Politics & Government

LTE: High Gasoline Prices Touch Every Aspect of the Economy

George Allen is a Republican candidate running for U.S. Senate.

What would you and your family do with an extra $25 to $30 every time you fill up?

Three years ago the average price of regular gas was $1.84/gallon; today it's $3.57.   So it costs over $30 more to fill-up a 20-gallon tank when we hit the gas stations today.  

 And the reaction in Washington?  The same old fighting back and forth, with little progress on short-term, much less comprehensive long-term solutions.

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 I wonder what they'd tell the hardworking owner of a diner founded by her mother in 1951 in Danville, who sadly said to me that, "It's the hardest it's ever been for us," because of rising gas prices and increased regulations.  

 And what about the small business owners in towns throughout Virginia, who rely on tourism to lift their local economy?  The owner of a hotel in Clarksville put it into perspective easy enough for even Washington to understand.  He said it costs upwards of a $100 just to fill up some pick-up trucks, so who's going to have the money left to fuel their boat to get it into the water plus pay for a hotel, food and fishing tackle?  A 143-pound catfish was caught on Buggs Island Lake last summer – the largest on record — but if gas prices surge past $4 this spring and summer, can they count on people having the money to get out on the water to fish?

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Nearly everywhere I go in Virginia I hear from someone – whether it is a small business owner, working people in the suburbs and rural areas, or a parent who drives the carpool – who is worried about the increased cost of gasoline and how it is affecting their monthly budget.  The rising costs of gasoline and fuel touch virtually every aspect of our economy.  It increases the cost of food and causes families to cut back on discretionary spending like eating out at restaurants or buying clothes or gifts.  And in a State blessed with historic sites, beautiful mountains, lakes, rivers and coasts – our diverse tourism industry is hurt when people are unable to afford family vacations. 

 Virginia families and businesses urgently need action and relief.  And, there are opportunities for constructive action that would spur economic growth to create American jobs. 

I know from experience that goals are achievable if leaders are willing to work together. When I was elected Governor, we had an audacious agenda that naysayers said couldn’t be enacted with a Democrat majority in the state legislature. However, we worked across party lines and enacted historic reforms. Working together, we cut taxes by more than $600 million, made neighborhoods safer by abolishing the dishonest, lenient parole system, enacted historic welfare reforms, froze college tuition and made investments in higher education, brought higher academic standards and accountability to public schools, reduced the size of government and grew the economy – creating more than 300,00 net new private sector jobs in four years and built a Rainy Day fund for the future. We made Virginia a safer and better place to live, work, learn, invest and raise a family. And, we can do the same thing in Washington if voters demand it.

The decision to unleash our American energy resources and creativity should be an easy one for Washington. Doing so promotes jobs and economic competitiveness, national security, and more affordable gasoline, diesel, groceries and electricity which would benefit America's small business owners, farmers and families.

I strongly believe Virginia should be allowed to produce natural gas and oil off our coast and use the royalties that come with it for roads and transportation. Unfortunately, the White House remains the biggest impediment to making this a reality -- recently again saying "No" to Virginia's request to explore for these valuable resources.

And last month, President Obama, with full support from my opponent, said “No” to the Keystone Pipeline to supply us with oil from a neighboring, reliable ally Canada. If we are to import oil I’d prefer it coming from Canada and Mexico rather than unfriendly regimes.

This negative decision is a disappointing continuation of the out-of-touch counterproductive energy policies that are punishing working families and small business owners who continue to see their budgets shrink in this weak economy.

By removing the self-imposed barriers to producing energy from the coalfields to our coasts, we have the potential to provide more affordable fuel, food and electricity, create hundreds of thousands of good-paying American jobs, improve competitiveness and national security and generate over a trillion dollars in new revenue without raising taxes. And, rather than being vulnerable to hostile outside interests, we would keep our money in the U.S.A.! 

Rising gasoline prices make clear the urgency to act now for America’s comeback. America’s comeback starts with a positive, pro-jobs growth agenda that includes utilizing our plentiful, available U.S. natural resources. Let’s put an end to the bickering in Washington and get Americans back to work.

 

George Allen

U.S. Senate


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