Soap Box

On our southern migration to Florida, our first pit stop to take on fuel (It was Daytona Weekend) was Fredericksburg, VA. It was a welcome relief to see gasoline priced at less than $3.00 per gallon. Actually, $2.89 compared to the typical NY $3.25. Further, it was a pleasant surprise to see that it was gasohol. There aren’t any stations that sell the gasoline/ethanol mixture in our upstate NY neighborhood. Only a very few in the whole State.

I have generally avoided using this portal for proselytizing, prophesying, or prognostication. Neither to pretend nor portend, hesitating to posture or postulate. But on this subject, please allow me to pontificate. One of my greatest frustrations lately is how our government ignores the high fuel prices while the oil companies pump in record profits.

I understand the House Committee on Government Reform has a certain responsibility about drug use in America. But in comparison to the real issues at hand, I care little about grown men millionaire baseball players electing to use steroids or hormones that possibly enhanced their performance, yet likely shortened their lives. I most certainly would feel better about it if the Congressional hearings focused on our college and especially high school athletes’ seemingly indiscriminate use of nutritional supplements, illegal performance enhancing drugs, and the coaches and companies that encourage or profit from it.

So how about diverting some of that Congressional attention instead towards the energy crisis that’s being ignored? The inordinately high fuel prices affect nearly every commodity produced or sold in this Country and negatively affects every single consumer. I’ll take back some of my money in the form of a rebate to ward off a recession. How about the oil companies giving back some of our money as well from the record billions of dollar profit margins they have extracted over the last several years. I am typically a fiscal conservative loathing government controls. But I don’t understand how we can sit back and do nothing while minimum wage earners in rural America driving 40 miles round trip to their jobs watch their paychecks siphoned dry by the high prices of food, fuel, or even fun, all to benefit corporate and foreign oil companies.

Every facet of our economy is impacted, yet Congress seems typically inactive on the subject. Why?

The presidential candidates are not speaking out about this travesty. Why?

Enough said. I feel better now.