Letter to President Bush

WILLIAM PENN FALLIN
Columnist
Douglas, GA Enterprise
Natchitoches, LA Times
Camden County, GA Courier

Dear Mr. President:

Leading America must be difficult when 60% of the people disapprove of your leadership. Although I supported you in both campaigns I find myself constantly struggling to remain among the positive 40%. Here are some reasons.

While I fully agree we are in a war for our very survival, (a conviction not shared by about half the population), I disagree with some things you are doing during these perilous times.

Let’s discuss energy. While I agree we are “addicted to oil” I disagree with your handling of the problem. According to a current US Geological Survey we are sitting on more than 16 billion barrels of oil in ANWR (5% of our annual needs for 30 years) and yet we cannot bring ourselves to drill holes in that God forsaken corner of the world. We allow enviro-nuts to prevent ANWR drilling in the name of “preserving caribou herds and pristine beauty,” while ignoring the fact that caribou herds tripled on the North Slope after we drilled there and “pristine beauty” is as yet undiscovered in ANWR.

Frankly, your administration and Congress have failed miserably with ANWR. Such inaction borders on insanity.

I agree we must find alternative fuels but why ethanol? 100% of our corn production, converted to ethanol would run approximately 15% of our 220 million autos. We simply cannot grow enough corn. Currently we use roughly 70% of our corn output for livestock feed, 25% for human consumption and 5% is exported. What would you change?

With the price of oil hovering around $60 a barrel why shouldn’t we concentrate on extracting the immense supply of oil from shale in the Rockies and from the sands of Alberta, Canada instead of chasing corn? And why are we not trying harder to convert coal to liquid fuels? It’s doable.

Everyone knows it’s dangerous to depend on oil from the Middle East. Even Venezuela is questionable. Speaking of Venezuela, why don’t we simply tell Hugo Chavez that the act of cutting off our oil shipments will be considered an act of war, whereupon we will embargo everything going into and out of his ports? And that we will freeze his assets in America, starting with his CITGO stations.

We cannot afford being cut off from foreign oil (for years) until alternate fuels are developed. In the intervening period oil is absolutely necessary; from ANWR, shale, sands, coal, corn, Venezuela, Mexico, Canada, Saudi Arabia, wherever.

Speaking of energy why are you not pushing nuclear power generation? Is it too logical?

Let’s discuss borders. I agree with your words but disagree with your actions. You speak almost weekly about immigration. You SAY we must protect our borders but you don’t follow through. You SAY we need a guest worker program (which I support) but you propose no plausible plan that works. You SAY you are against Amnesty while your proposed guest worker programs that smack of Amnesty. Although many college freshmen today require additional basic tutoring in 3R’s Americans generally understand the definition of Amnesty.

And now for the port debacle: You SAY we should grant control of terminals inside our ports to a Middle Eastern Country and you give good reasons to do so but again you fail to provide all the facts. You SAY Homeland Security will continue providing port security at the same time we learn the managing companies are responsible for hiring and managing security personnel for the actual terminals, including immediate perimeters. While we continue controlling areas approaching the docks, that action is not all encompassing from a security standpoint.

Partial truths (spinning) are simply unhelpful.

Most Americans (I believe) are opposed to our ports being run by foreign corporations/countries. Why are they present in the first place? Partly because we tax American corporations so heavily they cannot profitably run such companies.

Foreign based companies, including those who flood our markets with their goods, receive major tax advantages. Therein lies an important reason we are not competitive (worldwide) in manufacturing or in port management.

Speaking of security, you continue embracing political correctness, even when it comes across as utter silliness. Why do we body-search 5 year olds and 85 year olds in airports while young men (apparently Arab) walk through unchallenged, all in the name of PREVENTING RACIAL PROFILING? How can Americans take our security program seriously while such idiocy continues?

And what is grand about foreign investment in America? They already own over 20% of our nation’s assets and it grows as I type.

Sincerely,
Bill Fallin