Government, not Big Oil, largest cause of energy crisis

Re: Gas prices

Americans are complaining about high fuel prices. And rightly so. However, they are blaming the oil companies. Wrong place to look.

The largest problem? The government. Each state requires a different blend of gasoline. This means that gas from Texas, where there is more fuel, cannot be shipped to Maryland, where there is less. This raises prices in Maryland.

Another thing: Congress restricts about 85 percent of natural resources. There are enough oil and coal reserves in America to last us more than 150 years without the need to import at all. And that’s just known reserves. We’re always discovering more.

What about government restrictions on nuclear energy? If we were allowed to explore that, not as much oil or coal would be needed for electrical needs, which would further bring down fuel costs.

Government restrictions are a problem, not a solution. Only politicians benefit from the insanity, while the common man is left with less.

Benjamin Garber

Leesburg

Maryland should profit from gambling, slots

Re: Slots legislation

It’s time to get real and tough on the opponents of slot machines for Maryland.

This fiasco has now been playing out for going on over six years and started with the Ehrlich administration.

It should be obvious that the majority of the people in Maryland are in favor for slots, and it is evidenced by the number of Marylanders who every week travel to Charles Town, W.Va., Delaware and New Jersey, where the states have become wise long ago and legalized slots.

Slots will bring in huge revenues for the state and will created thousands of jobs. This in turn will lower property taxes and other unnecessary high taxes in Maryland.

People will gamble, which is evident in our state lotteries, games of chance and the Super Bowl. So if people are going to gamble, why not gamble in Maryland and keep the money here?

Al Eisner

Wheaton

Fat lady hasn’t sung for Barack Obama yet

While the media concede that Barack Obama will receive the Democratic nomination based on his delegate lead and the splitting of the superdelegates, the convention is still three months away.

During this time the wraps will come off for the forthcoming election, as Obama has already by innuendo called John McCain too old for the presidency, as well as his supporters making negative comments about McCain’s mental fitness and his foreign birthplace while his father was serving in the military.

However, these less-than-complimentary comments by Obama may be met by the coordinators of the McCain campaign by questions about Obama’s past and whether, despite denials, he was partly brainwashed by his mentor and pastor the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and about the wholehearted support by Hamas of his candidacy.

Until the delegates, both committed and uncommitted, vote in August, the nomination of Barack Obama will not be ensured. The fat lady has not sung as yet.

Nelson Marans

Silver Spring

Turn the lights, TV off to help save energy

Re: Oil reserves

I agree with Ms. Hamill that we should save our reserves for real emergencies, not just inconveniences. I disagree, however, that building wind turbines is a viable alternative. We can bring consumption and prices down more effectively by simply using energy more efficiently.

Americans consume more energy per unit of gross domestic product than any other developed country on Earth.

We need to turn off the lights when we leave the room and cut back on running our plasma TVs. This would be much more effective than destroying our mountaintops by erecting miles of 440-foot wind towers.

William Burt

Arlington