The Conservative Edge

Have you ever been thinking about an issue that is important to you, and then see that issue expounded in a magazine or newspaper? Maybe you feel that nobody else could ever have the same viewpoint on a particular subject. But when you see an article that expresses your own point of view, it feels good, doesn’t it?

I’m having that good feeling this weekend. If you have read any of my previous posts (feel free to check the archives) concerning American energy production, then you know that we’re giving up on crude oil way too soon. I know that runs contrary to liberal thought. Those liberals evidently think that we should solve the foreign oil problem by just getting rid of cars altogether. And with the government now practically running GM, and with Chrysler in bankruptcy, we can see that the automobile is doomed. This administration is set to dismantle the car industry and the freedom of personal transportation.

Until that happens, we will continue to rely on the auto as our primary mode of transportation. Which means, of course, that we will need plentiful supplies of gasoline at reasonable cost. (No ethanol, please; that’s a terrible waste of corn that could be otherwise used to feed hungry people.) Crude oil must remain a vital part of our energy policy. Not only do we use it to make gasoline, but crude oil is also used in the manufacture of paint, plastics, rubber, and hundreds of other products we take for granted.

My regard for crude oil was reflected in the special Monday, May 4 edition of the Investor’s Business Daily. Within the editorial pages, Robert J. Samuelson writes “Wind and solar (power) mainly produce electricity. Most of our oil goes for transportation; almost none—about 1.5%—generates electricity. Expanding wind and solar won’t displace much oil; someday, electric cars may change this. For now, reducing oil imports requires using less or producing more.”

That’s been my position, and it makes me feel good to see similar thoughts expressed in a pro-American newspaper like the IBD. I’ve listened to Obama and the other liberals talk about job creation, but they are castrating American industry, especially oil companies and car makers. If we developed more resources here at home, think of the jobs that would immediately be created. There would be a demand for geologists, engineers, truck drivers, and refinery workers. This demand might be enough to give the economy the “jolt” that Obama promised.

We will never be able to wean ourselves off foreign oil by building more solar panels or wind turbines. Samuelson notes that in 2007, wind and solar generated less than 1% of U.S. electricity. Increasing that ten times will still have those industries contributing only 10% of our electricity needs. And that still would do nothing to reduce our consumption of oil.

Even though some resources, like oil shale, would take time to develop, that’s no reason to avoid getting started now. Remember, it’s also going to take a lot of time to establish that tenfold increase in solar and wind output. There is still the electric car that needs refinement, and fuel-cell technology that should be explored. Until these and other advancements become practical and affordable, we shouldn’t let crude oil fall out of favor. Two dollars for a gallon of gas is still a pretty good deal.

This past Friday (February 20), President Obama held a conference in Washington with 80 mayors from various American cities. Present in the group was Rhine McLin, mayor of Dayton, Ohio. She stated that it was “refreshing” that Obama would take such an interest in cities, and how “invested” the mayors feel in successfully implementing the stimulus bill.

This “implementation” isn’t just a casual phrase to make small-town mayors feel good. Rather, it’s part of a strategic plan by the Obama administration. Now is Obama’s time to establish the network that will transfer federal monies to new urban areas that will be redrawn after the 2010 Census. Mayor McLin told the Dayton Daily News that Obama plans on “naming mayors to advisory councils,” and that he would be “relying on them to spend their portion of the $787 billion economic stimulus plan wisely.” Obama said he would use the full power of his office to ensure that federal funds are used properly.

Furthermore, McLin said that Obama had named the nation’s first Director of Urban Affairs. This Director will be charged with working with the mayors, especially those who are appointed to the advisory counsels. Don’t underestimate the power these councils will hold. Obama’s meeting with the mayors was also attended by the U.S. Attorney General, and the Secretaries of Education, Energy and Transportation. Apparently, this network of mayors, through the advisory councils, supervised by the Director of Urban Affairs, will have authority granted by the Attorney General to determine education and economic policies.

And just who predominately lives in these urban areas? I remember seeing the 2008 presidential election results, broken down into county-by-county statistics for the state of Ohio. Most of the counties were “red” which voted for the Republican candidate. The fewer “blue” counties were those which had higher populations concentrated in bigger cities. Cleveland, Dayton, and several other cities all voted Democratic. Now, imagine what could happen if these areas get additional federal money after the Census is taken. Will there be even more liberal changes in school curriculums? Will there be more federal funding of abortion programs? Will there be a concerted effort to ban gun ownership? Will small businesses collapse as government workers become more numerous and authoritative?

I have been sounding the alarm about the grass-roots organization that Obama is building. He isn’t working from the top down; he understands that power is nothing until it can be transmitted. It’s like utility companies that need miles and miles of transmission lines and substations to get the power where it’s needed. When Obama gets his network built, all of the government’s power and authority will begin to move, and we will begin to feel the effects. Personal freedom will fade away. Our subsistence will only come from the government, as it controls what we are taught, where we can go, and what we can live on.

To quote the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce CEO, “This is a slippery slope we’re on and it’s sliding toward a more socialistic state…and that is not a state upon which the United States was founded.” Amen.