At Last: A Common Sense Approach to Our Energy Crisis….Onder Reacts to High Gas Prices
I had the chance to meet Dr. Bob Onder yesterday at the Grand Opening of his campaign headquarters in Lake St. Louis, a suburb about 30 miles from my home in Kirkwood, Mo.
The event was well attended and I had the chance to talk to Dr. Onder about the nuts and bolts of getting his new immigration law enforcement bill through both houses of the Missouri legislature.
Missouri Gov. Blunt deserves credit for helping to make it happen. My understanding is that the Governor told the legislature that he wanted two bills to sign before the regular session ended or he would call a special session of the legislature. The two bill were: an immigration law enforcement bill and an “informed consent” bill relating to protecting both the women and the pre-born infants in cases where an abortion is being considered.
He got both the bills he wanted. I told Dr. Onder that the immigration bill was everything I could have hoped for. There is a very important lesson to be learned here. One year ago an amnesty bill was offered with little debate and no public hearings. We were told it’s passage was a foregone conclusion and that we were bigots if we opposed it.
Now we see what happens when an informed and proactive electorate demands change and demands action. I don’t for a moment think the battle is over. But we are so far ahead of where we were a year ago that it is inspiring to realize what can be done to get this country back on course.
Now, turning our attention to another issue of extremely high importance, the looming energy crisis as a gallon of regular gasoline heads north of $4 per gallon.
The Onder campaign has send me their latest press release, articulating Dr. Onder’s position of what our national policy should be regarding our dependence on Middle Eastern oil. When I read the news release, I said pretty much what I said in the above headline: “At last, some common sense.”
~~John Cronin~~
Lake St. Louis - With gasoline pressing past $4 per gallon, Dr. Bob Onder today announced his support for increased investment in American resources as a long-term solution to reduce gas prices and lower our reliance on foreign oil.
Dr. Onder released the following statement:
As the owners of an old plumber’s van that we use to haul around our six kids, my wife and I share the pain Missourians feel at the gas pump. As Missourians are all too aware, the price of oil has doubled over the past year. Just this weekend, gas prices moved above $4 per gallon. With gas prices that high, families are forced to take money out of other parts of their budget just to get to work or drive their kids to baseball practice, and businesses use resources that might have been used to create new jobs to pay for energy costs.
Skyrocketing energy costs are damaging our economy and killing jobs, over 60,000 in just the last month alone. Unfortunately, however, there does not appear to be any sign of relief in sight. A little over a month ago, in an effort to lower prices, President Bush traveled to Saudi Arabia to ask King Abdullah to release more oil from Saudi reserves. Stop and think about that: The democratically-elected leader of the most prosperous country in history had to essentially beg a second-rate, fourth-generation, third world monarch to ease the burden on American families. Much to his chagrin, the president was rebuffed. Saudi Arabia will not be increasing supply.
Something’s not right with this picture. We should not have to rely on the charity of foreign governments. We must find a way to wean ourselves off foreign oil. We need to invest in American energy sources now.
The good news is that we have the resources to end our reliance. The bad news is that Democrats have stood in the way of American development. At the far northern end of Alaska, in ANWR, we could have access to 1 million barrels of oil per day. In comparison, last year, we imported 590,000 barrels per day from OPEC nations, including 36,000 from Saudi Arabia. Unfortunately, in 1995, former President Clinton vetoed legislation which would have allowed us to use this American oil because he said it would take ten years for the oil to start flowing. Thirteen years later, rather than enjoy daily access to nearly 28 times the oil we import from Saudi Arabia, we still rely on anti-American sources of energy.
It only gets worse. The Department of Energy estimates that 86 billion barrels of oil are available under America’s continental shelf. Yet, 85 percent of it is off-limits. Those who stand in the way of American energy production claim that new wells would cause environmental harm. But when Hurricane Katrina wiped out over 2,100 oil or gas wells in the Gulf of Mexico, we did not have a single serious environmental mishap.
