Remember Enron?

I do. I remember that when California started having a serious energy problem that no one seemed to question it. I remember telling people that it didn't make sense, and they disagreed. "How did the problem become so big so fast?" I questioned. "Population is exploding, not enough sources of energy, it was inevitable" they replied.

The population is exploding, but it happens at a gradual pace - a slow enough pace to allow accommodations to be made to keep up. There should not be a time when population numbers outpace the ability to create new sources of energy to meet demand. We are humans, and humans have more than enough creativity and motivation to provide what we need for ourselves. I don't believe it is inevitable that we will ever run out of energy sources.

Environmentalists jumped right on the bandwagon. "We told you people that you were nothing but a bunch of energy hogs and that you would eventually have to pay!" they seemed be be saying. Of course, they are hoping to scare people into using the energy sources that are naturally available. I agree, but not at the expense of poor people who struggle just to stay fed, clothed and housed.

The government dragged their heals in trying to figure out what was going on. After all, the men with the deep pockets were getting even richer! Those pockets were getting deeper!

People who had money and good jobs weren't happy, but they pulled up the bootstraps and trudged along. It was the people who could least afford to pay more that paid dearest.

As it turned out, there was no energy crisis. It was all a fraud perpetrated on the unsuspecting public. Electricity bills went back to normal, and heads rolled.

It's happening again - I suspect. I can see that there is an increase in people using oil. I can see that the Arabs are reluctant to make things easy for us. I can also see that oil companies are making record profits. There is no reason why gasoline should cost $4.00 per gallon.

People who have good jobs and make a decent living are pulling up the bootstraps. The auto industry is taking a hit - hopefully they actually begin to manufacture cars that are energy efficient because of this, if they survive. The airline industry may not survive. Truckers can't afford to haul food for us anymore. And poor people are having a much more difficult time keeping themselves fed, clothed and housed. They aren't driving much these days, only when they have to.

Environmentalists jumped right on the bandwagon. "See, we told you people that you were nothing but a bunch of energy hogs and that you would eventually have to pay!" They are jumping at the thought that new energy sources are being looked at. Power/money hungry folks are jumping at the bit! People in Idaho are anti-nuclear because of nuclear waste that has been buried badly above our water source, but nuclear power plants will be built because of this "crisis". Our river has been dammed up so much to provide power that the salmon are nearly extinct, and we have enough wind here that we should be able to do well enough without coal or nuclear powered plants. And we do. A great deal of our power is being sent to California.

Government officials are dragging their feet. Apparently, nothing the Bush/Cheney machine does will ever be seriously questioned.

And those who can lease afford it will foot the bill.

In a year or so, some heads will roll. Hopefully, Americans will elect a president that has some amount integrity, and enough intelligence to right the wrongs. Gas prices will return to an affordable price, and our economy will begin to improve.

Hopefully.