Energy policy

Worldview Item of the Day

Congressional Republicans are threatening to shut down the government over the Democrat majority’s refusal to allow a vote on offshore drilling to reach the floor.

Personally, I hope the bill never reaches the floor and the government does shut down because I think the best thing America could have right now is a paralyzed federal government. I especially like paralysis given that the laws currently on the books prohibiting offshore drilling expire 1 October if Congress does not act on them. Maybe if the Republicans paralyzed the government for long enough, Americans might realize how little of it they really need, and then they could vote accordingly.

Such fond dreams aside, the operative paragraph in the Fox News piece (and actually written by Fox News too!) for me was the last one:

Democrats instead have sought more market controls, the release from the petroleum reserve, and a requirement that federal lands already under lease be explored before more federal land, like the OCS, is doled out to oil companies.

Apparently, the Democrats in the Congress seek these initiatives because similar initiatives already in place have succeeded in keeping the price of gas steady.

Or not.

I believe that these proposals are exactly why gas prices are so high right now. For decades, Congress has failed to present the American people with a coherent national energy policy that allows America to strive toward energy independence by tapping into the vitality and creativity of the American free market.

Instead, 535 people who are not entrepreneurs, scientists, or venture capitalists seek to control, direct, and regulate existing production in such a way that ensures that the supply never grows, thereby ensuring that the price continues to go up. We should not forget that the Federal Government is the single biggest profit maker on every gallon of gas sold, and that the Democrats want more through their proposed “windfall tax”.

So, what could be better than a paralyzed government? Less government for sure.

-=DLH=-