Letters to the Editor

High gas prices the result of government meddling

Dear Editor,

I will first address the May 9 Barb Keller letter in the Post Independent, and then address the cause of high prices of gasoline.

I admit I judged Dr. Minot's analysis of President Bush by the conclusions the doctor published. I judged, on the same basis, the psychiatrist that did an analysis of the Virginia Tech killer. Readers of Barb's letter will draw their own conclusions about her analysis of what liberals and conservatives believe.

As to the high price of gasoline, one of the unpublished factors for the lack of supply today is the "excess profits tax" of the '80s. The exploration, production and marketing departments of the oil and gas companies were forced to drastically cut budgets. The political appeal for the tax was based on what people thought were higher profits, but ignored profit margin. To keep a reasonable profit margin to complete projects in progress and honor stockholder investments, the companies cut costs. Plans for refineries were canceled or delayed, and low volume marketing outlets were closed.

Exploration for the discovery and evaluation of new reserves for both gas and oil became minimal, and the industry concentrated on development within established fields. Exploration and development drilling equipment was left rusting in holding yards. To bring this home to our area, the production would have been on line in our gas fields earlier if funds had been available to delineate the field. It took much funding of geology, seismic and drilling to get us where we are now. Funds that the "excess profits (whatever they are) tax" extracted from the industry. Anybody know where that money was spent?

Whenever federal, state or local governments fail to analyze the effect of taxes, try to micromanage the military and dictate to teachers in public schools, our money is largely wasted. Politics seems to breed men and women who assume the money extracted from those who create jobs, work at those jobs and invest in the economic growth of the country is theirs to spend as they dictate.

Jack E. Blankenship

Battlement Mesa

Hal Sundin doesn't get the idea of opinion

Dear Editor,

I worry that the Post Independent is laboring under serious misconceptions regarding columnists on their editorial page. Hal Sundin recently produced a piece on ethanol that was thoroughly researched, full of facts, and reached a logical conclusion. This has to stop.

What is needed is "opinion." The best way to reach these opinions is to listen deeply to your gut. Or you can listen carefully to talk radio programs. It is the same stuff.

They used to say there were dinosaurs in the tank, then it was put a "tiger in your tank," now it's "put some ears of corn in your tank." I feel better now when I drive. Orville Redenbacher and the Jolly Green Giant come to mind.

The best part: We get to "decrease our dependence on foreign oil." That means: We can say goodbye to Iraq.

Shallow Hal means well, but he just doesn't get it.

Patrick Hunter

Carbondale