Gas at $4 brings promises, pandering

Stop making excuses and DRILL the oil in the U.S. It is impossible to say it will take years to drill.
Just start doing what is necessary to get it done. We have plenty of it.

I think we (Americans) should require Iraq to start supplying the U.S. with oil (0.0 dollars) per barrel until the price of the war is paid for. Same should apply to Afghanistan. They started this war so let them pay for it. Sounds crazy, but I would be interested to know now many Americans agree with me.

I think as a political issue this is a near disaster for the winner when they face re-election in 2012. Obama is basically calling for the nationalization of the oil companies. I am against that theory but even if I were for it I think that there is no way that he will be able to pass a successful "wind-fall" profits tax that actually relieves the American consumer and raises government revenues. There are so many loopholes, including the easy loophole of producing at no profit, that this plan won't work. If McCain wins there will be no completed drillsites or nuclear reactors producing by 2012. Most likely, they won't even have started production of the facility due to governmental and EPA procedures and permits.

In a pure capitalistic driven economy (and I mean pure -- this usually only exists in theory) the market will take care of itself. Either the speculators bubble will burst, the consumer will use less, or there will be an alternative product that comes on to the market. Without interference from government agencies this usually takes place in 10-20 years. Because this is a knee-jerk reaction that will help drive votes, it will never occur naturally.

People are so polarized on this issue as though any one solution will resolve the problem. The reality that drilling may not produce oil for 5-10 years does not change the fact that developing alternatives, and changing over the infrastructure of our society will take 20 to 30 years. The solution is going to have to be multi-faceted, and both sides are going to have to give a little. The solution to this problem must be looked at in terms of time frame:

1) Short term - Draw 2 million barrels of oil/day from our reserves to ease the current price pressure. We have enough reserves to do this for up to 10 years until step 2 below can be implemented, and still maintain a 2 year supply for emergency. The revenue from the sale of Oil from our reserves would be used to fund an aggressive R&D project on cost effective alternative energy sources. The R&D plan needs to involve all alternative energy sources as well as energy saving technologies, and have timelines and milestones set to monitor progress.

2) Intermediate term - Become oil independent by harvesting the oil we have, and using it until the alternatives are implemented into society. We have plenty of oil right here in the USA if we just go get it. It's estimated that we have enough just in our shale oil to last 110 years at current consumption rates. But consumption is not the ultimate goal--only a temporary step until alternatives can be implemented into our society.

3) Long term - Become fossil fuel independent by replacing fossil fuel equipment with eco friendly and more cost effective alternatives.

The first key to this plan is to stop believing that the oil companies are going to save the planet. They are oil companies. The alternatives are their competition. You can't blame a company for failing to slit it's own throat. Get someone else doing this research instead of expecting oil companies to turn on their stockholders. Doing the same thing, and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity.

The second key is to actually do the research, and expect real results. We need to be determined to be off of foreign oil within 10 years, and to have cost effective alternatives in place to have us off of fossil fuels within 30 years including the time to change over our societies infrastructure.

The third, and most important key is that we have to quit pointing fingers at the other side of the isle, and work together on the solution. We currently are gridlocked in this country, and nothing will happen until we get past our extreme partisanship. Just as we worked together to put a man on the moon in the 60's, there is little we can't do by working together. As it stands now, the only thing either side does is tear down the other, so nothing gets accomplished.

One major fallacy glossed over is implying that closing the Enron loophole will not lower gas prices substantially in the short run. Check out the Permanent Subcommittee On Investigation's 6/27/06 report entitled "THE ROLE OF MARKET SPECULATION IN RISING OIL AND GAS PRICES: A NEED TO PUT THE COP BACK ON THE BEAT."

Demand for futures contracts on unregulated, private stock exchanges has driven up the price of oil. The market makes no distinction between real consumer demand for oil and artificial demand for futures contracts. MSNBC really dropped the ball by not investigating this further.

One candidate defends deregulation of this one crucial commodity that everyone needs. The other wants to close it. But if no one actually examines the prescient findings their tax dollars paid to find...TWO YEARS ago, how will anyone make sure consumers won't continue to subsidize record breaking profits of white collar criminals?

One major fallacy glossed over is implying that closing the Enron loophole will not lower gas prices substantially in the short run. Check out the Permanent Subcommittee On Investigation's 6/27/06 report entitled "THE ROLE OF MARKET SPECULATION IN RISING OIL AND GAS PRICES: A NEED TO PUT THE COP BACK ON THE BEAT."

Demand for futures contracts on unregulated, private stock exchanges has driven up the price of oil. The market makes no distinction between real consumer demand for oil and artificial demand for futures contracts. MSNBC really dropped the ball by not investigating this further.

