keg” is having a detrimental impact on the cost of crude, even as we speak. But there are

keg” is having a detrimental impact on the cost of crude, even as we speak. But there are measures, that had they been in place, would have avoided the impending catastrophe.

First, the cost of crude oil is controlled, like every other commodity, by speculators in the market. They look at futures supply and demands and set the price. They often bid on prices five and 10 years down the road, based on the best guess of what will be in the future. Here is what the future looks like to them with this current president. No offshore drilling, no new refineries to handle the hugely increased volume, and no Keystone Pipeline in our future.

It looks like demand is going through the roof and supply is predicted to be at an all time low. Result: sky high oil, and subsequently, gas prices for the foreseeable future. If you recall, during the middle of George W. Bush’s presidency, our Middle East oil producing “allies” jacked up the cost of crude and limited distribution to affect the price greatly in their favor. So what did President Bush do in response to this? He signed a largely symbolic presidential order lifting the ban on offshore oil exploration. The price of crude went from somewhere in the $95 range to about $35 in a five-week period. The mere threat of more supply caused the speculators to run for cover. Our current president, in slavish loyalty to his environmental supporters, has done nothing to imply an increase in domestic supply in the future.

Time is ripe for citizens to contact their Congresspersons and Senators asking them to pressure the White House into creating a domestic supply. If we fail to do this, we will be doomed to gasoline prices that will land close to the $6 to $7 range.

M. Ben Melnykovich, Lake Milton