Letters to the Editor by Roger Oleson

---

     I would like to respond to Ed Van Blaricum’s July 26 letter asking for a Democratic Party explanation why Biden (to paraphrase) wants Saudi Arabia to increase oil production for export to the U.S. First, a few facts.

     The U.S. is the world’s largest producer of oil, but demand exceeds supply. As a result, we must import oil. Despite high demand at home, the oil industry actually exports 8.4 million gallons of oil daily, the equivalent of 1.2% of the oil held in our strategic oil reserves, to sell on the world market. It is more profitable for them to do so.

     Biden is not shutting down current operations on public lands where valid permits exist. The administration has actually opened up more public land to exploration in its first year than Trump did in his first year. The controversy, blown out of proportion, stems from a few cases in which Biden withdrew the opportunity to bid on rights in areas not currently in production. The reasons were sometimes environmental and sometimes lack of interest by oil companies.

     Oil and gas companies are privately held, for-profit enterprises. Unless we nationalize oil companies, they will continue to sell to the highest bidder and place profits above all else. Supply and demand largely determine oil and gas prices. Despite high gas prices at home, the driving public does not seem willing to drive less. Our best option to reduce prices at home is to increase the world-wide oil supply and let market forces work. Saudi Arabia has huge reserves of oil ready to go to market and could immediately drive down gas prices.

     B. Brannigan’s letter on climate change and disease reminds me of the proverbial ostrich that sticks its head in the sand when danger approaches. Ignore the problem and hope for the best. One can debate the cause of changes in the weather, but the effects of changes can be measured. Scientists have long been collecting data, and from the data they can make predictions with a high degree of confidence. It is a fact that the Earth is warming at a rate higher than any time in recorded history. It is a fact that changes in weather patterns (or climate change) cause people and wild animals to migrate to more sustainable habitats. It is a fact that animals carry diseases such as the Ebola virus that can be transmitted to humans. If current trends continue, over time humans and wild animals will be forced to live together in an ever-shrinking sustainable world. More potential contacts with wild animals mean more potential Ebola viruses. 

     Increased epidemic disease is only one problem we face in the future due to weather change. The western part of the United States is currently in a severe drought situation. We are already facing water shortages, and electrical power generation is threatened. The city of Phoenix is already one of the warmest cities in the nation. What if people living in Phoenix cannot run their air conditioners?   

     It is time to stop the endless debate about what is causing changes in our weather, man-made or not, and instead focus the discussion on what we need to do to mitigate the effects. It will not be easy, and it will not be cheap. But ask yourself, what kind of world do we want our children and grandchildren to inherit? 

     The current COVID-19 pandemic is our World War II moment. Approximately 400,000 Americans died in a war that lasted four years. We have lost 650,000 lives to COVID-19 in less than three years. After Japan attacked us, the overwhelming majority of Americans saw their duty at home and abroad and just did it. Not always without complaint or problems, but they did it for the sake of their country and their fellow Americans. Contrast that today to the 25% of Americans who refuse to be vaccinated, claiming it’s their "right" to choose. I can imagine a different outcome if that many people had refused to participate in the war effort.

     We are in the middle of yet another COVID surge as bad as the original, and there is another variant looming. This is a "Groundhog Day" moment, and until we break the cycle, our lives will never be normal, and more Americans will needlessly die.

To the unvaccinated who have no medical or religious issues with the vaccine, my message is this:

You can continue to be selfish, or you can choose to be selfless. Protect your own life and the lives of those around you who cannot be vaccinated. And to those who are vaccinated, show some tough love toward those people in your life who choose to be selfish.

There is a famous photo from World War II of Rosie the Riveter, showing a young woman with sleeve rolled saying “We Can Do It!” It’s time for unvaccinated Americans to do the same. Roll up your sleeve and take the shot. We can win this war!

     In his letter dated June 1 concerning the filibuster, Brad Marsh attempts to define the difference between a republic and a democracy. Mr. Marsh seems to be saying that a republic protects minority rights, but a democracy does not. Most scholars would describe our form of government as a democratic republic. We the people elect someone to represent us. The protections minority voters have against the abuses of the majority party lie in our Constitution, in which the executive and legislative branches must agree on a law, subject to review by the judicial branch. There is nothing in the Constitution that speaks of the filibuster rule. With a few exceptions, the Senate and Congress are free to set their own rules, so the filibuster can be amended or eliminated.

     The filibuster was first used in the late 1700s, but its use until the 1950s was exceedingly rare. It has been much more commonly used of late as the two parties have grown further apart ideologically. Mr. Marsh was correct in that Obama was roundly repudiated by the voters in 2010 when the Democrats lost both houses. The same is true of Trump when he lost both houses and the presidency. The voters spoke. In fact a clear majority of voters chose Biden, by more than 7 million votes. And as Trump was fond of saying, “elections have consequences."

     We have a system of checks and balances in place that offer robust protection. And the final check against abuse is the American voter himself. The winning political party deserves a chance to govern. Under the filibuster rule, that is not possible today given the extreme polarization and demonization that exists in our body politic. That is why in my opinion the filibuster rule in the Senate needs to go away.

     There was a report of attempted vandalism at a ballot drop box in San Tan Valley on Oct. 8. The potential for even more vandalism is likely to increase as we draw nearer to Election Day. This issue, coupled with the issue of timely delivery by the post office, make it imperative that we take two steps: Vote early, and if you use a drop box or the mail, confirm that your ballot was received by the Recorder’s Office. It may take a few days for your ballot to be received and recorded, so early voting will give you a chance to correct any issues that arise.

     To check on the status of your ballot, go to: my.arizona.vote.

     It is important that you save the tear-off stub on your ballot. That stub contains a reference number for tracking. Let’s have a safe and controversy-free election.