More energy woes

The average price for a gallon of gasoline is now $3.75, which is $.64 higher than a year ago. In the wake of higher gas prices, Congress, along with the President, must reduce our dependence on foreign oil. The Congress has acted, however, in the wrong direction. Last week the Senate Appropriations Committee by a 14-15 vote, voted against reversing a moratorium on oil-shale development. Federal officials and industry experts estimate that up to 1.8 trillion barrels of oil is trapped in the region’s oil shale, or the equivalent of three times the proven reserves of Saudi Arabia. Laws and policies that restrict our access to abundant energy drive up the price of fuel and electricity. They also cause widespread layoffs and leave workers and families struggling to make ends meet, despite the stimulus checks now being mailed out, as the cost of everything we eat, drive, wear, and do, spirals out of control.