American ingenuity has accomplished many great things. When I was a kid, we put a man on the moon. Since then, our engineers have come up with equally heroic solutions to environmental problems. Today, we can drill for oil in an environmentally friendly way, both in Alaska and in the Gulf of Mexico. While green nations like Denmark and Norway allow their citizens to reap the benefits of their own natural resources, environmental radicals in the United States wreak havoc on the wallets of average Americans.
In the short term, we should continue to seek solutions like the suspension of deposits into the strategic petroleum reserve which President Bush signed into law just two weeks ago. But, in the long term, to ensure future prosperity, we must take advantage of American resources in an environmentally-friendly way. We have the technology to do it. All that is left is to generate the political will to let American ingenuity work its magic.
Dr. Bob Onder is a state representative and Republican candidate for Missouri’s Ninth Congressional District.
Interested publishers may run the statement above as an op-ed.
Paid for and Authorized by Onder for Congress
June 9th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
It is rare that I am first to comment on here, but here goes.
It is really refreshing to see someone who recognizes the irresponsible environmental radicals!!! Now, if he will stick to these feelings and ideas and not change. John, you seem to have alot of confidence in him.. So far, I like what he has to say. We definitely need to get out from under the thumb of the “don’t drill in anyone’s back yard” set. They are truly ruining America and causing more harm than good to the environment. Case in point, the fires in California. They get out of control because the environmentalists won’t allow any bush and brush control… That is really just plain wrong. They wind up costing our country alot more than they save.
June 9th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
The PC (politically correct) movement has cost this country untold amounts of suffering and monetary loss. The Saudis must secretly think we are idiots in this country. To be standing above vast deposits of oil, coal and natural gas and then importing our energy needs from almost half way around the world makes us look like lunatics to them.
The two big questions in my mind are: 1. How high will a gallon of gasoline go before we throw our PC beliefs out the window and encourage our politicians to pass legislation allowing domestic drilling?, and, 2. Will the electorate buy into some populist, leftist “solution” like “windfall taxes” on oil companies?
If we choose the latter, we are in for some hard times in this country.
June 9th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
KKSM,
Yes, I am confident in Dr. Onder. Especially for a freshman State Rep. to have three major bills to his credit.
Like you say, our hope is always that these politicians will stay close to the voters in their districts and not have their heads turned by the glamor of Washington, D.C. and the desire to be well thought of by the elites.
I would encourage these politicians to recognize the real source of their power: Mom and Pop voters and being right on the bread and butter issues.
June 9th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
PC is ruining America. It has gotten so sick and distorted. I view it like this: We have given up old fashioned “Christian” principles as they might “offend” someone or other. (Imagine that!) We replaced them with PC with no good sense attached because “the things of God are foolishness” to man so often. Man just doesn’t get it. We need God and His teachings, we need the Christian principles upon which this country were founded and they are getting lost… sadly! We gave them up and now we are a great big fat mess.
In school, you can have no Bible or Christmas. They nearly crucify little kids for drawing things that “look like they could be a gun”. They expell first and second graders for hugging because it may be sexual…. argh (if it wasn’t, it soon will be thank you very much). We teach sex ed in a totally inappropriate manner is some places. We have truly attained ridiculousness. The tree huggers ought to be so proud as that is the god they worship. Yes John, I am afraid we are laughed for more than one ridiculousness and idiocy… better say our prayers!
June 9th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
That guy’s the MAN. Finally, someone who THINKS. It’s refreshing, for sure. I say Romney/Onder in 2012!
June 9th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
Hey guys, I posted a reply to John oh, say 45 minutes or so ago. Does anyone know why it has just said “Your comment is awaiting moderation” for so long? Can you see it?
And, thanks to whoever fixed my problem a few weeks back of not being able to post more than a small paragraph of 3-4 lines. I don’t know who does those things, but I want you to know I am grateful to and for you…. KKSM
June 9th, 2008 at 11:48 pm
KKSM, perhaps you had a typo when entering your email address? Happened to me once. I wish McCain would listen to this guy.
June 10th, 2008 at 1:18 am
Thanks bigmo.. (that’s quite a name by the way!)
