Unless you have a high paying government job, and even if you do, you are probably well aware that the majority of American’s are deeply impacted by the ongoing devastation to the United States economy since President Obama took office.
While overall the unemployment rate hovers close to 9%, minority unemployment remains consistently near 15% and these figures show no indication of significant improvement in the near future. Meanwhile, the current administrations lack of a positive Energy Policy is not only hamstringing companies that could add much needed AMERICAN JOBS to the economy; it is also compromising our long term national security and unnecessarily delaying our economic recovery.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) recently released a report that shows the U.S. is on track to actually export a net increase in gasoline, diesel and other oil-based fuels in 2011 for the first time in 62 years. This is due to the fact that while our economy is stalled, the economy in emerging markets is booming. However these record exports are not forecast to continue. EIA is also predicting domestic oil production will fall 240,000 barrels/day through 2012, mainly due to the continued Gulf "energy freeze" imposed by our current administration.
The United States has the highest standards for environmental protection in the free world. Other countries do not endeavor to protect the environment for future generations as we do, yet their lack of concern for the environment will affect all of us. We have the desire to be good stewards of the environment as well as the technology to extract our resources in a safe and efficient manner. The U.S. also has the most stringent work place safety requirements of any nation. We have the energy resources right here within our borders. If President Obama wanted to put American’s back to work he has an entire industry waiting for the green light to help him turn around our economy.
I grew up in New Orleans and my Dad worked on the oil rigs. I can attest first hand that oil industry jobs keep food on the table, the lights on and the rent paid. If we simply used the God-given resources we have in our great Nation, many American’s would not be needlessly losing their homes and struggling to keep their lights on and their families fed.
We still import over half of our oil and petroleum products. Instead of selling our debt to China we should be selling our OIL to China and reducing our national debt. We do not lack the resources in America. What we lack is leadership and the political will to demand our administration put forward an energy policy that is beneficial to Americans and the United States. Let’s start the New Year on the right path. It is time to resume drilling within American borders and stop exporting American jobs.
Melody Himel Scalley is an entrepreneur and talk-radio show host in Virginia.
2 comments:
The lady from Eastwood, VA states that the US has the most stringent environmental protection laws in the free world. May I suggest that she takes a look at the Scandinavian countries. I don't believe that she has done very thorough research and doesn't quite know what she is writing about.
What's her opinion on conservation?
We are supposed to be cutting down on our use of energy, yet we drive monstrous SUVs in the cities, tear through water in gas guzzling speedboats, keep our homes and offices too hot in winter and too cool in summer. And we're not allowed to use solar heat to dry our clothes! Doesn't look nice.
How long will the proposed pipeline have oil in it? What do we do with it when it has done its job? What do we do with the ground, the natural state of which no longer exists?
Oh, nice smear job, Javu. I'm a fellow from a little town in Virginia, too. Any disparaging remarks for me and my knowledge from what I suspect is one of the "elitist"?
The EPA is about to shut down as many as 32 Coal-fired plants in the United States. They're doing this without any alternative in place to absorb the need for power that this vacuum will cause, not to mention the spike in power costs that will undoubtably occur (all at a time when the median income in families is at an all time low)
When the lie that is Global Warming was uncovered, and with the inability to get legislation enabled to get their buddies paid, the democrats then turned to the EPA to do their bidding and "slide the legislation in without even having to vote on it".
And get paid, they did. Magic words like Solyndra and a host of other "not ready for primetime" companies that got sweetheart deals (and were convienantly owned by Obama's biggest donors) that got government dollars, failed and then paid back those "donors" with mine and other's tax money.
Don't get me started on what you know...(or have convienantly left unsaid.
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