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« Back to Opinion & Analysis
Keep the Politicians out of the Energy Business
Editorial for the Houston Community Newspaper
Steven F. Hotze, M.D.
August 14, 2008
Oil enabled the United States to develop an abundant energy source which has made us the most productive and prosperous economy in the world. Rather than curse it, as do the environmentalists and liberals, we should thank God we discovered it and learned how to convert it to useable energy.
Prior to 1859 when underground oil was discovered in Pennsylvania, oil was derived from animal fats, vegetables and coal. Supplies were limited. People had oil lamps and either rode horses or walked. Roads were unpaved except in a few large cities where there were some cobblestone streets. In 1880 New York City had 175,000 horses in a city with a population of less than 1,750,000. Each horse produced approximately 22 pounds of manure daily. That's over 8,000 pounds of manure per horse per year. The streets were cesspools and a breeding ground for billions of flies which carried innumerable diseases. The stench of feces and urine filled the air. Now that's pollution!
The invention of the internal combustion engine combined with a reliable energy source in the form of gasoline refined from oil was a godsend to the health of the nation.
The efficiency of motorized vehicles also dramatically increased the country's productivity. Henry Ford developed the system of mass producing cars and trucks on an assembly line in 1913 that made it possible for the common man to own his own car. This transformed the American economy and made it the dominant force in the world. Without oil this would not have been possible.
The economic success of the United States oil industry arose out of the capitalist free enterprise system. It was not initiated by any government program but by entrepreneurs who were seeking innovative ways to meet the energy requirements of the people. These individuals risked their money to discover oil and build the refineries that would convert it into gasoline and other products useful to consumers. We owe them a debt of gratitude.
Most people think that the U.S. oil companies control the world's oil, but in fact over 80% of the world's oil reserves are owned by government owned oil companies which cannot be controlled by our federal government.
The dramatic rise in gasoline prices has led the liberal, socialist Democrats to call for a windfall profits' tax on oil companies. Some have even proposed a government takeover of the oil companies. Did you know that the federal and state government tax collections on gasoline are already twice the profits made by the oil companies?
By confiscating the oil companies, socialists would be able to destroy the economic liberty of hundreds of thousands of individuals who work in the private sector. Without economic liberty, there can be no political liberty. This would allow the socialists to consolidate their power, making more people beholden to the government for their welfare.
Let the oil companies drill offshore and allow the free market system to develop efficient alternative energy sources. Keep the government out of the energy business.
About Conservative Republicans of Texas
Steven F. Hotze, M.D. is president of Conservative Republicans of Texas and founder of Hotze Health & Wellness Center in Houston, Texas.
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