My email just pretty much stays there all the time. I dont know. It is just about how PC is ruining America. It is about how we have given up Christian principles etc… we will see what happens I guess
June 10th, 2008 at 2:52 am
“I say Romney/Onder in 2012!” Nah, sounds too much like “Romney-Yonder!” Hey, but you would get a solid South with that name.
June 10th, 2008 at 7:40 am
My husband and I were saying when we had the gas lines in the 80’s that was a red flag. People with insight realize you must rely on your own resources, not foreign countries. Business people realize that you must be sure of supply, or you get held over a barrel. Our barrel has become a horrible nightmare for so many homes. What will happen this winter? Wood, for those now depending on supplemental heat at this time is $325.00 a cord! Hold on, it’s summer!,wait until Fall. Mom and Pop stores with gas can’t afford to fill the tanks. In small towns all over America, they are going out of business. I know of five in our area, putting over 60 people out of work. The folks relying on gas, now have to drive and buy from the big guys. I know this is a tiny example, but effects so many. Oh by the way, it takes over $40,000 to fill a 10,000
gallon capacity tank. Needless to say, you must have a fabulous cash flow!! Pumps
don’t even go that high, so now your forced to buy new, that’s lots of money as well.
People can purchase new hoses, but not available, and cost each $1,000. Again, small businesses take the hit!!!!! Should of, could of, it’s alittle too late for many! Washington must wake up, NOW!! Dems living high off the hog need to wake up and
smell the coffee!!! This is crunch time! It’s not going to fix quickly, but it’s time to move!!! Even Mccain said , he was against drilling in Anwr!!!! We need to speak out loudly and demand action, no more lip service. Put the pressure to them, we have a right to demand action, Now! If the Dems get in and they start giving in to all that they dug their heals in about for the sake of this election, that’s terrible. This has got to stop, we not guineapigs!
June 10th, 2008 at 8:11 am
Yes, Paulee, yet again, you are correct and sadly so. The things you said are simply heart breaking. Yes, America is losing an awful lot and we have the liberal left to thank for it. I wrote McCain and told him I already was having a hard time voting for him but 1) putting Mitt on the ticket might help with that and 2) he really needs at this time to do the “right” thing and change his stubbornly held and ridiculous position on ANWR. It is ridiculous that we have foreign interests drilling so closely off of our shores.
Well, that is what I said. Is he part of the hostage holding contingency???? That is what we are now, you know; hostages and that is just plain wrong.
June 10th, 2008 at 8:53 am
So here’s my idea: The gov’s of oil rich states (Gov. light in the loafers, Crist, King Arnold, etc), Palin, etc, call in the oil companies and tell them to go ahead and drill in their respective states, and off shore of their states. THEN, watch what happens. I’m quite sure the democrates will want to hold hearings. Waxman LOVES hearings. They might even take the govenors to court. oh, wont that be fun! Meanwhile, Oil starts flowing and the american people will be solidly behind the gov’s. Constitutional crisis? Most likely. But one worth it.
June 10th, 2008 at 10:48 am
How often durring your day do you meet someone who says something about Bush, Cheney, and Big Oil being reponsible for gas prices? I try to get their email address to send them my own propaganda. I don’t know if it helps, but it makes me feel better! Maybe if more voters understand the truth, we will get the right people elected. Here’s a sample:
http://townhall.com/Columnists/MichaelReagan/2008/05/01/put_the_blame_where_it_belongs
http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/terrorism.php?id=1387416>Ten
http://energytomorrow.org/energy_issues/market_price.html
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/ChuckColson/2008/05/07/crime_and_ethanol?page=full&comments=true
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/WalterEWilliams/2008/03/12/big_corn_and_ethanol_hoax
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0507/p14s01-sten.html
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/may2006/tc20060519_225336.htm
June 10th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
KKSM: And you are also once again right! Mccain wake up!!! This is serious!!!Washington needs some new innovative plans to act on!!! You want to be President, show us you are deserving, LEAD!!!!!