon not running again?
Nelson is a 'complete' fool. Martinez has a one track mind leading to Rhinoland.
..the field is wide open, including another doctor (Democrat) who is polar opposite Weldon.
I am considering Frank Zilaitis, (Independent) for the spot...
Bingo. Nelson has gotten senile and full of himself and thinks he knows more than the rest of us.
Might ought to start earnestly praying for America, because the big boys are going to make good American folks pay for not selecting algore!!
what a refreshing, sane, responsible alternative to psychotic, adolescent, irresponsible democrats.
Likewise.
I met Dr. Weldon on Inauguration Day 2005. He’s my daughter’s representative. Didn’t know his ACU score but figured it would be pretty high.
Whenever I get in a discussion with an idiot over ANWR, I pose this challenge. Let's go to the nearest football field. We will take a sheet of copier paper, 12 golf tees, half a dozen soda straws, 100 yds of 4 lb. test fishing line and an 8 oz. cup of old motor oil. They can then try to destroy the football field using those items.
I normally win the argument at that point, however, a few arrogant ones will challenge me on the size or applicability of the items. I love it when they do that because it is easy to show how the items are actually over sized. Best done with an audience since the bigger fight they put up, the dumber they look in the end.
We’ve seen a .10-.12/gal retail drop in SW WI. I’ve noticed the .50-.55/gal drop in the gasoline futures and an .18/gal drop in propane futures.
Is there a rule of thumb to calculate the relationship between RBOB/retail gasoline?
McCrainiac is searching for a vice-president. Dr. Weldon should be the presidential candidate!
He'd win!
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