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As we
head into the summer driving season and gasoline prices are again creeping
up, the administration has announced plans to explore opening up more off-shore
areas for exploration and drilling. On the one hand this can be lauded as a
positive step. On the other hand, it is too little, much too late to have any
meaningful or long-term effect on what Americans pay at the pump any time
soon, if at all.
Indeed,
if increasing domestic energy production was really a priority, the
administration would direct the EPA to remove its many roadblocks and
barriers to energy production. In fact, abolishing the EPA altogether would
do much to improve our country's economy. Instead of protecting the
environment as they are supposed to do, most of what they do simply chills
the economy. Polluters should be directly liable in court to any and all
parties they harm, rather than bureaucrats at the EPA.
Of
course, last week's announcement was couched in terms of removing barriers
and red tape. However, the fact that we had these barriers in the first place
is yet another reminder of how the energy market is hampered and controlled
by bureaucrats and central planners in Washington, rather than the demands of
the people and the decisions of private investors.
Consider
how extremely negative our government's reaction has been to other
governments around the world that have nationalized their oil and energy
industries, such as Venezuela and Iran. We deposed a democratically elected
leader in Iran in 1953 for this very reason. Yet the level of involvement of
our government and bureaucrats in energy is nearly absolute. Of course, the
only thing worse than our government dictating energy decisions to its own
citizens is our government dictating energy decisions to the citizens of
other countries.
Along
with the waste of prohibitions that leave our own natural resources untapped
is the waste our government perpetrates with subsidies to alternative fuel
sources. There is certainly profit to be made in perfecting cheaper, cleaner
fuel sources, but government subsidy programs interfere with finding
realistic long-term solutions. Subsidies divert resources towards certain
politically-favored fuel types while ignoring others. If the market were left
alone, private investors would put their own capital into the most promising
alternative fuels. Instead, due to government incentives, resources are
concentrated into politically chosen endeavors that could very well end up
being dead ends. Meanwhile, precious time and money is wasted.
The
government has the opposite of the Midas touch. This has been observed over
and over by the reduced quality and rising prices in every private industry
in which it entangles itself. Yet somehow people still seem willing, even
eager, to relinquish to government control the most important and sensitive
portions of our economy and society. Education, healthcare, and energy are
all unfortunate examples of industries that are in my opinion, far too
important to be left to government control when it is the market that has the
golden touch.
Ron
Paul
www.house.gov/paul
Congressman
Ron Paul of Texas enjoys a national reputation as the premier advocate for
liberty in politics today. Dr. Paul is the leading spokesman in Washington
for limited constitutional government, low taxes, free markets, and a return
to sound monetary policies based on commodity-backed currency. For more
information click on the Project Freedom website.
Published
with the authorization of Dr. Paul.
Copyright
Dr. Ron Paul
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