One candidate defends deregulation of this one crucial commodity that everyone needs. The other wants to close it. But if no one actually examines the prescient findings their tax dollars paid to find...TWO YEARS ago, how will anyone make sure consumers won't continue to subsidize record breaking profits of white collar criminals?

I am not so sure we need immediate massive government intervention in response the high gas and energy costs. There is a heck of a lot that can be done by individual American citizens that will alleviate some of this problem.

I sold a used SUV I was driving, which got at best about 20 MPG and usually about 17 MPG, and bought for the same price that I sold the SUV for, a used Toyota Echo. It is getting 52 MPG. In part this is also because I have also modified the way I drive. I also now drive about 6,000 miles annually, where I used to average around 12, 000 miles a year. This means that I am now using about one sixth the amount of fuel that I used in past years.

According to my utility bills, I am also using about 40% less electricity than I used in past years. None of this has in any way caused any hardship. This is just changing careless and wasteful living habits. Also, if solar electrical panels become price competitive, then I will start adding panels to my house to produce and feed back into the power grid electrical power.

Individual changes such as these, if implemented by enough Americans, could change the overall energy supply and cost situation much more quickly than other grand schemes being discussed today. In the longer term we can work toward other permanent solutions as real life experience shows us which are most practical and cost effective.

If you are talking about the SPRO as being the reserves you would draw down, I believe the figure is either a 4 or 6 months supply at the current amount of oil that we are using. We need that in case of a supply reduction or similar emergency where we no longer had enough oil, or the economy would collapse.

There is no easy answer to high gas prizes. We are continually told that if we start drilling in Anwar or along the costs, it will take at least 10 years to get the oil out. The longer the government is dragging their feet, the longer it will take. Carter, the elder Bush and Clinton did nothing for decades. If they had begun to drill back then I believe we would not be in the position we are now with gas approaching $5.00 a gallon. There may be much more oil to be found in Anwar and along the costs but nobody cares. We just depend on the Arabs, Canada, volatile Nigeria and the crazy Hugo Chavez to supply it. They can cut off the spigots any time. Iran may close off the Straits of Hormuz any time they please. Where would we stand then as far as receiving oil from the Arabs? I say, begin to drill now, and let go of the excuses and the tree huggers. More oil may be found than we imagine.

If the President really cares about the high gas prices he wouldn't continue to feed the fire by allowing off shore oil drilling. He would call for an investigation into energy speculators and call on and institute a new green emissions regulation for all automakers.
But he'll never do that. Because his family has made millions from oil in Texas. Google 'Bush' and 'Oil' The results are endless. What's happening currently with oil is not unlike what's happened with electricity several years ago. And in ten years it will happen with water. Only an idiot would try to solve rising oil and gas costs with a method that does nothing to ween this country off of oil - thus making the problem worse.

Quite frankly, what is the big deal with the oil prices in America reaching $4 a gallon?????? You guys should consider yourselves lucky as in the UK we are currently paying in the region of £1.10 per litre!!! To covert that in to dollars we are forking out over $2 per litre for our fuel or around $9 per gallon, we have lived for decades with fuel prices double if not triple the american prices and we still function, If anybody needs a drop in the fuel prices it's us Europeans!!!!!!!!!!!

This has gone way beyond absurd and is now entering the phase where a less than majority is striving to decide the fate of the majority. It's become overwhelmingly clear in the very few past weeks that the majority of Americans want access to U.S. oil. Would that it were possible to put this issue on a national ballot and resolve it once and for all. Ironically, I think it will be a national ballot issue in the Fall elections and suffering American voters may well defeat members of Congress who continues to support a ban on drilling for U.S. oil.

If the oil reserves of this country were brought on line not only would OPEC's back be broken and the price at the pump decrease, but our economy would explode. It's also likely any indication of increasing the supply of oil near or long term may shut down the speculators and remove whatever increase their bidding activities have had on the price of oil. It appears the American people don't realize the true magnitude of job growth increased U.S. drilling would create in this country; the unemployment rate might actually approach zero. These aren't piece worker or minimum wage jobs jobs; they're living wage jobs that pay high salaries. From the construction jobs to fabricate new offshore drilling rigs and vessels to service the offshore rigs and wells and, to build the additional refineries needed to process this new volume of crude, to the roughnecks who work the rigs and actually get the oil out of the ground and to the ancillary blue and white collar jobs increased drilling would require it's questionable whether the U.S. would have a sufficient number of workers to fill the available positions. Add to this the jobs created by the significant number of new support and oil service industry businesses that will be required to sustain the increased drilling activity and there could be the start of an economic boom never before experienced in this country. Doing this while expanding the effort to finally develop alternative energy sources would only further benefit the economy.

