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Jewish World Review April 27, 2005 / 18 Nissan, 5765 How America can stop kissing up to the Saudis By Froma Harrop
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
"Bush and Saudi Meet at Ranch to Discuss Oil," a headline reads.
"No Quick Relief Is Seen From Higher Prices."
Oooo. I don't know about that. Quick relief is right around the
corner at certain car dealerships. All you have to do is trade in your Ford
Expedition for a new Toyota Prius, and presto, your gasoline costs are cut
by almost three-quarters.
The idea is becoming less and less an original one. Sales of
hybrid cars rose about 80 percent in 2004. Since 2000, the hybrid market has
grown 960 percent. A hybrid has both a gas engine and an electric motor.
Granted, there weren't many hybrid offerings in 2000, and these
vehicles remain a tiny part of total vehicle sales. But you can see the
arrow on the hybrid sales chart. It's jet-propelled. So while Bush crawls on
his belly, begging Saudis for a break on oil prices, individuals are looking
for their own solutions.
Of course, America should never have gotten to this humiliating
position. Had Bush lifted a finger to reduce U.S. oil consumption five years
ago, his shirt and tie would not be so dusty today. More importantly,
American consumers would have retained more power over their own economy.
A simple 50-cent tax on every gallon of gas could have done it.
Again, not an original idea. Ross Perot threw it out during his 1992
campaign for president. He said the tax would encourage Americans to use
less oil, and the revenues collected would pay down the deficit.
So where do we stand today? Well, gas prices shot up 43 cents a
gallon in just the last year. The average price last week was $2.24, and
little of that money is going into our Treasury. It is going to, among
others, various sponsors of terror in the Mideast.
Perot's solution was so elegant. A tax on gas would have let car
makers continue to churn out guzzlers for consumers willing to pay more for
gas. Eventually, everyone would have adjusted to the higher energy costs.
More Americans would have flocked to fuel-efficient vehicles 10 years ago.
U.S. carmakers would also have gotten on the hybrid bandwagon earlier.
Instead, they kept making the Oil Warriors and let the Japanese capture 96
percent of the U.S. market for hybrids.
Rather than show some spine and force Americans to deal with
their oil addiction, Bush just gave them the baby treatment. That meant
never asking for the smallest sacrifice. Of course, undisciplined babies
face a rough future. And so American consumers are paying now for not having
taken care of business years ago.
While Washington sleeps, the states show signs of intelligent
life on energy policy. California is the model. Its new tailpipe-emissions
rules would require carmakers to greatly improve fuel efficiency on cars
sold there. The Northeast states — New Jersey and up, except for New
Hampshire — are following California's lead. And Washington and Oregon are
about to join the group. We're talking about 29 percent of the U.S. car
market.
By mandating greater fuel economy, states protect their
environment, of course. But they also protect their own people from the ill
winds of rising energy costs. And their residents save money that can be
spent on other things. Example: Adopting California's emissions standards
could make Washington state residents $2 billion-a-year richer by 2020,
according to Climate Solutions, a group that backed this approach.
Now higher gas prices are dragging down the national economy.
They are blamed for slower consumer spending. About half of those surveyed
in an Associated Press-AOL poll said that high prices over the next six
months would cause them financial hardship.
And, oh yes, 41 percent said that today's gas prices have made
them seriously consider buying more fuel-efficient vehicles. They should
have reached this conclusion five years ago. Make that 15 years ago, when
America sent half a million soldiers to liberate Kuwaiti oil fields in the
first Gulf War.
But there's no real leadership from Washington, and Americans
know it. The Bush administration has failed them on energy policy, according
to 61 percent of those polled. That is one burden from which there is truly
no quick relief.
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© 2005 Creators Syndicate |
Arnold Ahlert | |||||||||||
