AZ,
Here's an editorial I wrote last week for our local paper (my employer). It echoes a lot of the frustration we are experiencing.
THE CANCER IN WASHINGTON
Let’s talk about something that’s on everyone’s mind . . . gas prices. I know it’s a sore subject, but I’ve grown weary of people just pointing out that it’s costing them so much more to drive to and from work each day. Let’s look in depth at the situation.
In September 2006, one gallon of unleaded was about $2.10 and that was considered high. We’re now at about $3.89, which is an 85 percent increase. That means if you were filling your tank each week for about $27, it now costs you $49.95. Multiply that times 4.3 weeks and you’ve gone from a monthly cost of $116.10 to $214.79, or yearly from $1,404 to $2,597.40. Take into account that oil changes are getting more expensive, as are tires, etc.
It doesn’t stop there. Every industry in this country is passing on its additional fuel costs to us, the consumer. You see it in higher prices on consumer goods, groceries, services, perishables, everything. It’s like sitting on the splash block below a gutter downspout in the pouring rain. Everything that comes down the tube ends up on us.
So with the economy suffering, jobs being lost, home foreclosures at a record high and so forth, where does the average family find the money to cover the additional expenses? Many cut back on “eating out” or entertainment such as movies. Perhaps they replace their vehicles less often. The really sad part about this situation is that some are cutting back on necessities such as medicine, heat, food, etc. So, here we sit with prices rising beyond belief and wages either being reduced or remaining the same. Add to that the fact that taxes are being increased to cover those who are under-employed or unemployed and you have a very frightening situation.
We have elected officials who are either “out of touch” with the dilemma, or being bought by lobbyists or special interest. Let’s face it, if it doesn’t directly affect them they just don’t care. They will lead you to believe that they really don’t have a good answer for the problem, but I beg to differ.
There is enough oil under this country to sustain us for quite a long time and to write off that solution because of some environmentalists shouldn’t be an option, but we also need to build, or re-build refineries. The one thing we need to realize is that a serious move in this direction would cause the imported oil prices to drop. If the Middle-Eastern oil nations had any indication that we were serious about drilling here, the prices would fall immediately. But we shouldn’t just discuss this. It should be done. Let the "tree hugging environmentalists" walk or pedal their butts everywhere. No cars, buses, trains, boats, or planes for them.
Our dependency on foreign oil isn’t our only problem. Washington has sold us all, including our own businesses (NAFTA and free trade agreements), down the river and unless we make some drastic changes in our elected officials, the future will make the “great depression” look like a short vacation.
What could be worse than that? Look at who we have to choose from to lead our country. There isn’t one in the bunch who interests me, and the only one who hasn’t promised “the world” to get elected is McCain. I can assure you that Obama and Clinton can’t deliver 10 percent of what they’ve promised. EditedI feel sorry for the young adults who are voting for the first time in a presidential election. I would hope they would listen to those of us who have been “around the block” and have heard all this crap before, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
I encourage each of you to write your senators and representatives and indicate your displeasure with the current trend. They need to be flooded with complaints. Just remember one thing. Party affiliation has no bearing on this. The cancer has infested nearly everyone who represents us and unless it’s removed, the fatality will be us.
Duke Freeman