Hyperlink Legend · E-mail story · Comments · iPod friendly version · Print friendly version

Graves touts oil production
‘We have to increase supply,’ Northwest Missouri congressman says
by Ken Newton
Thursday, May 29, 2008
U.S. Rep. Sam Graves speaks to residents Wednesday afternoon at Vintage Gardens. Mr. Graves spoke to the group about the economic stimulus checks.

Photo by Jessica Stewart / St. Joseph News-Press / Purchase this photo

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves speaks to residents Wednesday afternoon at Vintage Gardens. Mr. Graves spoke to the group about the economic stimulus checks.

In the global economics of petroleum, Congressman Sam Graves believes the supply side needs acceleration.

With China and India driving demand for crude oil products, and U.S. consumers hit with the resulting high pump prices, the Republican lawmaker came to St. Joseph Wednesday afternoon to sell his proposal for speeding up energy projects.

“Demand is not going to change,” he said. “We have to increase supply.”

Legislation Mr. Graves introduced last month, called the Streamlining America’s Various Energy Needs Act, would expedite such projects as refinery and pipeline construction without, he said, lessening environmental standards.

The representative and others cite the lack of American refining capacity as one reason for the rising cost of gasoline. A new refinery has not been built in the United States since the 1970s. Mr. Graves put part of the blame on the regulatory process.

His bill would create an interagency task force to knock down obstacles for “projects that will increase the production, transmission or conservation of energy.”

The fourth-term lawmaker also repeated calls for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska and off the American coasts, where China is funding oil exploration within 40 miles of U.S. shores.

“We’ve got to Americanize those resources,” he said during a stop at Vintage Gardens, a senior living facility.

With citizen anger rising over high gas prices, energy issues have become elevated as fall campaign issues. The campaign of Democrat Kay Barnes, Mr. Graves’ likely opponent in the November election, has criticized the incumbent for voting for tax breaks for oil companies while accepting campaign contributions from them.

Frank Freudenthal, with a family business interest in Vintage Gardens, said energy concerns affect all commercial enterprises.

“It’s all going up,” he said in introducing Mr. Graves. “It increases the cost of everything.”

Mr. Graves also spent time talking to center residents about their potential for getting federal rebates from the economic stimulus program. Even those not required to file a tax return might be entitled to a payment, he said.

Many senior citizens aren’t participating even though they qualify for money, said Sandra Walker, an Internal Revenue Service senior tax consultant who attended the gathering.

“It’s a little harder population to reach,” she said.

Ken Newton can be reached at kenn@npgco.com.

Comments
This story has 1 comment. Click here to join in on the discussion.
Story Tools
Hyperlink Legend
E-mail story
Print friendly version
iPod friendly version

Today's Top Headlines
A darn good dog
New county inspector takes on variety of tasks
Soldier shares stories from war
Palin to resign from office
What are the benefits of art?
  COMMENT
These comments are a means for our readers to voice their opinion on local issues in and around the St. Joseph area.
The following comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. We do not review every post or respond to every suggestion for a comment to be removed.
Before posting, please read the following rules:
  • Comments that threaten someone or degrade them on the basis of gender, race, class, national origin, religion or disability will be removed.
  • Comments containing abusive, vulgar or sexually-oriented language will be removed.
  • Comments that spread rumors or lies will be removed. Please discuss only what has been factually proven.
  • Comments posted in all caps will be removed.
  • Stay on topic! Comments that stray away from the original topic will be deleted.
  • Brief quotes are okay as long as the source is given. Blatant cutting and pasting is not acceptable.
  • Comments must be kept under 250 words or less.
  • Stjoenews.net moderators also reserve the right to remove comments for any reason they deem worthy.
Please read our user agreement
comment May 29, 2008 at 8:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)

We better wake up and do something quick before we wake up one morning and realize we are a third world country. China won't care what a tree hugger thinks when they are sucking oil out of our Wildlife Refuge!

Recommend:
+ 0
- 0
Requires free stjoenews.net registration.

Username:
Password: (Forgotten your password?)

Comment: