Unfettered Letters

Gasoline taxes

Thomas Friedman is right about the need for the Obama administration to consider increasing the tax on motor fuels along with an economy-wide carbon tax (1/2, Opinion, “Obama must take gas-tax plunge”). World oil prices are at a four- or five- year low and will increase rapidly as soon as the economy begins to turn around.

It would be far better if instead of increasing the motor fuels tax at the pump, we levied an import tax of $30 to $40 on each barrel of imported oil with half that rate on oil imported from Canada.

Such a tax would have several salutary effects and would not be a zero-sum game. In other words, it would not add that amount to the cost of oil at the pump.

As the world’s largest consumer it would help keep down the world price of oil, increase the development of our own energy resources, encourage energy conservation and help reduce our massive federal debt that could reach $2 trillion this year.

G. Ross Stephens
Professor emeritus,political science and public administration, UMKC
Leawood

I strongly oppose raising the federal tax on gasoline at this time. It would hit hardest those who live in rural areas and drive miles to their jobs at nursing homes, fast-food stores, discount stores and other places. It would also hurt rural school districts that run long bus routes and all of us who buy food, clothing and other things.

Besides, no one knows when the price of gas might increase again — even those wealthy advocates of an increase who live on the East Coast where they have access to good public transportation and can afford the higher price of gasoline.

Jeanette B. Welch
Warrensburg, Mo.

What short memories we have. Last summer when gas hit $4 per gallon, people started using mass transit, buying fuel-efficient cars and driving less. With the price of gas now below $2 per gallon, we seem to be returning to our gas-guzzling habits.

I agree with Tom Friedman that we need a much higher gas tax. If a higher tax would help stabilize the price at around $3 per gallon, we would do more to conserve, and there would be incentives for companies to innovate.

If we do nothing, I predict the return of $4 gas within a year. We will still be paying a much higher gas “tax.” But instead of the U.S. treasury, the recipients will be Ahmadinejad, Chavez, Putin and the Arab oil sheiks.

Mike Mendon
Gladstone

Too dependent on foreign oil

Man does not live by bread alone, according to the Good Book. Materially, man has required food, water, salt and, as this century begins, far more oil than is produced here.

Yes, we now must have oil, food, water and salt to survive. For years there was great pride that this country was self-sufficient. In less than 60 years, however, our giant, insatiable thirst for oil has moved rapidly to dependency on any Third World source of oil.

As the gulf wars happened, we were told about all the world’s energy there — supremely important. Do these oil zealots ever see and feel the sun, feel the wind or hear the waves? Do they ever think of our great volume of natural gas, the tremendous trillion tons of coal or our huge annual crop of corn?

Haven’t we had enough of this giant dependency? This country can have energy sufficiency and avoid the trip wires caused by gyrations of Third World countries.

Why chance future trip wires? Ask your leaders to take action now.

Robert Harpster
Warrensburg, Mo.

Oil woes are our own fault

Bruce L. Rogers (11/6, Letters) cites gas lines in the ’70s as reason to blame oil and car companies for the “economic mess” we’re in. It’s untenable to blame oil companies simply because they sell a product people want to buy.

Rogers laments that U.S. car companies did not develop hybrids and presumably other fuel-efficient cars. A wee bit of research reveals that fuel-efficient cars have sold poorly in the U.S., while sales of trucks and SUVs soared.

Fickle Americans want efficient cars only during spikes in gas prices. As soon as the price retreats, they go back to buying huge cars. American car companies simply produce what sells.

Americans eat too much, spend too much and use too much gas, but have only themselves to blame.

Brian Merrell
Lee’s Summit

Big Oil’s role in economy woes

Why hasn’t anyone discussed the idea that Big Oil and the car manufactures have surely contributed to the economic mess we are in?

In the mid 1970s, there were huge lines at the gas stations (am I the only one to remember)? Why didn’t the car manufactures at that time delve into the hybrid vehicles? We would not now be sending huge amounts of money to other countries for oil.

It sure seems that Big Oil rules our economy, not just Big Wall Street.

Bruce L. Rogers
Kansas City

No quick fixes for oil woes

Congrats to The Star’s editorial staff for the thoughtful, comprehensive energy plan (9/12, Opinion, “Energy policy: The fix-it list").

Despite wishes and hopes for all clean energy and cars in 10 years, it just won’t happen that fast. We will be using petroleum for many years. And why not make it domestic oil produced by domestic U.S. workers?

