ANWR and Oil Prices

A short preface. Driving in my wife's car, hitting scan to get some music, I hear Rush Limbaugh talking about oil and ANWR. With his usual appeal to the most pandering of arguments, Rush says ANWR ought to be drilled to get us cheaper oil. I know that soundstempting with $4.17 gas. Problem is no solution to the real problem. ANWR has not the oil to give us independence from the Mideast, from perils of oil politics. We need more of a break from Big Oil. I love my car as much as anyone but give me a break. ANWR is an illusion. We need a change from oil. Holding out ANWR is like the promise of cheap drugs to an addict - the addict shuts up and waits for a better day. Offshore drilling in the lower 48 solves nothing and is just more of the same.

Here is some thoughts by a better writer on ANWR, The (Ir)relevance of ANWR (Social Studies):

"Of course we should drill for oil there. And yes, McCain's resistance to doing so is a good small-bore example of what's wrong with his style of reformist conservatism: It deviates from right-wing orthodoxy on boutique issues that please the media (see also campaign-finance reform, tobacco legislation, etc. etc.), rather than issues that connect with actual voters, and draw usable contrasts with the Democrats.

But it's a small-bore example. On the level of policy, drilling in ANWR isn't going to make more than a small dent in America's energy difficulties over the long run. On the level of politics, meanwhile, the idea that pushing for drilling is going to be some sort of major difference-maker in the fall campaign is just silly. And it's the sort of silliness that makes me dread a McCain presidency, frankly, because it will set up a situation in which the debate over the future of conservatism gets defined as a struggle between McCainism on the one hand and Limbaughism on the other, when both are a poor basis for a viable conservative party in America."

So I I grind my teeth as I pump $20.00 in the tank to get almost a quarter tank. (Filled up - are you kidding?) I wonder how my clients are going to pay me when they have to pay this much for gas. I wonder if the economy is going to implode and leave us paupers (excepting friends of George W.). With all that in mind, I am really tired of being told that more drilling, more oil is the solution to our energy problem when common sense tells that this not an energy policy that solves anything except the profit/loss statements of the oil companies.

NO ONE THING WILL SAVE US. Anyone peddling that idea is just treating us like suckers.

I still think one thing that will help is light rail, commuter rail. That is still years away - too bad the Governor did not work on this the way he worked on selling off state assets.

Engineering consultant John Myers estimated a diesel light rail line could be up and running in three to five years at a cost of $100 million to $160 million. That cost includes upgrading the track, building about five stations and buying the equipment.