Greetings faithful readers: I wrote this article back on April 1, 2010, but didn’t post it.  Here it is now…months later…and look where we are today!

April 1, 2010

        Yesterday, President Obama announced his decision to allow off shore drilling in areas previously announced as off limits.  This has been met overnight with alarm and skepticism by almost every American.

        The environmentalists are up in arms with a President who says he is concerned about the environment, but seems intent to invite another Valdez oil spill disaster.

        The people of Florida, a majority of whom, voted for him in the Presidential election, are very disappointed that the President would announce such an important decision without consultation with the very people who will be affected by the affects of this very controversial decision.

        There is no question that the country needs to produce as much oil or other sources of energy to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and reduce the trillion dollar annual trade deficit which drains our assets and helps to cause high oil prices in America.  This adversely affects our sagging economy.

        Speaking of higher prices for oil fuels, this country has been plagued with high and fluctuating prices and fuel shortages since the Arab embargo of the mid seventies.   

Gasoline and oil prices were up to four dollars a gallon lately, today, it is heading to the three dollar mark.  Our government has consistently, done nothing to help the American consumer cope with this unjust and  unchecked greedy attitude of foreign and domestic oil companies who join together to rig prices and rob consumers.

       It is obvious to most Americans that the Washington lobbyists have controlled Congress and previous administrations, regarding oil prices with their schemes to profit as much as possible on a gallon of fuel, whether imported or domestic.     

      With the outrageous profit reported last year by Exxon-Mobil, the time has come for the United States to do something about this constant rip-off of the American consumer.

      Now that president Obama has announced his plan and approval for drilling oil off our U. S. coastline, the time has come for Congress to move to control fuel oil and gasoline prices here in the U. S. as part of this plan to give oil companies leases to drill for oil off our coast.   The following suggestions are made to guide Congress as they plan the legislation for said oil drilling, but do not hold your breath for Congress to act prudently in this regard:

1. Only American companies may bid for these leases. This is American property only Americans should be able to profit from this activity.
2. Only U.S. citizen workers may work on these off shore leases and all materials    used must be American made and supplied by American companies.  
3. All granted leases should contain a stipulation for the U. S. government to share 50% of the profits from these leases or a per gallon fee equivalent, in addition to bid for said leases, which in the past were, give-a ways. 
4. None of our American oil produced in the U.S. may be sold overseas, but must be held for domestic use only. This would apply to all existing leases, including those in Alaska, or they should be cancelled, under the War Powers Act, since oil is a critical national resource. 
5. No company or person who has donated money to any Congressman or administration, political party or action committee in the past 5 years may bid on said offshore oil leases.  This obvious influence must end. 
6. This plan for offshore drilling must be part of a well planned and comprehensive bill, passed by Congress to rid this country of our dependence, on Middle East oil and gas and to reduce our imbalance of trade in oil, within a deadline period of not more than 5 years. 
7. The plan referred to in #6 above, must include every practical and economical source of energy available in the U.S. today, including, but not limited to, wind, water, solar and nuclear power.  They must employ only American citizen workers and materials and equipment manufactured and sold in the United States of America.  The intended purpose is to help relieve the serious unemployment problem in the U. S., today, by finding new employment fields to offset those lost overseas.

OUR AMERICAN FLAG

How many Americans realize today, June 14^th, is Flag Day?  A special day set aside by law to celebrate our glorious symbol of freedom, our stars and stripes and to remind us just what it means to every American.

Since 1776, our flag has been a symbol of our struggle for freedom.  Our first flag was a depiction of a dangerous reptile, curled up and ready to strike, with the written motto "Don't Tread on Me" emblazoned thereon in defiance of England, who had repeatedly taxed the original thirteen Colonies and people, "Without Representation" as the colonists had complained repeatedly. 

Then someone reportedly, Betsy Ross, sewed up a flag with thirteen starts and strips, representing the thirteen Colonies at the time.  This became the National American symbol in their ten year fight for freedom and independence from England, the greatest power in the world, at the time?

Starting with the Boston Tea Party, the Colonists first defiant act was against the stamp act, a tax on tea, when dressed as Indians, they boarded a British ship moored in Boston Massachusetts harbor and dumped the cargo of tea into the harbor.

Later, on April 19, 1776, a British army force marched on Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, to confiscate the arms and powder allegedly stored there by the "Rabble of Traitors" They were met with the heroic gun fire of ordinary farmers and settlers, who, although greatly outnumbered finally decided they had enough of English tyranny and misrule and that it was better to die in a fight for their freedom than to   live under the yoke of British rule any longer.

