Kerry's grand idea

There are two reasons why we cannot be asleep at the wheel during this current energy crisis," Kerry said in the weekly Democratic radio address. "First, soaring energy prices are putting our economy at risk and second, our dependence on Middle East oil is putting our national security at risk. But it doesn't have to be this way."

I agree with that.

In the short term, the Massachusetts senator said, the United States should divert oil being used to fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (search) and bring it to market. The White House says, though, that would have only a negligible impact on pump prices. Kerry also said the country's leaders should demand that Saudi Arabia and other oil-producing nations increase supply.

I don't agree with diverting oil from the strategic reserve, because I think that would endanger national security also. It does not make sense to say we are dependent on foreign oil and then take away the only reserve that we have. Then once we have released the oil reserve, we have to tell other countries how to use their oil, there does not seem to be much difference between taking over a country for their oil and trying to force them to sell the oil to you cheap.

Another problem I see in all of this is that countries are in charge of running oil businesses. That really should be a private endeavor, but oh well.

He said his long-term strategy as president would include investments in alternative fuels and new technologies that are more fuel-efficient. He said he would establish tax credits to help make fuel-efficient cars more affordable.

There is already a tax credit. What I would do is put a small gas tax in place, put rules and regulations into place to force companies to produce more fuel cars, and then allow the private companies to apply for grants to reduce the price of their development of the new technologies. The money will come from the taxes. This is essentially taxing a problem to solve the problem. Of course the government could loan the money to the companies real cheap.

"We're at war and families are struggling to make ends meet, especially with rising gas prices," Kerry said. "For our security, our economy and our environment, we must make America energy independent."

At least he understands the problem, I just don't agree with some of his methods for solving the problem.

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