loPEZ Dispenser

We are all feeling the sting of the current economic situation. While things aren’t that bad, certain areas have felt the pinch more than others. We all probably hesitate before we turn the ignition to our car and question whether we really need to go anywhere.

I have never felt prompted to write my government representatives. My wife worked for a US Senator for a little while and she was partly responsible to read and log such correspondences. But times are rough and I felt inclined to put to paper what I was feeling. I drafted the following letter. I have not yet sent it but I plan to send it to both of my US Senators very shortly. If you feel so inclined, you may also send this text to your Senators.

Dear Senator,

I’m not one to normally write letters about political issues; however, what America is experiencing right now is approaching a tipping point that could have catastrophic consequences for all citizens.

I am a well educated, hard working professional. I even make a decent living working as an Electrical Engineer. Times have become tough for everybody and even with my salary I find that it is harder and harder to make ends meet.

With gas and groceries at record levels I fear for the future. I was recently investigating home heating oil prices for the coming season and the companies are all predicting prices to be in the $5-7 per gallon range. This is double what I paid last year! I make too much money to qualify for any assistance programs yet the burden is still there.

I know one of the hottest topics in politics right now is Global Warming and renewable energy. While I, personally, do not believe that man is the cause of any climate change we may be experiencing, I do believe that we should do all we can to be good stewards of our environment. With that in mind, I want you to know that I support our quest for renewable, clean energy. I advocate the construction of new nuclear power plants to lessen our dependence on fossil fuels for power generation. I believe that alternatives to gas powered vehicles should also be further pursued in our quest to lessen our dependence on foreign oil.

That said, I am also a realist. Being in technology I see the progress that is being made in these areas. While it is exciting and shows promise we are still a long way away from a widespread solution being implemented to a point where things change. The obstacles, both politically and practically, are huge. A sweeping change to automobiles would require a widespread change in infrastructure (think of gas stations). Electric cars would need places to recharge, which means there will be further demand on our power infrastructure. My point here is that while I am hopeful that we can change, relief is not just around the corner.

There is no perfect solution to the current fuel crisis. I don’t pretend to understand the economic and political drivers of the oil market but I do believe that it follows Adam Smith’s principle of supply and demand. Developing nations have greatly increased their demand in the last 10 years but the supply out of the Middle East and South America has not increased proportionally. I’m sure that this is no news to you. Research has determined that here in America we have years and years worth of oil right beneath our feet. In addition, we have more coal here than we know what to do with! The problem is that we are unable to access our own natural resources because of current policies in effect.

I urge you, as my US Senator, to please consider sponsoring and/or supporting legislation that will allow us to drill for our own oil and lessen our dependence on terrorist, communist, and rogue nations. I am fully confident that our American ingenuity will allow us to do this safely, cleanly, and with minimal impact on our environment. Additionally, I ask that you support the construction of new nuclear power facilities and new oil refineries.

I have a feeling that if Congress votes to allow drilling on American soil once again drastic things will happen immediately. First, OPEC will sense an upcoming flood of new oil to the market and the market will react due to the anticipated new supply. We are OPEC’s largest customer and they will do what it takes to retain us as customers. They will either boost production or drop prices or both! I think this would happen nearly immediately, providing much needed relief to many Americans. Second, once we have our oil (it would take a few years) we could lessen our dependence on oil from people who are not our friends. Third, we would continue our quest to find alternative energies so that the technology and infrastructure would be in place long before we run out of our own oil.

With the upcoming presidential election I am not confidant that these decisions will be made in time to impact this winter’s oil prices but I do ask that when they are made, you vote accordingly, offering much needed relief to all Americans.

With a deep love for America,

Daniel Lopez

I wrote this letter weeks ago. Here is what is funny. Look at the second to last paragraph. Just a few days ago President Bush said in a speech that we need to DRILL, DRILL, DRILL! In the 2 days following oil slid down $16 a barrel. Remember, Congress hasn’t yet done anything! No drilling has started or is even planned yet! Just the mention of drilling causes the market to react to a future increase in supply! I gotta say, I called this one…

This entry was posted on Friday, July 18th, 2008 at 10:39 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.