America at the time, had no army, no navy and no government, but it had the innate human fighting spirit to be free.  This was the spirit that is represented in our flag, with its starts we look up to for hope and strength and the thirteen stripes to remind us of the courage and sacrifice of our thirteen colonies and forefathers who fought and died to give us the freedom we so casually enjoy today.

Therefore, the flag, in all its beauty and glory is but a symbol of the sacrifice every American has made and should continue to make to guard against those that would take our freedom and our country we love away from us.

This is why the flag is carried proudly into every battle we have fought since 1776, a symbol of our freedom and the determination to fight and die to keep it.  This is why we have goose bumps when we hear our National Anthem played or we are brought to tears when we see our flag and salute it whether in a classroom as a child, or as a serviceman in a battle.  It is our flag that gives us the strength, the spirit and determination that we as Americans must always be prepared to fight and be willing to die for the freedom we all believe we and our families are entitled to enjoy during our lives as Americans and as free people, in this great country.

We, as loyal Americans carry that flag, that banner of freedom proudly in our hearts, every day of our lives ever grateful of our heritage as freedom loving people and ever vigilant of those who may want to take it from us, be it from within or from foreign shores.

GOD BLESS THE USA

The Answer to the Oil Spill Problem in the Gulf of Mexico

June 6, 2010

            For the last 47 days the greatest minds in the world have been unable to solve the problem of how to stop the flow of oil from the British Petroleum oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico.  As a result, this country is faced with the biggest oil disaster and environmental damage it has ever faced.  The situation is getting worse by the day and one prospect is that, this leak may never be stopped, until all the oil in the well has run out and damaged every state and country bordering on the Gulf of Mexico.

            The next logical question is:  If this has happened now, are we faced with the prospect that it will happen again?  With hundreds of wells sunk into the Gulf and offshore around our country and producing oil, the answer is, unless some fail safe method is put in place, it is only a question of time when it will happen again.

            Therefore, faced with the prospect that this disaster may not end until all the oil in the well pollutes the Gulf and surrounding states and countries, the states and the countries involved must immediately use all their manpower and efforts to keep their shores cleaned up and protected while making a very concerted effort to pick up and remove every drop of oil; spilled into the Gulf of Mexico before any additional damage to the shores and environment occurs.  Leaving this most critical obligation to BP is like leaving the fox to guard the hen house.  Our government and our president cannot and should not solve this problem by leaving it in BP's hands and control to protect our people and environment and health.  This is our property, our oil, our waters and our shores being damaged and put to risk and it is our government's responsibility to take charge of this fiasco.  This is what should have been done in the first place.  To be assured that the proper mobilization is made to solve the problem, and not left to a private company who has caused the problem.  The result is that in spite of the fact this spill has occurred many miles out at sea, BP has failed to contain this spill; and our country's environment, economy and people are being damaged every day without any hope or assurance of when it will end.

            Instead, congress and the president have chosen to go on vacation at the critical time every attempt and hope of stopping the leak has failed.  Our president Obama tells us the buck stops with him.  If that is the case, Mr. President, the American people must and will blame you for this disaster, while you continue not to take a "hands on" approach to this problem and leave it in the control BP who had continually and deliberately lied to you and the American people about this situation.

            The American people will not be satisfied during this most serious crisis unless, President Obama takes a "hands on" approach and report every day on what the government is doing to solve this problem.  The buck really stops with you and you only.  You must keep us apprised of what you are doing to ease and end this crisis.  This is the most important problem to face our homeland since the 9-11 incident.  I am sure I am speaking for the American people when we demand no less than the following for you to do:

• 1. A daily report from you as to what, where and how, you are placing solutions to the problem. Stop sitting in your ivory tower and make off like you are in charge, when you are not. If you are in charge, show us daily that you are in charge by reporting directly to us just what is being done and where, precisely. This matter is that serious that Americans cannot afford not to take charge of the clean up problem.
• 2. Stop all drilling off shore, until every fail safe method of prevention is employed to prevent the happening of this disaster again.
• 3. Seize all the assets of BP to assure the American people that BP will pay for all the damages, they have caused in this disaster. In the meantime, BP should pay the government's bill, weekly, from an adequate fund to be placed at the government's disposal and control to pay for all the damages the government deems just from this fiasco.
• 4. Continue the moratorium on all new off shore leases, for at least one year or until the new congress can address it.
• 5. If and when this problem is solved then the government and the people shold decide if they will continue to allow BP to operate in the oil business in the United States in the future. My vote is to cancel all BP leases because of their criminal negligence. Our oil should be drilled by Americans.
• 6. Every congressman or senator who has ever accepted money or any contribution from any oil company must agree to disqualify themselves from voting on any legislation affecting the oil industry to eliminate the appearance of impropriety. Congress is as guilty as BP in this matter.