Now, if we can get Congress to listen and act.

Tim Maupin
Overland Park

Obama, it’s time for U.S. to drill

We use oil because it is the cheapest and most transportable form of energy readily available to us. Nothing else comes close on all three criteria. The same people who oppose more drilling because it would take 10 or 20 years (the number grows with each retelling) to get the oil to market want us to implement alternative forms of energy that would take at least as long.

What do we use until then? Oil. So why not use our own and not enrich countries that hate us?

Barack Obama voted against offshore drilling. He has toed the party line. No “change” there, just strict adherence to his party’s failed policies.

Joe Henderson
Raytown

Start drilling, stop draining

I agree with Russell Means (8/24, Letters). One of the biggest things plaguing the people of this country is the oil “crisis.” However, I guess I fail to see the oil “crisis.” We have enough oil reserves off of our own coasts to last Americans for several years. Why not start drilling the oil and stop draining the pockets of millions of Americans to benefit the booming oil companies?

Somehow it doesn’t seem fair that the oil companies seem to be making a considerable sum of money while most people have to make huge cutbacks in their lives to accommodate the greediness of a few people.

And why don’t politicians finally step up and start saying what they feel about the situation and stop skating around the issue?

Peter Higbie
Lenexa

Energy viewpoints

Invest in renewable energy

After reading multiple letters calling for more offshore drilling, drilling in the Alaskan Wilderness, and blaming Democrats for the current price of gasoline, I felt the need to respond. Approval for drilling is at an all-time high. In fact, offshore drilling permits have tripled during the Bush administration. Leasing to areas like the Outer Continental Shelf is already occurring. Currently, oil companies hold leases to nearly 68 million acres in Alaska and the Gulf but are drilling on only 18 percent of these holdings.

The Bush administration and the oil and gas industries’ allies continue to oppose the repeal of any part of the $18 billion in taxpayer subsidies for oil companies.

Keep in mind: Oil companies are making record profits from the pockets of U.S. citizens. Rather than giving even more of our money to the oil companies, it seems that it would be better to invest these tax dollars in proven options: higher fuel economy standards, energy efficiency and renewable technology.

It is time to hold the Bush administration, the oil companies and their allies accountable and stop the call for drilling in environmentally sensitive areas.

Amy Crouse
Kansas City

Alaska governor wants to drill

Increase the supply of gas, and the price will go down.

Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska has asked Congress to let her state drill for more oil that what Congress allows at the present time. The governor says more oil could be flowing from Alaska in two years.

The governor also states there is adequate space to drill for more oil without damaging wildlife.

Gov. Palin says polar bears are well managed and their population has dramatically increased over the last 30 years as a result of good conservation.

Roy Mitchell
Independence

Same old answers about oil

In the "As I See It" editorial, guest columnist Jean Carnahan wrote on U.S. Energy Policy (8/17, Opinion, "There are better answers than drilling for more oil"). I hoped that she would present some fresh ideas and new perspective. Instead, the former U.S. senator from Missouri merely re-stated the same old tired partisan blame game.

She managed to name the all-too-usual suspects: the president, Wall Street and "Big Oil." She seemed to disregard that part of the reason we consume 25 percent of global oil production is due to the nearly insatiable appetite for fuel-inefficient vehicles. And all automakers were more than willing to feed that perceived need.

U.S. energy policy is a complex issue and will take more than a few sound bites to resolve. It will require a basic lifestyle change by most Americans.

Unfortunately, I do not see any credible leadership setting the pace for that change.

Ralph Sweatte
Shawnee

Drill for oil and speak English

There was a time when the foundation of our country was credited to three peoples: the Germans, the English and the Jews. The Germans contributed their work ethic, the English and the Jews contributed their expertise in governance and law. That foundation resulted in a nation of English-speaking people that was the envy of the world.

Today we are a nation fragmented by languages and ethnicities. The broad base of our population cannot be pleased with this loss of feeling of unity and pride. It is more than possible that our legislators have not represented those who voted them into office. There is more than ample evidence those legislators, once in office, give the impression that they are intellectually superior to those who elected them. They then act from this superior position in legislating.

Polls say 75 percent of our population wants approval to drill for oil, and 83 percent of our population wants English only as the nation’s official language.

Any legislator who in any way does not support such legislation does not represent the people

Russell Means
Leawood