Politics & Government

Congressman Jim Himes Outlines Efforts to Reduce Dependency on Foreign Energy

The Greenwich congressman offers conservation tips; survey on U.S. policy regulating energy speculators.

This weekend Democratic Congressman Jim Himes  has e-mailed constituents and subscribers to his electronic newsletter, an explanation of congressional efforts to regulate speculative financial trading of energy sources which have resulted in high prices at the gas pumps.

Here is what he has sent, including links to an opinion survey.

 

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Dear Friends,

With summer travel plans in full swing, I wanted to share with you some of the work I have been doing to address the rising cost of gas. While the best thing we can do in the long run is to develop alternatives to foreign oil, we need to find ways sooner rather than later to help cut costs at the pump.

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There's no way to sugarcoat the fact that in the long run, gas prices are going no where but up. As the billions of people in coutnries like China and India start to drive, they will add to global demand for a limited resource. From a policy standpoint, we must reduce our dependence on oil, conserve, help communities provide transportation choices, and develop alternative sources of energy. 

In the short run, there is considerable evidence that financial trading has exerted meaningful upward pressure on gas prices. This will not be a long term effect, but since people are hurting right now, I support the efforts of regulators to reduce the negative effects of speculation in energy markets.

That is why I am proud to be a member of the Congressional Livable Communities Task Force, which seeks to identify ways in which we can improve community livability and Americans' quality of life.  This includes reducing our dependence on oil, protecting the environment, improving public health and investing in housing and transportation projects that create jobs and give people more commuting options.

The Task Force recently released a report, "Freedom from Oil," which offered suggestions on how we can reduce our independence on foreign oil and lower the price of gas. I've listed their top solutions below. Which do you think would work best? You may pick as many as three. Continuing to increase the fuel efficiency of passenger vehicles, which could save drivers the equivalent of $1.00-1.70 per gallon of gas 
Increasing our investment in alternative fuels and electric vehicles, which could save drivers $1,000 in fuel costs each year 
Setting national priorities for our transportation system, including a strategy and performance measures for reducing our oil consumption 
Promoting Pay-As-You-Drive insurance, which would allow consumers to pay less at the pump if they drive less 
Encouraging lenders to use transit accessibility and location efficiency as a factor in mortgage rates, taking into account the reduced spending on gas and making it easier to purchase a home that allows for transportation savings 
Providing consumers with information about the transportation costs associated with the location of their house, through tools such as the Transportation and Housing Affordability Index 
Using the tax code to encourage businesses to offer comprehensive commuter benefit programs that level the playing field for alternative, non gas-dependent transportation 
Increasing funding for the "Safe Routes to School" programs so that parents and children have the option to get to school safely without driving 
Supporting "Complete Streets" policies that design streets for all users, making it safer for people of all ages to travel by bike, foot, or public transportation. 

 

If you are having trouble taking this survey, please click here for a web-based version.

*By submitting this survey, you are signing up to receive the Congressman's e-newsletter.

If you'd like to learn more about the suggestions contain in "Freedom from Oil," the complete report is available for download in PDF format here. Learn more about the Livable Communities Task Force here.

Thank you for your time and input. If you have additional thoughts you would like to share on this topic or any other, please don't hesitate contact my office by clicking here.

Sincerely,
Jim


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