I finally found a full-time job after two years and 45 temporary positions. The job is 36 miles one way and I am thankful to have it. 4.00 gasoline puts a real snag in my happy day. Now give em hell !

You talk about government funding for renewable energy. The unending trough of government subsidies are a problem not a solution, so allow me to recommend an alternative.

The civilian space program was launched with a one time “X-Prize” to reward the winner to meet the prize conditions.

Why not create a one time prize for private sector innovation that meets the prize conditions like the X-Prize? This will prevent private companies from feeding at the trough like ethanol companies do now, or do you have campaign contributors who want this so they can feed in the trough?

I am a geologist and come from a long line of “oilies.” Alternative energy is a possibility– down the line. Please do not be intimidated by this administration. Please hold firm! We need to drill here and drill now!

All of that oil goes to Europe.

More importantly, we have 400 BILLION barrels of oil in the US (as according to the Department of Energy), NOT counting offshore (deep or shallow water) rigs. And that’s just what we Know about.
It also does not include Natural gas or Coal reserves or, “god forbid,” uranium or other fissionable deposits.

The Absolute worst thing we could do to our enemies is use our own resources.

Take 25% of demand off the market and the price of oil collapses. As does every nation dependent on oil for survival (like Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela…). It’s a literal who’s who of nations that hate us.

Now THERE’S an effective and efficient “alternative energy.

Redirecting a portion of tax revenue into researching alternatives to oil, coal, and natural gas is a fool’s errand. Unless we’re looking for problem-free magic energy mushrooms, we don’t know what conditions such alternatives will need to meet. That means it’s tailor-made to be a job for the free market.

“Renewable energy” seems to be Washington code for ethanol and biodiesel, both of which are big-government boondoggles. As a resident of farm country, I understand the perverse incentives these programs create, turning foodstuffs into fuel while people in oil-producing countries riot for food.

And the targeted tax incentives and subsidies trick farmers into accepting government handouts now, while all around their neighbors’ farms are being auctioned off to pay the death taxes needed (in part) to pay those subsidies.

You want to do something good? Cut all aspects of the government. End the stranglehold of regulation and red tape needed to build nuclear power plants, coal plants, and fuel refineries. Cut the corporate tax rate into line with the rest of the world, so producing fuel and energy (and everything else) is profitable.

Reduce the tax burden on the production and refinement of energy — a burden ultimately born by consumers — so that people chasing a profit could find those answers. These people are smart, and understand that whoever finds those “magic energy mushroom” will be rewarded handsomely.

While there is no guarantee that private researchers will find oil alternatives in the time frame you desire, there is also no guarantee that the answers exist at all. And certainly, since those answers may not exist, government-funded research may not find them. As importantly, there is no reason to suspect that government-funded research, paid by the research paper, will find those answers sooner than private researchers paid for results.

And research isn’t the right paradigm. Because it may be that eventually we run out of oil and gas (or that worldwide demand causes them not to be affordable to us). At that point, we will change. But just as we need not artificially place ourselves in that situation, as the Obama administration is doing, we need not plan what the alternatives will be.

That you would think government must fix this non-problem surprises me only because I thought you understood the workings of the free market. I guess I was wrong.

1. Allow drilling.

First, I question whether the US has any business restricting drilling. I don’t see much need for a dept of the interior, and the dept of energy usefulness goes only as far as concerns about military access to energy and protecting items like uranium.

Let the private sector handle the drilling, and keep our government (and the tree huggers) out of the way.

2. (And this doesn’t seem to get much air time…) Allow our oil companies to build and update refineries.

The restrictions set on refineries in the late 60′s and early 70′s have done nearly as much (if not AS much) damage to our nation’s access to cheaper and more plentiful oil / gasoline.

In sum, get the government off the backs of so called “big oil” and let our oil companies compete in the free market.

As far as “renewable energy”, if it is cost effective then let it sink or swim on its own without government interference. At least a nuclear facility has one area for repairs or upkeep – windmills require the care and maintenance of many thousands of seperate entities. Get the government out of the way and we can all see what works.

Senator Vitter, if we need to subsidize it it’s not worth it. Get off this Washington canard and get out of the energy business. No one in DC understands it and it just becomes crony capitalism.

My car takes premium, but 2 weeks ago I paid $3.30.
When Obama took office it was flirting with the $2.00 mark.
I hope your efforts are successfull.
High gas prices hurts only the ones at the middle and bottom of the food chain.
You know, the ones the Democrats are supposed to help.

Focus on removing government barriers to new oil companies and new gasoline refiners.

Hoped to have a good day today until I turned on Fox and found Geraldo giving his wisdom about $5 a gallon gasoline. Just seeing him doing the morning show ruined my day, but when he said that he ‘supported the idea of $5 a gallon”, but given the economy doesn’t think it would be fair to the working person during this crisis. How nice of Geraldo, after all he justs wants to wait for the economy and then slam the American public with taxes on gas to support ‘the green agenda.”

