Runaway Oil Prices

The following letter to Congresswoman Nancy Johnson, R-5th, has been received for publication.

Dear Rep Johnson:

I’m writing to you out of complete frustration over the current runaway prices of oil. At $50 to $60 a barrel it would seem to me that someone down in Washington would attempt to do something about it. President Bush seems to be more concerned about keeping the large oil companies happy than the American people. As you know the oil company earnings are skyrocketing.

Our last two presidents, Bill Clinton and George Bush, Sr, both saw fit to tap the American oil reserves when faced with a similar high cost of oil several years ago. As you will remember it didn’t take long after that for the prices to come down. It’s a shame that we have to just sit here and let the OPEC group call the shots. I really don’t feel that the president’s excuses for not tapping the oil reserves are still valid as this is an emergency.

I’m a Republican, Nancy, but that’s no excuse for this do-nothing attitude taken by Bush and others in Washington. When you go to the gas pump and see the prices in the $2 range and probably going up even further, it hurts.

Please take some action on this matter so that we can still plan for a happy summer.

Sincerely,

Robert B. Shaw

10 Stone Fence Lane, Newtown                                   March 10, 2005