"Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic candidate for president, opposes lifting the ban on offshore drilling and says that allowing exploration now wouldn't affect gasoline prices for at least five years." -From the article Pat posted

There are a lot of solutions in the works to assist with our energy problems, in fact I think we can solve them and I feel pretty damn positive about that. I think what you, and every American really, need to take into consideration is when have Big Oil or Big Government ever given back funds that have already been appropriated? The answer is they don't. It is not likely that gas prices will ever drop again from the $4.00 a gallon range. Sure, there have been threats (and make no mistake that is exactly what they are) that gas will soon be at $7.00 a gallon. The problem is as I understand it, $4.00 a gallon has been the target price they (they being Big Oil & Bushco has partnered to help get there) wanted to reach, now they have hit it. I understand they are claiming they can now maintain costs in the $4.00 range through 2011. There is a surplus and manufactuerering capabilities supposedly will allow this. Also demand is now down and everybody under the sun is looking for ways to use less fuel. The drilling plan you are pointing us to is guessed to have always been a part of Cheney/Bushco's secret energy plan. You know the one the American public is told we have no business seeing despite how it effects our wallets and pocketbooks.

Imagine a meeting where Cheney tells his big energy pals, not only are we going to open up Afghanistan and Iraq for natural gas and oil reserves but we will drive the cost of oil up over $120.00 a barrel and we'll hit gas prices of $4.00 a gallon. Your profits will soar and we can guarentee this over an indefinite period of time. It'll be like restarting the Cold War! They must of all stood up and kissed Cheney on the mouth!

Personally, this has a rather huge effect on a business like mine. I own and operate a service company and we travel back and forth to job sites. Gas prices are devastating profits and forcing sharp increases in what customers need to pay. I've seen prices of some of my key supplies nearly triple in the last month. What cost us $35.00 a month ago rose to $105.00 in the last few weeks. Also, everybody under the sun is screaming shortage and this also adds to the price going up. Basically, we should not trust them to lower prices if they are allowed to drill. Costs won't go down because once they have you used to paying a certain price they won't decide "Hey, let's give that money back!"

Obama is wrong if he thinks drilling will lower costs in 5 years. Fat chance! If anything it may "stabilize" costs at whatever the price is in 5 years which won't be less than 4 bucks a gallon. Plus the Oil companies know alternative energy is coming and they want to maximize profits for as long as they can. Sorry, but that is not "step one", if anything it's step 762 of the hundreds of missteps we've already allowed to take place during the Bushco Reign of Terror.