CITIZEN POWER ALLIANCE

SOUTH SIOUX CITY -- It is incredible to me that Congress has the audacity to attack the oil companies for high oil prices when Congress is the group that has kept 51 percent of known American oil reserves off limits for oil company exploration and production. Oil is a worldwide commodity and will be priced based on world supply and demand and the value of the U.S. dollar.

Our fiscal policies of huge government debt and huge trade deficits (much of which is energy) have decreased the U.S. dollar's value, further increasing the cost of foreign oil. Where do we buy oil? Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, Africa and the Middle East. Some of the money we spend in the Middle East undoubtedly finds it way to terrorist organizations, which costs American lives and more money. Some members of Congress want to increase taxes on oil companies.

In my opinion, we could not possibly have a more dysfunctional, irrational energy policy that we currently have. The real blame for high oil prices lies with the U.S. Congress and its continued policy of keeping our own resources off limits to energy producers. The congressional rush to use renewable resources such as ethanol has also resulted in higher food costs. The attitude of "don't build that in my back yard" and costly, drawn-out permitting processes have also added to the exodus of manufacturing and energy production facilities from our country.

If we want our lifestyle to continue at the same level, we have to have a rational energy policy that develops all our energy sources, renewable energy resources and less polluting energy based on science, not politics and emotion.