Greensburg —
After pump prices reached $3.79 a gallon nationally, Congressman Joe Donnelly fired off a letter to President Obama.
"We must act now to soften the impact high gas prices are having on our
economy," the Indiana Democrat wrote March 26. He urged the president to
release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and assist efforts to expand domestic drilling.
Such recommendations are good material for Donnelly's senatorial campaign
this fall but ineffective solutions for soaring gasoline costs. The U.S. produces about 5.6 million barrels of oil a day Ð a nine-year high, the president said last month Ð yet Greensburg motorists still pay nearly $4 a gallon.
What we need from lawmakers are initiatives that encourage conservation and put money in our pockets. Lisa Margonelli, publisher of EnergyTrap.org, has such a plan.
Margonelli proposes a federal auto loan guarantee program. Consumers would
be offered notes at 5 percent interest to buy vehicles that get more than 35 mpg.
"This is better than the stimulus programs suggested by either party, as it would increase middle-class disposable income by up to $3,500 while creating jobs in Detroit," she says, "and it would lower fuel imports and greenhouse gas emissions to boot."
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American household spent $178 a month fueling its vehicles in 2010. Gas prices through 2011 increased an average of 74 cents per gallon, or more than 26 percent.
So, the typical family spent $225 a month on gasoline last year Ð and we're on track for a repeat in 2012. America could use another program like Cash for Clunkers, but one that actually helps the middle class.
Cash for Clunkers cost $2.8 billion but benefited only the financially secure. Credit was tight in 2009. Many couldn't qualify for a new-car loan. The oil industry receives about $4 billion a year in subsidies and tax breaks. Low income households get tax credits to retrofit their homes for energy efficiency.
We need an incentive aimed at middle-income workers.
By financing a federal car loan guarantee with a portion of the oil industry's government giveaway, we could drive down fuel costs for wage-earners, reduce oil consumption and increase demand for gasoline-sipping vehicles.
Editorials
Our View: Green rides, thick wallets
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Dr. Calvin offers more election facts
No matter our politics, it was a great day. In this week’s column, Dr. Calvin Davis continues sharing interesting facts about elections and I’ll continue his memories and facts of elections in a few weeks.
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Where did that “—” come from?
Daily News readers may have noticed a number of distracting stray characters (““ —) running across their pages in recent weeks.
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Our View: Green rides, thick wallets
After pump prices reached $3.79 a gallon nationally, Congressman Joe Donnelly fired off a letter to President Obama.
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Our View: Missed Opportunity
What is arguably the biggest sporting event in the country, the National Football League's Super Bowl, will be played Sunday less than an hour from Decatur County.
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Do not Overlook the Leadership at our Schools
Stop and smell the flowers. Greensburg is a great place to raise kids.
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More than a Mouthful: Part 3
Most depictions of mealtime in the Gospels are communal: people assemble to eat together.
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Our View 050711
An almost audible collective sigh of relief could be heard minutes before midnight Sunday as U.S. President Barack Obama announced the death of Osama bin Laden, leader of the terrorist organization al-Qaida and the mastermind behind the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks against targets in the United States.
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OUR OPINION: A Return To Tolerance
Violence is all around us, whether it comes in the form of a fist, knife or gun. Even Decatur County is not immune.
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The Drapery
As a boy, I heard my father recount a lesson he had once learned in college. As I look back, that lesson had an impact on my own thinking. It went something like this.
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A River Runs Through It
My wife and I are very competitive. Take skiing for example.
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