Politicians and government bureaucrats are telling us that increased drilling would not result in an increase in the supply of oil for more than ten years and then it would only decrease the price at the pump by maybe two cents a gallon. I believe the American public deserves an accurate answer to this issue. To my knowledge neither Presidential candidate is a petroleum engineer nor do they have doctorates in economics. Wouldn't it be prudent to seek input from the American drilling industry that has performed offshore drilling since the 1940s as to how long it will actually take to bring offshore oil on line? Shouldn't we seek to consult with respected economists who could explain why increasing the supply of oil would only decrease the price at the pump by pennies per gallon, or, if that is indeed factual? At the same time no one is even considering the positive impact increased drilling will have on our economy. Regardless of how long it may take to bring this oil on line, the economic expansion and job creation would be immediate, and that would not be a bad thing at all.

The American drilling industry has demonstrated in Alaska and off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana drilling can be accomplished without ruining the environment. Granted oil rigs off the coasts are not the prettiest sight, but neither is $6, $7 or $9 dollar a gallon gasoline. Try this. Include a provision in the laws to allow increased drilling that requires a rig to be removed when its daily production drops below a set number of barrels per day. This cost would be borne by the oil companies and deposited when they make their lease payments for the right to drill in a specific area. By so doing the funds would be escrowed and would ensure the removal of oil rigs when they become unproductive. Increased drilling activity can strengthen our economy and our national security. $9 dollar a gallon gasoline will destroy our economy and jeopardize all Americans' security. This isn't about politicians. It's about the American people and their future well being, economically and safety-wise. It's obvious too many politicians don't care about the vast majority of us citizens except when they need our votes to forever remain in their elected positions. It's past time these elitists who have become too comfortable for way too long looking down their noses at us are sent packing by those same American people and voters. Will the voters do it?

THEY ARE BOTH LIARS! GOOGLE LINDSEY WILLIAMS AND THE NON OIL CRISIS! JOHN MCCAIN WILL WIN PRESIDENCY BECAUSE HE IS FROM A 33RD LATITUDE STATE LIKE 8 OF OUR PAST 9 PRESIDENTS. THE ONE THAT WAS NOT WAS ASSISSINATED! IF YOU THINK I AM FULL OF IT MORE THAN THE TWO KILLERS WE ARE DISCUSSING, GO TO WWW.100001.MAGNIFY.NET THE RESUME OF OUR PRESIDENTS IS RIGHT THERE. JOHN MCCAIN WILL TAKE THE U.S. TO WAR WITH IRAN TO CONTINUE THE REIGN OF 100 YEARS OF WAR. LET WAKE UP PEOPLE! OUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS BLOOD IS BEING SHED OVER THIS CANCER LIFE TAKING SUBSTANCE WE CALL OIL! IF YOU WANT ALL THE INFORMATION ON OUR NON TRANSPARENT VOTIONG SYSTEM AND OUR CORRUPT GOVERMENT, GO TO WWW.PROPAGANDAMEATGRINDER.COM!

I don't really understand how the oil prices are rising so rapidly anyway, I have a close relative who works for British Petroleum who assures me that there is more than enough oil for the foreseeable future even at our current increase in the need for oil!!! At the end of the day it is a money making process for the manufacturers of the oil and for government taxation, to expect the British consumers to pay over $2 dollars a litre for fuel is just ludicrous, I have no idea how the price rises are truly going to affect the American consumer but I no it has been hitting the European consumer even harder, that can't be denied!!!

Two reasons why oil prices are rising.

1. Too many buyers with too few sellers of oil contracts. Yes this is a bubble with speculators (not manipulators) chasing the current trend and will end at some point. We've seen it twice before in recent years. Can everyone remember the dot com bubble. Tech stock values dropped over 50% when that bubble burst. And we are currently going through the breaking of the housing bubble. Prices have dropped substantially in many parts of the country.

2. The supply is too tight for oil, especially considering the long lead time to bring more resources on line. That is not to say there is not enough oil today, but current supplies are decreasing while demand is increasing.

Economics 101. We can't do much about speculators other than close off a few loopholes. We can, however, signal that we are willing to pump every drop of oil out of the ground that we can as we work to bring additional sources on energy on line.

Over 1.1 Million Americans Call on Congress to "Drill Here, Drill Now"
We really had no idea, just 35 days ago when we first posted the "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less" petition here, that we would provide the spark that has ignited a fire among frustrated, struggling Americans.

In just 35 days, over 1.1 million Americans have signed the petition. Seven hundred and fifty thousand signed in just three weeks. Almost 100,000 signed up in a single day.

Americans of all political parties have signed the "Drill Here, Drill Now" petition. Here's what they're saying:

The 1.1 million Americans who have signed the petition are appealing to Congress to allow environmentally responsible ways to produce more energy here, at home.

