America Embraces Energy Independence
By Carol Devine-Molin
June 19, 2008
Most Americans understand that we need to make a concerted national effort to end our dependency on expensive foreign oil, and that the process must begin immediately. A recent Rasmussen poll indicates that 67 percent of the American public is in favor of offshore oil drilling, with only 18 percent against it, and 15 percent undecided. Amazingly, even 46 percent of "liberals" support offshore drilling, which is a testament to the level of desperation that Americans are experiencing across the working and middle class spectrums. Simply put, in these challenging economic times, Americans want affordable energy that we, as a nation, can produce and control from its inception. There's nothing complicated here. But are America's elected officials listening to the unwashed masses?
Let's start with the fact that one of the major tragedies of this generation is our feckless political class that has failed to provide proper leadership on many fronts, including economic and energy issues. Politicos from both parties generally have been self-serving, short-term thinkers, more concerned with their re-election prospects and feathering their own nests, than focusing upon the long-term, well being of their constituencies. As a consequence, the average American is now contending with: a) prohibitive levels of taxation that go hand-in-glove with "Big Government", and, b) the high cost of energy with its ripple effect that negatively impacts the overall economy.
Granted, it would be easy to cast sole blame on the political Left and their cohorts, the radical environmentalists, for our current dilemma. These liberals were the obstructionists that prevented our nation, over a period of decades, from taking the necessary actions to become energy independent. However, the Republicans, who held sway in Congress for a number of years, were supposed to be the adults in Washington, and yet they failed to provide the necessary vision and initiative that might have helped to avert this current energy disaster.
The Democrat Congressional powermeisters should take heed: Discontent is brewing. Americans, including many among the Left-leaning working class, are thoroughly frustrated, and they're on the verge of throwing a national hissy-fit in response to high energy prices and the high cost of living. To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, the Democrats are going to feel the heat before they see the light. To the credit of Republican politicians, at least they grasp the magnitude of the citizenry's current discontent, and they're responding appropriately to the emerging crisis. Noteworthy, President Bush is spearheading efforts to lift the ban on offshore drilling, which is also being supported by GOP presidential candidate John McCain. Moreover, Republicans are wisely advocating for a tax break on gas this summer, in attempts to provide some immediate relief to the public. Out-of-touch Democrats just pooh-pooh the tax break idea, calling it a "gimmick".
That being said, Democrats are strangely behind the curve on the energy issue, as they continue their march-in-lockstep collaboration with the environmentalists. Democrat presidential candidate Barack Obama is recommending that the oil companies be hit with a "windfall profits tax", which is not going to ameliorate the energy situation. As underscored by John McCain, "all a windfall profits tax will accomplish is to increase our dependence on foreign oil and hinder exactly the kind of domestic exploration and production we need."
>> Continued -- Page 1 2
| 
