Congressman Dennis Moore in a recent response to a third district constituent complaining of the high cost of gasoline had this to say:  "..Experts all agree that the most effective way to reduce gas prices is to reduce demand...we must do everything we can to decrease our dependence on foreign oil and we cannot solely drill our way out of this problem. Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) would not solve our energy problems. Even if Congress lifted the moratorium tomorrow, it would take 10 years to put the infrastructure in place and extract the oil."  I received an identical response in a separate correspondence.

Congressman Moore demonstrates that neither he nor his Democrat colleagues understand free market economics.  Price is determined by the classical intersection of the demand and supply curves.  However the 'bi-partisan' political center of both parties ignore 'supply side' economics because they've reserved it for 'sale' to their special interest contributors like the Sierra Club and the farm lobby.  What Moore can't be honest about in citing oil infrastructure considerations is that additional capacity, i.e. new refineries are necessary to effect price reductions in oil but have been blocked by special interests on both sides of the political aisle. 

Moore goes on to write, " -- the continued instability in oil producing nations such as Iran, Iraq, Venezuela and Nigeria; the U.S refining capacity operating at 99% (with little room to increase domestic supply); increased demand from China and India; as well as the devaluation of the dollar, it just isn't right that big oil companies are profiting more than ever, yet keep raising prices, while receiving extra tax breaks." 

Instability in oil producing countries has little do with high gasoline prices in the United States compared to the impact of a moratorium on new refineries.  

Congressman Moore further suggests that this particular constituent avail himself of the public transit system, as he also did to me but does Moore use any public transit himself? "I am an avid supporter of public transportation. During my ten years in Congress, I have brought millions of dollars to Johnson, Wyandotte, and Douglas counties to help build, operate, and maintain the public bus systems. As the Kansas City metro area light rail proposal moves forward, I will do all I can to procure federal dollars to help make it a reality, as I truly believe that it is time for Kansas City - and the nation." Or is Moore like many of his international 'bi-partisan' center colleagues, renting a limosine at $1000 per month courtesy of the U.S. taxpayer?

How does spending $129 million dollars per mile in construction costs for light rail solve the oil crisis Mr. Congressman? And that's not an 'exception',  Wayne Flaherty, secretary of the Johnson County Citizens Transportation Committee has indicated that the average costs for light rail construction around the country are 70-80 million dollars per mile.

And, guess what light rail uses as fuel?...yes.. diesel...averaging nearly a dollar MORE per gallon than gasoline nationwide. Transit riders typically pick up no more than a 1/4 of the actual riding costs, so taxpayers get to makeup the difference.  So, where's the savings and how do we tax ourselves out of the oil crisis? Moore supports new laws to penalize those who profit excessively as determined by government, who else? The Federal government earns some $0.53 cents per gallon in gasoline consumption taxes. Apparently,  'gouging' by the US treasury is perfectly acceptable.  "The United States is the largest consumer of oil in the world, and also the biggest oil importer in the world, bringing in 13.5 million barrels per day (mbd), which accounts for 63.5% of total U.S. daily consumption (17% of which is oil from the Middle East). You can help decrease energy prices by purchasing vehicles that utilize alternative fuel technologies (and be rewarded with a tax credit), combining trips, telecommuting, taking public transportation, as well as reduce the market pressure on oil by increasing the efficiency of our home energy use-through additional insulation, weather stripping, using compact florescent bulbs, using reusable bags at the grocery store rather than petroleum based plastic bags." 
How do florescent bulbs reduce other than coal demand? And, as you divert farm land to produce alternative fuels like 'bio-renewable' diesel...the cost of both FOOD and Gasoline rises.  You can't conserve your way out of rising oil prices unless a large number of people are forced to walk.  Tax credits are worthless, anyone making over $30,000 per year can never qualify and those who own their own businesses, which involve a lot of driving like truckers, never get the benefits.

Should we be developing 'alternate' fuels as Dennis Moore suggests? According to Newsmax, Bio-diesel isn't as green-friendly as claimed: "According the National Biodiesel Board, biodiesel is nontoxic, biodegradable and suitable for sensitive environments, even sensitive riparian ones. But scientists — and people living near biodiesel refineries — say that’s seriously understating its potential environmental impact. "

The National Center for Public Policy has indicated that "two studies one from Princeton University and another from the University of Minnesota, found that ethanol contributes more greenhouse gas to the atmosphere than does conventional gasoline. It does so, in part, because it encourages the clearing of so-called carbon sinks, such as rainforests, which absorb carbon dioxide, to produce crops for ethanol production. "

The regulatory uncertainty created by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment recently prevented the state from building a new refinery.  Is that sound economic policy? How do existing requirements for refiners to produce 'boutique' fuels lower Gasoline costs? "These special [17] gasoline blends are required in different parts of the country in the name of reducing pollution. Their primary effect, however, is to raise gas prices and make it difficult to move gas around the country during shortfalls. " - WSJ

The Wall Street Journal has correctly identified Congress as the true culprit of high energy costs in an April 2006 article: "Few things are less becoming in a political party than desperation, as Republicans are now demonstrating as they panic over rising oil and gas prices. If blaming private industry for Congress's own energy mistakes is the best the GOP can do, no wonder its voters may sit out the November election... A decent portion of the latest run-up in gas prices--and the entire cause of recent spot shortages--is the direct result of the energy bill Congress passed last summer [2005].  That self-serving legislation handed Congress's friends in the ethanol lobby a mandate that forces drivers to use 7.5 billion gallons annually of that oxygenate by 2012... There's been unconscionable behavior all right, most of it on Capitol Hill."

Washington's 'half-baked' ideas from a consortium of lawyers in both political parties are burying this nation.  "The Bush administration has asked Congress for $2 billion for the [$10-billion clean technology] fund, which would help developing countries such as China and India finance the costs of adopting less-polluting technologies.." 

Meanwhile, incumbent staff of both political parties concentate their efforts on providing meaningless shill for their constituents, primarily to give the impression that something worthwhile is being done in Washington rather than simply a bunch of clueless politicans scrambling to stay elected.

Congress is aiding America's enemies by perpetuating our dependence on foreign oil which indirectly funds the Al Qaeda war effort against us.  Is anybody awake in Washington?
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