Response to President Obama’s Speech on Energy Security

Albuquerque NM—It’s no April Fool’s joke. At this point, all of us who buy gasoline are the fools.

Most Americans were waiting for something substantial, hoping that Obama’s “new” energy policy would help them afford skyrocketing gas prices. They wanted solutions. Unfortunately, President Obama’s speech on energy security yesterday offered nothing new-no new solutions, no big changes in policy. It was easy to tune him out as many news channels did, offering the speech only on their websites. In case you missed it, in addition to the same old, same old, he included some of his favorite lies.

Most of the pundits seemed to have missed his comments about the public outcry of “drill, baby, drill.” In reference to the last time prices at the pump took a startling jump, he said, “The truth is, none of these gimmicks, none of these slogans made a bit of difference. When gas prices finally did fall, it was mostly because the global recession had led to less demand for oil.”

Prices peaked in the summer of 2008. But it was not the “global recession” that stopped the steady climb. It was “gimmicks” and “slogans” that combined to wake the public up and cause them to put pressure on politicians. As a result, on July 14, President Bush lifted his own father’s ban on off shore drilling. Oil prices dropped like a stone on that day! They continued down and fell again when Congress announced they’d let the ban expire.

He claims, “The truth is…there are no quick fixes. Anybody who tells you otherwise isn’t telling you the truth.” His comments are lies. He could have come out with a plan to maximize American energy resources-all of them-and prices would fall on the anticipation of new supplies flooding on the market and reducing dependence on foreign oil.

His speech did give us insight into what we can expect to hear from him as the 2012 campaign cycle ramps up: Spending money we don’t have on projects that don’t work. “Government funding will still be critical…” “None of this would have happened without government support.” One of his key ideas for the Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future is to make an oil substitute from sources such as “switchgrass and wood chips and biomass.” After spending $76 million on a pilot cellulosic ethanol project, the Georgia plant closed in February this year without ever producing a drop from the woodchips. (Yet, if the oil industry holds a lease and doesn’t “produce a single drop,” they are threatened.)

It’s time that Obama stepped up to the plate and offered some REAL solutions to developing the vast energy reserves America continues to harbor; that would be oil, natural gas, coal and yes, whatever works.

Marita Noon, Executive Director, Energy Makes America Great Inc. is available for addition questions, comments or interviews. She can be reached at 505.239.8998

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