An Open Letter to Congress RE: Oil Crisis
Authors Name Withheld
Published August 25, 2008
Preface: The following is an open letter to congress regarding the current oil crisis and their choice to avoid real solutions. Windfall profit tax is not the answer!
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Dear Congressman,
Thank you for your service to the people of the greatest nation on the planet! Without a doubt you hold in your hands a great responsibility to the people of this land. In that vain I come to you with an appeal, echoed by millions of voices across this grand nation, and ask that you sincerely consider the plight of your constituents.
In recent weeks we have experienced a welcome retreat in oil and gas prices and, in fact, among commodities in general. This decline has come out of a mostly free market and without question was aided by the symbolic lifting of the executive ban on additional off-shore drilling.
Clearly the people of this country have expressed interest in alternative energy sources and there is no denying the immense development of these resources which has been under way. However, partisan politics has impeded the natural course of things and is largely to blame for the last two years of energy crisis and inflated prices. Even worse, the same politicking threatens to only make things worse, not better.
After first walking away from the vote on off-shore drilling, the democrats now are looking to come back and inject poison into any vote that is offered. Things such as "windfall profit tax" are in no way helpful to the economy or to the very companies that are trying to invest those profits into alternative energy sources. Private companies are pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into alternative energy each year and now you want to stifle that progress by taking away even more money from them. What will that do to an already struggling economy when energy prices remain inflated to make up for the increased tax liabilities that these companies face?
Why is profit so despised? It is profit that motivates, that inspires and leads to innovation. The government doesn't seem to have any problem taxing oil. In fact, the government makes more money on each barrel of oil than the oil companies make in profit. I'm finding that the majority of the public doesn't know that little secret - people are starting to catch on though.
As the demand for alternative energy grows, and as the cost effectiveness of those solutions improve, then the market will follow. The hand of government only causes oppression when it strays from its designed role of protection.
It's time that you listen to the will of "we the people". We do not want windfall profit taxes. We do not want additional subsidies for poor energy alternatives. We do not want imported toxic light bulbs. We do not want the government filtering our money or telling private citizens and private companies what we can do with it.
We've had enough of real solutions turned muddy. The overbearing mandates that you continue to pass down will destroy this country. The miserable approval rating of this congress is evidence that the people are disgusted with the "nanny state" policies you are choking us with. Our only hope is that you will either wake up or be voted out before that happens.
The energy policy is just one of many important issues that has been only made worse, not better, by the meddling hands of our government. This was meant to be the land of the free - where freedom built greatness. Your wandering toward bondage has brought us to some troubled times, and they will only grow much worse if you do not retreat from such destructive interference.
I thank you for your time, and your genuine consideration of these matters.
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