Posted: Tuesday, June 24, 2008 12:00 am
More drilling is a losing strategy
The "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less" pledge by Newt Gingrich and other "energy independence do nothings" is fantasy.
Drilling in Alaska? Why? Delay the inevitable end of fossil fuel usage; increase climate change gases and lead Americans to believe that "cheap gas" is a birth right?
The United States uses 7.6 billion barrels of oil yearly. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge may hold 7-10 billion barrels of recoverable oil. Do the math.
Our Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards (CAFE) for cars are only 27.5 miles per gallon? Congress voted to push them to 35 mpg by 2020? What a joke. CAFE standards of just 40 mpg save 3 million barrels of oil a day!
While Ireland builds the world's largest wind farm (generating 10 percent of the nation's electricity), we starve wind subsidies.
Denmark makes 15 percent of its electricity with wind.
The United States, you ask? Less than 1 percent. Why so low?
Wind energy receives less than 1 percent of all federal subsidies for energy! Big coal averages $3 billion in yearly subsidies, nuclear over $1.5 billion.
Gingrich and his ilk, cut rebates to hybrid vehicles, giving tax incentives for SUV purchases, blocked CAFE increases, blocked reducing fossil fuel subsidies, participated in secret "energy meetings" with fossil fuel cartels and squashed alternative energy funding.
We need a carbon tax, raise CAFE standards to 75mpg, fund wind/solar research by transferring all fossil fuel subsidies to renewable sources.
Big oil and "Gingrich types" want lemmings, not educated voters. Leave Oregon's waters free of oil rigs and Alaskan parks for nature.
John F. Borowski, Philomath
A further tribute to OSU internees
Regarding the recent honoring of Japanese-Americans at the Oregon State University graduation ceremony for the Class of 2008:
It should be noted that Thomas Sugihara, the Dean of Science at Oregon State University in the early 1980s, had been one of those interned after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
His wife-to-be at that time, Fumi, also was interned. Tom subsequently joined the U.S. Army 44rnd and fought the length of Italy.
Some years later, he and his wife received reparation funds for their internments. They chose not to keep the funds but to donate them to establish student support in science at Oregon State University.
John D. Lattin, Corvallis
Four fast ways to make a difference
To the several good ideas made on this page by councillors and citizens, concerning ways the city could help to reduce car exhaust at intersection, I offer four suggestions that citizens could take to help out on their own:
1. Walk rather than drive whenever possible
2. Use a bicycle whenever possible
3. Drive an electric car
4. Drive a hybrid car.
One of these options should work for almost all of us.
Roberta Hall, Corvallis
Problems exist with nonprofit health care
In her June 23 letter, "Health care forum found no mystery, Dr. Cosimo Storniolo states, she is certain (through polls) that the majority of EVERBODY desire a single-payer, government funded, privately delivered, nonprofit healthcare system.
She adds, "I am certain a majority of Oregonians and people in feedback sessions across the state, desire a single-payer, government-funded, privately delivered, nonprofit health care system. The values and principles - equity, access, affordability, comprehensiveness - are so self-evident that we don't need to list them anymore."
Why should the government fund a privately-delivered, nonprofit health care system? Which religion, cult or activist group would be the nonprofit funded by the government as a private agency? Of course, they never want oversight from the government…just their money. Privately delivered nonprofit but paid for by the government with whom they HATE?
If the government is going to FUND, then something like the Benton County Health Center (whatever its called) is localized, seen by the public and offers accountiblity.
Nonprofits and private companies have always started up and continue on their own merits but to have the government fund them as PRIVATE and nonprofit SPELLS fraud, special interests, and abuse without over-sight of those least able to respond.
Mary Gibson, Corvallis
Stop bill approving warrantless search
Maryland Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer's bill on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act has passed the House. This supposed "compromise" gives President Bush everything he wanted, which violates the Constitution against unreasonable search and seizure. Just where is the compromise?
I know there are some who think law-abiding citizens don't have anything to worry about. The question I have for them is: Would they allow law enforcement to search their residences/properties without a warrant?
Hopefully the Senate will stop this bill. Please contact your senators to oppose this travesty.
Jeffery K. McGonagill, Corvallis