Global Warming Is Not the Most Serious Problem Americans Face

We have many other items that require immediate attention. For example: we have a presidential election. This election will decide who gets to sweep up from Iraq; the newly elected President can make or break our economy, alternative fuel for transportation and utilities, as well as many more pressing issues.

This is not to say global warming is not in the top ten, it just is not number one.

We need to do something now about global warming, but let's look at other pressing issues:

Mortgage mess - We have an economy so far in the toilet that it is precariously perched waiting for the next flush. Investment banks and unscrupulous lending practices have crashed the housing market so far into this toilet bowl that unless decisive action is taken immediately, it will take far longer for our economy to recover. Included in this area needs to be legislation making variable rate mortgage loans illegal and forcing financial institutions to restructure mortgages for homeowners who were able to meet monthly payments before their first interest rate increase.

Will this result in banks losing money? Probably, however, they will not lose everything and the house will still be occupied saving the financial institution upkeep and maintenance costs as well as resell costs.

Oil companies - Record oil prices that continue daily climbs for no viable reason. The supply-and-demand account is invalid. The supply didn't suddenly increase in the past few months. Speculators are driving prices through the roof to make money.

The oil business needs to be removed from the stock market and out of speculators' hands. Once this happens, prices can begin to calm down. In addition, the regulation of gas stations that allow for unlimited daily increases while restricting price drops to mere pennies a day needs to be reviewed. If a station can raise their gas price 15 cents in a day, they should also be able to lower it that same 15 cents.

Big Oil Company Profits - The big oil companies continually report record profits in the billions of dollars each quarter. Our illustrious politicians state that taxing this record profit windfall would only drive the price of gas higher. However, there is another solution.

Immediately halt, permanently, the tax breaks these companies are receiving. This keeps billions in our government funding. Then tax the profits. However, instead of taking this money and giving to our foolish government to waste, take this money and return it to the oil companies in the form of gas price buy-downs. Use this money to pay for the gas (per gallon or some other means) whereby the end result would be the tax revenue is used to buy the per gallon costs down for gas.

If the gas companies raise their prices, it will generate more revenue to buy the cost of gas down.

Government Spending/Waste - Pork barrel additions to bills up for vote needs to be eliminated. Government is wasting money because our politicians have their own agendas. To get their funding, they tack trash into bills they feel will pass dragging the approval of their pet projects with them.

Then if the President vetoes it, like the military pay hike for 2008, they cry he is against the military, when he is correct in trying to curb the extra expenditures buried in the bill by unscrupulous politicians.

If a project wants/needs federal funding, it should be required to be presented in its own merit on its own bill. If it passes, it is funded, if not, then funding is withheld and the project dies in the federal eye.

Our government could save millions of dollars by prohibiting bills from entering into consideration if items not dealing with the bill subject are disallowed.

Global warming is a very important problem, but it is not the most important. We have families having to choose between eating and gas for their car; electricity for their home or paying the mortgage payment. This is affecting the lower and middle class people who provide a large contribution to the government coffers. We must resolve our economical problems before we tip into the whirlpool and get sucked down!