Let drilling, diesel and Europe point the way 

In early 2007 we took a trip to Greece and Southern Europe. Gasoline cost about $7 to $9 a gallon and diesel was less. We just returned from England and Northern Europe, gasoline is now costs $9 to $11 a gallon and diesel costs $12. To pass time on our tour bus for both trips I counted American-type cars, as you know them. Fifteen for the 2007 trip and 14 for the trip this month. Europeans drive 80 to 90 percent diesel. They have clean-burning fuel; use liquid urea injection in the exhaust of all big trucks and the new Bluetec Diesel cars. Full size Mercedes and BMWs with turbocharged 4 cylinder diesels gets 55 miles per gallon, 10 more than any Toyota Hybrid. The Smart car we are importing is the “not so smart gasoline version” of the diesel cars sold in Europe.

These nations and their people are at the complete mercy of the Arabs and the world oil market. We on the other hand, especially in California and Alaska, have the power to turn the oil market and the world economy around if we would only drill for oil and gas off shore. We need to pass a small oil extraction tax and then drill.

The revenues will lower fuel prices, save our schools and local and state governments, and stop the flow of cash to the Arabs and our enemies.

-- Bob Blair - Nipomo Community Services District director, rural Arroyo Grande

-- Bob Blair - Nipomo Community Services District director, rural Arroyo Grande