A Message From Senator Obama

A few days ago I sent this letter to my Representatives in Congress. Senators Richard Durban(D), Senator Barack Obama(D), and Congresswoman Melissa Bean(D):

The reason our nation's economy is so successful is that we allow free-market principles to drive prices and availability of goods and services. So I can't understand why Congress continues trying to punish oil and natural gas companies for continuing to provide necessary products, even as the global market becomes more fiercely competitive. I urge you to oppose any legislation that unfairly targets oil and natural gas companies with harmful provisions that could hurt our American consumers and our energy security.

What we need least is for Congress to pass proposals that would discourage investment in increased production, especially at a time when we need a greater oil supply. In particular, onerous taxes on the industry have been shown in the past to lead to shortages in supply and negative impacts on consumers and energy markets. These are not solutions—in fact, they would make the problem worse! Surely you remember what happened in the '70s. Hasn’t Congress learned its lesson?

Instead, what Congress should be doing is passing sensible, balanced policies that encourage investment in increased oil and natural gas production, and provide incentives to explore renewable energy options. Don't stop oil and natural gas companies from competing for global energy and providing services to American consumers. Please fight harmful legislation that unfairly punishes oil and natural gas companies.

I really didn't expect to get a response in favor of the legislation. These are 3 liberal Democrats and this is an Conservative effort.

I did get back this response from Senator Barack Obama:

Dear Katie:

Thank you for writing about legislation that would target gas companies with potentially harmful restrictions. I was glad to hear from you.

I agree we must seek new domestic sources of energy as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce our dependence on foreign sources. Also, it is short-sighted to allow apparent "quick fixes" to undermine the broader, multifaceted strategy needed to end America's dependence on imported energy. We should continue to look for new sources of domestic fuel production - - but not unless the pursuit of alternative fuels and energy efficiency is conducted at far greater levels than has been done in the past.

Over the past 90 years, Congress has provided tax incentives to the petroleum and natural gas industry to encourage greater production and reserves of these resources. Those incentives led to outcomes that reflected the circumstances and priorities of the United States of that era. Today, many of these beneficiary companies are announcing profits of tens of billions of dollars per quarter, shattering records of any industry, while the average American struggles to afford the skyrocketing cost of fuel. During the next 10 years, Congress faces two significant challenges: avoiding catastrophic changes to the climate due to carbon emissions, and improving national and economic security by diversifying our energy portfolio away from Middle East influence.

These are all signs that a century’s worth of federal tax breaks to oil and gas companies have not only achieved their purpose, but have outlived it, and are misaligned with our future energy objectives. Only through a new openness to developing a balanced, comprehensive, forward-looking national energy policy can the country break out of this dangerous mindset, and that challenge is one of my policy priorities. Where tax benefits for traditional technologies no longer reflect our future energy path, they must be retired. Where federal support is too anemic for robust investments in renewables, energy efficiency, and biofuels, it must be strengthened. Where our federal policies are outdated with our new energy policy objectives, they must be rebalanced accordingly. We must accept that increased production will only postpone what will be a major crisis, if we do not begin to use existing energy resources more efficiently and deploy more new energy sources into the marketplace.

Again, Katie, thank you for contacting me. You can rest assured that I will continue to work with my colleagues to develop policies that will lead to true energy independence while ensuring environmental sustainability.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama
United States Senator

I know that this is just a form letter sent out by some intern on his staff, but I do hope that he has received many letters like mine.

He writes in his letter:

We should continue to look for new sources of domestic fuel production - - but not unless the pursuit of alternative fuels and energy efficiency is conducted at far greater levels than has been done in the past.

In other words, first we try to develop new forms of energy and if that doesn't work, then we will drill for new supplies. Not the more sensible idea of developing new supplies here at home while developing alternate fuels. We can do both. It wouldn't be too hard to do both. And drilling here at home would lower gas prices within 6 months.

During the next 10 years, Congress faces two significant challenges: avoiding catastrophic changes to the climate due to carbon emissions, and improving national and economic security by diversifying our energy portfolio away from Middle East influence.

Drilling here and now would do all that, Senator. It would decrease our dependency on Foreign (Arab) oil, and provide needed jobs to many depressed areas. The oil that is pumped from our own lands will bring a needed boost to the economy in jobs and lower gas prices.

Only through a new openness to developing a balanced, comprehensive, forward-looking national energy policy can the country break out of this dangerous mindset, and that challenge is one of my policy priorities.

It is too bad that you really don't have any new policy for our energy crises. What you have is the old policy that was proposed by Jimmy Carter in the 1970's. A policy that did have some good points to it (solar power proposals and alternate fuel development), but like all the other proposals of that administration, it lacked the technological expertise to make it happen.

What Barack Obama is proposing for America is that we all buy hybrids, run on bio-fuels, use vegetable oil or any other non-petroleum product instead of gas. If these were available, Senator and actually worked, Americans would. But these are all pipe dreams, invented by failed hippies to make you and other liberal elitists feel good. They just don't work, and throwing money at them doesn't make it so.

I find it ironic that Al Gore, that bastion of Global Warming and Energy doom sayer doesn't follow his own advice. Mr. Gore's home uses more electricity than the whole state of Tennessee. And you won't find him or his family riding in a car running on hippie fuels. No he likes those large limos and huge SUVs. And I am to understand that you do too.

You talk a good game Senator, but your actions speak louder than your words. And the word that describes what you are is:

Hypocrite!