Barack Obama on Oil: The Facts vs. McCain's Politics

by Christopher Hass

At a press conference yesterday along the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida, Senator Obama talked about the truth behind the politics of offshore drilling, and explained how John McCain's plan to lift the ban on offshore oil production would do little, if anything, to ease gas prices:

The politics may have changed, but the facts haven't... Offshore drilling would not lower gas prices today, it would not lower gas prices next year and it would not lower gas prices five years from now.

UPDATED: Barack's statements were echoed today in Michael Tackett's column for the Tribune's political blog The Swamp, in which Tackett explained that:

The offshore drilling would take years to accomplish, would cost who knows how many millions of dollars and would almost surely do environmental harm. And, by the way, it would do absolutely nothing to reduce the price of gasoline in any new president's first term.

You can follow Barack's Economic Tour and watch additional videos on our "Change That Works For You" page.

Rural Gas Rates by Roger Ball

You may have read or heard that Questar wants the great majority of its customers to pay for the past extension of natural gas service to a number of rural communities in Utah. This will raise the average residential customer's annual bill by about $2.28 a year. While this is not a huge sum, it is akin to your doctor asking you to help pay the bill of another patient you don't know who would rather not pay for themselves.

Questar, the Division of Public Utilities and the rural counties, cities and towns have orchestrated a full-court press on this one, so the great majority of ratepayers who live in urban areas need all the help we can get.

The Public Service Commission has scheduled formal and public witness hearings at 9:00am and 4:30pm respectively this Thursday, 8 February, in Room 403, 4th Floor, Heber M Wells Building, 160 East 300 South, Salt Lake City. A further public witness hearing will be held at 6:30pm on Thursday, 15 February, in the County Commission Chambers, Beaver County Administration Building, 105 East Center Street, Beaver, Utah.

As an individual Questar ratepayer, I have formally intervened in this case, and intend to participate fully in the hearings. In comparison with the coal-seam gas processing case that you supported Claire and me in, that we are currently appealing to the Utah Supreme Court, and which is costing us about $4 million a year, this case is worth about $1.7 million annually. I have attached an opinion article I wrote for the Salt Lake Tribune (they published most of it on Sunday, 28 January) in case you would like to know more.

If you are able to, I strongly encourage you to attend the Public Witness Hearing, sign up to testify as soon as you arrive, take the oath when called, and give your testimony on the record during the hearing.

I also strongly urge you to encourage your family, friends, neighbors, work colleagues and social contacts to show up and do likewise.

Claire and I have joined with a number of other citizens concerned about rapidly increasing utility rates and ineffective regulation to form the Utah Ratepayers Association. Please take a look at the Association's website, www.utahratepayers.org, and consider joining us; this is just one of many issues that ratepayers need to be aware of and contest.

And please feel free to call or email me with any comments or questions.

Roger J Ball
Utah Ratepayers Association

Tel: (801) 998-8511
E-mail: roger@utahratepayers.org