They're not calling for higher taxes on oil companies.

They're not blaming foreigners for our energy problems.

They're not begging the Saudis to sell us more oil.

And so my message to the party that controls Congress is this:

The American people have spoken. Are you listening?

New Poll Shows 74 Percent of Americans Support Offshore Drilling
Through our polling at American Solutions we have long known that a whopping 81 percent of Americans support developing more domestic energy, including oil and coal. And this 81 percent majority is made up of 85 percent of the Republicans, 83 percent of the independents and 76 percent of the Democrats surveyed.

Now we have even more data showing widespread support for increasing domestic energy production.

A new Rasmussen Poll has revealed that a full 67 percent of Americans support offshore drilling.

What is the party breakdown behind these numbers? The supporters were 85 percent Republican, 57 percent Democrat and 60 percent unaffiliated voters.

Moreover, a new Zogby poll shows that 74 percent of Americans support drilling offshore for our American oil. The supporters were 90 percent Republican, 58 percent Democrat, and 75 percent independent voters. A related survey by Zogby also shows that 59 percent of Americans support drilling in ANWR.

In other words, the American people have spoken. Are you listening Democrats?

175 Members of Congress Have Pledged to Increase U.S. Oil Production. Only One Is a Democrat.
As usual, the American people know intuitively what Washington just doesn't understand: You don't have to be a Republican to be struggling to put gas in your car. Democratic and independent families, commuters and small business owners are hurting too.

So why haven't Democrats in Congress responded? Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R.-Ga.) is circulating a petition challenging his House colleagues to pledge to ''vote to increase U.S. oil production to lower gas prices for Americans.'' As of this writing, 175 members of Congress have signed.

Only one, Neal Abercrombie of Hawaii, is a Democrat.

Drilling opponents support more drilling so long as there is no oil
Perhaps some Democrats have been reluctant to sign on because of two popular talking points making the rounds.

These opponents say that oil and gas companies already hold 68 million acres of federal land (offshore and land combined) that they are not using to produce oil and gas. They also say it would take 10 years before any of that oil makes it into our gas tanks.

Just this weekend on Meet the Press, Sen. Joe Biden (D.-Del.) said, "They [the oil companies] have now leased 41 million acres of offshore leases. They're only pumping in 10.2 million of those acres. . . . And John [McCain] says they need more? And it would take 10 years for it to come online."

There are a number of problems with these arguments.

First, when federal waters or lands are leased to energy companies, the first step is to explore for oil - in other words, look for it. Most of the acres leased for oil end up being determined to not hold enough oil or gas to make it profitable for energy companies to actually extract it. So the vast majority of those 68 million acres are not being used for a simple reason: they're currently unusable.

Given this fact, it's obvious that citing the amount of currently unused leased land is a ruse. It allows opponents of using American oil to seem as if they actually support it, when in truth they only support more drilling in areas where there is not enough oil to make it worthwhile to drill. In other words, they actually don't support using our American oil to lower gas prices.

Either it is a ruse, or it is a testament to the profound arrogance of the Washington elite that they believe they understand the business of oil production better than American oil companies.

Drill here, drill now, pay less ... in the short term and long term Lastly, even if we were to accept the estimate of 10 years to get American oil into our gas tank (if America made it a priority to quickly extract our oil I'm confident we could find a way to speed up the process), there is good reason to believe the short-term affect on oil prices would be significant.

While estimates range on the degree to which oil futures trading is affecting the price of oil, there is broad consensus that it is playing a role. The very act of opening America's vast oil deposits for extraction would send an immediate signal to speculators that supply will be increased, and that betting on higher prices for oil is no longer a safe investment. Prices will fall as a result.

Also, beginning the process of drilling for our American oil would allow us the freedom to empty part of the strategic oil reserve into the market on the promise it will be replenished by these future American sources. This immediate increase in the supply of oil would cause a decrease in price.

Make This July 4th Energy Independence Day
Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, if your leaders aren't listening to the clear, expressed will of the people then you have it in your power to change this, to send the message to Washington that this July 4th will be unlike other July 4ths.

This Independence Day we declare our energy independence. And we give our elected officials this choice:

Either take action to drill here and drill now for American oil or the American people will take action this fall.

What You Can Do NOW to Send a Message to Washington
Here's what you can do:

If your Representative hasn't signed the Westmoreland petition, contact him or her here and make your voice heard. If you haven't signed the "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less" petition, click here and do so today. Our goal is to have three million signatures in time for the Republican and Democratic national conventions. When your House member is back in the district for the Fourth of July holiday, take the opportunity to personally let him or her know that Americans don't need to be suffering under $4-plus gas and that he has a responsibility to do something about it.