Letter to the Editor: I Am An Energy Voter

Have you seen this ad on TV? I see it every day. There is no indication who is sponsoring this ad.

The ad is a feel-good, “Ra Ra for America” ad. Jobs, economic growth, sounds great doesn’t it? Then why does the sponsor not take credit for it, why are they hiding?

My suspicion is that the sponsor is oil money, like the Koch brothers, who are trying to set us up for a change in our crude oil export laws to further feather the nest of those who profit from the exploitation of American oil.

Under current law US crude oil cannot be exported. As a consequence our crude oil prices are consistently lower than international crude oil benchmarks. This has to make the oil industry sick, they want nothing more than to raise our oil prices (and the prices of our gasoline, fuel oil, diesel fuel, and propane) to the international levels and they can (and will) do that if our export bans are dropped.

The current laws help us keep our oil here, protects us to some degree from international oil price pressures, prohibits our natural resource flowing to potential enemies like China, and provide some protection for America’s future generations, protection that some natural resources may still be in the ground for them. Many of our best paying jobs and most important industries, including manufacturing, chemical production and agriculture, can best compete in the world’s markets if we have low energy costs as we do today.

A vote for energy independence is a vote to keep our oil here. Our laws are working great right now, we have perhaps the energy lowest prices in the civilized world, our producers have ample incentive to produce and are doing so in record amounts, the negative consequences from some drilling techniques such as some fracking are in part kept in check, and there may be some oil left for tomorrow. The best way for our energy industry to help America thrive and compete in the world, is for our energy costs to be the world’s lowest energy costs.

Please do not be fooled by these ads. When the time comes please vote for energy for America, today and tomorrow, not for raising our prices and depleting this resource for the profit of the oil industry and the benefit of our potential enemies. Please be an energy voter who votes for energy in America, not for energy in tankers crossing the seas. The oil industry and oil lobby are not going to give up, they will do all they can to sell our future security out from under our feet. Let us not export our raw material, crude oil, let us export chemicals, manufactured products, grain and produce, products with value added and that contribute wealth broadly across America.

Jim Riead

Egg Harbor, Wis.