Is Anything Being Done About Gas Prices?

Are you hurting from gas prices? I mean, really hurting? It seems to me that not enough Americans are hurting, or maybe not hurting enough, to create action that is going to help. What is it going to take to get real action to take place? Perhaps the majority of Americans are not affected that much by gas prices, but I know that there are enough of us who are to be worried. No action, however, is taking place and it should concern all of us. So let's look at the facts.

Since 2002, gas prices at the pump have more than doubled. Even tripled. (or close to it) Think of inflation annually being over 3% and you can do the math - the gas increases are leaving inflation by the wayside. Every time Americans accept another hike to a dollar amount, this time four dollars, the price increases almost instantly to that amount and then some. As gas prices rise, so do all other prices. This is because it takes gasoline to deliver products and services, to deliver raw materials to make the products, to transport goods like food and clothing to and from the factories and wholesalers to the stores, and to transport just about everything else we need to keep our economy and our households going. That means higher cost to do business which means businesses will lose money unless they raise their prices. This means everything costs more: food, clothing, medical supplies, tourism, staples, utilities, and anything else. So if gas costs you double weekly (or more) and we equate the percentages of these increases, and unless you get constant raises at work or are making a killing of your own choosing in a business venture, you are receiving increases at work of probably 3 to 4 percent, which is not going to keep up with the rising prices of everything. Inflation itself takes care of that increase of income annually. So it is safe to say that most Americans are losing ground economically.

If you examine recent articles, both on the Internet and in the media, there are residual effects being observed as a result of rising gas prices. Studies are showing that Americans are actually cutting down on their traveling. Some are buying smaller vehicles, or ones that use less fuel. Others are slimming down their vacations and cutting back on their tasks using vehicles. It is amazing that one thing does not seem to be happening and that is the suggestion of how to cut down on gas usage: slowing down. But, Americans can't get away from being in a hurry for everything.

If you are like me, and you question and doubt everything your elected officials do, you may be wondering why, when Congress stopped temporarily the stockpiling of the strategic oil reserve, why gas prices didn't go down, like some of our politicians said it would. Interesting, isn't it? One politician in Pennsylvania said that prices would go down perhaps 25 cents or more. Instead, prices went up. Why? Who knows!

I have read articles on how gas prices presently are a bargain. A bargain! It is the opinion of some that because the rest of the world has been paying more for gas than we have for a long time, that we are finally paying the real amount that we should be paying. The problem here is; we are the greatest and most prosperous nation in the universe, and we should not HAVE to pay exuberant prices for filling up our tanks. Other countries have infrastructures more restrictive than ours, and more socialist, so why should we suffer? Our lifestyles, although in some ways spoiled, are better than those in other countries, and that is why we are living in the best country in the world. So, put the bargain garbage aside and get back to being prosperous.

We keep hearing about the environment and the environmentalists. Who rules here, the majority of Americans who need oil to thrive, or the environmentalist groups who seem hellbent on making the rest of us suffer? It is a fact that most Americans support measures to protect the environment, but if it is going to shut down the economy, then what is the cost? Most experts suggest that even the worst-case scenario would not effect the environment much if drilling for oil. Come on, look at what we're talking about. Drilling in a very small area of Alaska or the far north, where human beings don't habitate and rarely do animals. The carbon footprint, as it has been printed, would be so small an insect would show up bigger on a map! Also, we could drill off our coasts with minimal if no effect on nature. Let's face it, every other nation in the world is going to do it, if they are not doing it now. Some countries are actually drilling off the coast of Florida, and we aren't allowed? It doesn't make sense. I have an idea. I would like every radical environmentalist out there to send me adequate money for my gas and I will continue to support the shutting down of our ability to drill for oil in our country. Well, let's see if I get any takers.

During the Reagan administration it was warned that this would happen. It was recommended that Anwar and other places (I hope I spelled that correctly) should be tapped into. It was also explained that it would probably take about ten years to get results from these places. Let's see: if you do some more math you can figure that, yes, you're right, we would be benefiting from it by now. By what is suggested of barrels of oil of over a million! Yearly, perhaps. That would have kept oil prices lower than we have now. Imagine the benefit. And yes, it is true that we have the technology now to make the damage to the ecological systems there minimal. In Anwar we're talking about a frozen wasteland. So what is the problem? Action needs to be taken now if we are to get prices down in, say, ten years. Oh, well, at least my daughter will be able to benefit.

I don't think anyone is arguing against trying to find alternative fuels, say ones that are more friendly to our environment. I don't know anyone who wishes to purposely destroy the planet, particularly for our children and grandchildren. We are rumored to be getting close in some of these fields. But in the meantime, how are we going to deal with this problem of bankrupting the American public? We need action now. Instead of action from our elected officials, we keep hearing that we can't do anything. Since when did Americans say that there was something we couldn't do? We truly have no or little political leadership in this country if we are admitting defeat in this arena. We need someone to commit to action, push it through, and get us to start drilling for our own oil. Here is another thought; do we want to keep dependent on other countries to savor our lifestyles? Do you like paying high prices to sheiks and dictators so we can keep gas in our cars? Or wouldn't it make sense for us to be "independent" of foreign powers and to start becoming energy efficient and independent? Here is a scary thought: if Iran wanted to disrupt the world all they would have to do is mine the Strait of Hormuz and blow up our pipeline there. The effects would be so devastating to the world economy that we might not survive as a culture or as a power. In fact, we would collapse into oblivion. Our economy,as well as most other free countries, would not be able to handle the strain. All because some small groups of people are keeping us dependent on oil.

Look, there is no doubt that alternative fuels or engines is the way of the future. But the technology and methods are of the future - for now. So we need oil now, and we have it here. In plenty supply. That is the fact. Car companies are improving gas mileage, efficiency is getting better, Americans are conserving to some degree, and we are on the right move. But we need action now. I don't know about you, but if gas goes up to the $5 mark, I may have to sell my last remaining vehicles and ride a bike to and from work, and everywhere else. I have already canceled my vacations, cut down on visiting my distant relatives, and having more than one car. What else do I need to do? Maybe cry, or move to Belize where I won't need to pay for much at all. You see, that country is small and you don't have to drive much. It may be the only option. So get in touch with your "elected officials" and tell them it is time to stop depending on foreign oil, it is time to dig, and it is also time to continue exploring the future means on which we will travel and transport. We are already doing that.