Says Rep Markey and just about every other Democrat in Congress. They continually complain that the Bush Administration does not have a long term solution to the oil problem despite the fact that they have no long term plan of their own.
In true hypocritic form Rep Markey released his idea for new legislation that would force the president to pull out 500,000 barrels of oil from the emergency reserve every day for 6 months and then replace this oil over the next 5 years. Sounds like a long term solution to me. Actually it sounds like an election year solution. Why that would maybe ease gas prices…say…until after the election.
My reaction is the same as the President’s. The emergency reserve is for emergencies, hence, the name. Its purpose is not to influence gas prices. Markey’s plan has so many problems that I can’t believe it is getting any serious consideration. 500,000 barrels is approximately 2 ½ percent of Americans daily use so how much price relief will it offer? And only for 6 months? Is the oil problem going to magically correct itself in 6 months? I imagine not. We will still be just as dependent on foreign oil. And where is the money to buy back all of this oil?
The Republican plan is to open up more domestic land for oil exploration. This would make us less dependent on the OPEC nations for our oil supply. Even with the current goal of producing 20% of our energy from alternative sources, it still leaves 80% of our energy production to oil and gas. President Bush put into motion the Republican’s plan to open more land for oil exploration by lifting a moratorium on offshore oil drilling. Of course this means nothing without Congress doing the same and they show no indication of doing so.
Rep Markey mocked the president saying “Drill, drill, drill has failed, failed, failed.” Well, actually we haven’t drilled yet because you haven’t opened the lands to drill on. How can you say something failed when you haven’t tried it yet.
At least he did not try to mislead the American public like his counterpart, Sen Harry Reid. He said the Big Oil Companies should concentrate on the 68 million acres leased to the oil companies that are not being used. They are not being used because there is no oil there. It is the equivalent of giving the Indians a whole bunch of land in the middle of the desert and then wondering why they are not happy.
My message to Congress. Like it or not, oil is a mainstay of our economy and along with long term solutions for alternative energy, it must be addressed. Either stop complaining about oil companies and the price of oil, or do something about it.
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