Sometimes I do think we should insist that all ‘reporters’ must declare their annual incomes before they take positions. $5 won’t bother old Geraldo at all, nor Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Warren Buffet or President Obama. But it will ALWAYS be a major problem for most Americans who rely on fair prices in order to pay their bills and get to work.

I’m always grateful for the remote when Geraldo appears. He hasn’t a clue ….

administration defied a federal court order to resume off shore drilling. States should not pay any attention to this administration and authorize immediate drilling off shore and other places. turn about is fair play. States tell the epa to shove and authorize nuclear plants to be constructed their respective states.

results with renewable energy results? In Spain, it was 2 jobs lost for every subsidized alternative energy job created and in Scotland it was 4 jobs lost for every job created through government subsidization.

Subsidizing Renewable energy does not win the future. Ethanol in vehicles does not help cars meet the Obama administration goal of getting 35 mpg, but using high octane gas does help by 5-9 mpg compared to gas.
So who is reading through www.fueleconomy.gov?

Who is reading in DC Mr Vitter? Hope there are signs of more people doing their homework and getting up to speed on the great global warming hoax and the Big Corn beggars that are wasting taxpayer dollars and not helping to lower food costs.

I work for a small GoM operator in Lafayette. Washington doesn’t seem to know or care that we small operators exist, but we account for most of the activity on the Shelf. Shelf operations do not present the level of risk that we saw with BP, yet shallow operations have been curtailed along with the Deepwater.

It’s not just the lack of permits, it is the very real fear that the zeal of some ‘on the other side of the aisle’ will erect insurmountable financial obstacles to our continued operations.

My company, and others like us, have refocused our efforts onshore.

It is unbelievable to me that an official in Sec. Salazar’s position could be as out of touch as his recent comments to the press and to the House Natural Resources Committee show him to be.

As you can see with many of us on the Right, the perfect is the enemy of the good. Please keep up the good fight.

Think he’s happy now?

Why does no one seem to understand how little oil (about 12 percent) actually comes from the Middle East? Most of it comes from Canada and Mexico. Yet, events there are almost never tied to gas prices.

Regardless, there is no threat of an oil shortage anytime soon. Oil prices are not related to supply and demand or to realistic projections of supply and demand. Perhaps what is needed is better education on where the nation’s oil comes from, where demand is, and how different future scenarios would change that.

It seems to me that not until gas prices become a true reflection or projection of supply and demand can such action be of any benefit.

This Administration’s plan for the country is Failure — on all fronts. Any other conclusion escapes me at this point. Now Salazar disregards the ordered lifting of the bans, Holder worries about “his people”, there isn’t an “Islamist extremist” anywhere in the world gunning for the infidel US, ,Obama woke up one morning and decided not to enforce DOMA (that surely being the most pressing issue of the day), suing states is de rigeur, and let’s not allow any of our agents in Mexico the opportunity to protect themselves. Hooey. States should give as good as they get — disregard these flights of whimsy — and do what’s best for your state and the country. Obama campaign binge! Next thing you know Trumka will be VP.

overall problem is the regulations promulgated by out of control “Alphabet Soup” agencies under the control of the executive branch. Under the current system we basically have the President with two methods of making laws (executive orders and regulations), the judiciary making laws (activist judges), and the Congress making laws (they are the only ones supposed to make them). While many people feel that most of the regulatory agencies should be abolished as unconstitutional, that is not a reasonable expectation at this time. To return to a more Constitutional system I propose that all of the regulatory agencies be defanged and turned into research and advisory boards for the respective Congressional committees and sub committees with only the ability to suggest not to rule. Any actual laws would have to be enacted by Congress and the President and other leftist groups would be deprived of an extra-Constitutional method of promoting their agenda.

(AP) Obama Chills at the Links – Today President Obama took time off his hard work to give example to his citizens to drive electric vehicles. To his chagrin, upon arrival at the course, his advance team and golf managment failed to find an electric powered one. Obama stated, “That is OK, I will accelerate slowly and check the tire pressure at the turn. And, I want to note, that if the British invade Libya, I have nothing to do with it, nor did they consult me. Thank you and have a good day, I want to get back to the real game here.”

but there are some residents and tourists in Florida, to which $4 per gallon would be welcomed.

From ABC News Radio

In Orlando, Fla., two gas stations that are the closest to the airport, and across the street from each other, are selling regular at $5.29 and $5.19 a gallon.

You may want to read the comments responding to this Politico article to see just how angry and disgusted people are with the Obama administration’s energy policies.

Interior appeals oil drilling ruling