Politicians make the simple, complex
We are inundated with reports of congressional debates seeking a solution to the energy situation affecting the United States. The most certain and conclusive shortage from which we suffer is that of leadership.

Our elected “leaders” repeatedly take simple problems with simple solutions and convert them into complex issues to which they offer convoluted non-solutions. Let me offer an example:

I am a lifetime rancher who presently works in the booming oil and gas industry in western Colorado.

In our field, we have from four to 12 drill rigs operating at any one time. The average time frame for drilling a 10,500 foot well is 14 days. When the rig moves off the well, we frac it, drill it out, snub the tubing and it is producing and selling in 30 days, at the most. The process is efficient and rapid.

Yet, when I view the news, Harry Reid, Charles Shumer, Nancy Pelosi and other partisans are allowed to spew the “10 years until production” misinformation as if they have a clue.

I concede that the infrastructure must be in place to transport and deliver the product. But that is no more than a 12- to 24-month project when resources are mobilized. The industry has laid pipelines from Wyoming to Los Angeles in that time.

At the same time critics bemoan the $700 billion annually flowing out of our country to quench our thirst for energy, they wage a war to prevent energy production at home. But one simple accounting fact has not been mentioned in the discussion: If we eliminate imports by producing energy at home, that $700 billion changes sides of the ledger. It becomes an input into our economy, is subtracted from the trade equation, and, despite current efforts of the Federal Reserve and our government leadership, the dollar immediately strengthens.

Please remember how the left regarded Ronald Reagan as simplistic because his solutions were simple. In reality most problems are simple until we make them complex.

JIM BUERGER
Silt

Penry, Buescher pander on energy-policy issue

There is nothing so pathetic as to watch politicians attempt to aggrandize themselves, particularly by walking onto a stage where they really have no part. Such is the case with both Bernie Buescher and Josh Penry on the issue of energy policy.

Mr. Buescher will “meet” with a representative of the Texas oil and gas billionaire T. Boone Pickens on the issue of energy. And Josh Penry, never one to be outdone in garnering attention, and true to his political ideology of corporatism (governance by corporations), made certain he was not far behind.

Do we have an energy situation that needs addressing? Yes, we do. But that is a national issue, not a state or local one. As such, it needs to be addressed at the national level, namely by developing a comprehensive, long-term and sustainable national energy policy leading to reducing if not eliminating our dependence on foreign sources.

That is to be developed at the national level, and by those who were elected to do so. Those are members of the executive branch, members of Congress and governors of the various states. If those individuals are either unwilling or unable to do so, they need to be replaced. It is certainly not appropriate for every politico at the state or local level, having aspirations for higher office, to use such issues to pander to parochial interests.

Mr. Buescher and Mr. Penry would do well to concentrate upon the affairs of the state of Colorado, that for which they were elected. If they wish to address national issues, they should run for national office.

Until such time, both might do well to restrict themselves and concentrate upon fulfilling the duties of their current positions.

ROBERT I. LAITRES
Delta

Don’t vote for politicians who block U.S. drilling

Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, the Salazar brothers and the rest of the Democrats in power have consistently blocked all efforts to develop and use our own gas and oil reserves and thus continue to keep us dependent on foreign oil and gas.

It is time to get rid of all these politicians who put us at risk. Their actions speak louder then their words. Please remember their stonewalling when you vote this year.

RICHARD BLOSSER
Grand Junction

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 30th, 2008 at 6:40 am and is filed under Printed letters. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.