New refineries? There’s no fuel shortage

To the editor:

Erven T. Nelson's Thursday letter to the editor suggesting that we need to build new oil refineries to lower gasoline prices doesn't add up. Have you heard of anywhere in the United States where gas stations have run dry? This means our refineries are producing enough to supply every gas station in the country.

Just because we haven't built a new refinery in 30 years doesn't mean we haven't expanded and/or upgraded existing refineries. I'm sure capacity from the existing refineries has increased greatly in the past 30 years. If there were a market for more sales, new refineries would be built.

New refineries, though, would eliminate the shortage excuse every time one of the current refineries has a production loss. Why is it that if one oil company refinery has a production loss, every other oil company has to raise prices when they didn't lose any production? It sure couldn't be price-fixing, could it?

The oil companies are making $10 billion profit per quarter, and they don't see a need to build new refineries.

Doug Hallesy

LAS VEGAS

Energy politics

To the editor:

In response to your Thursday front-page article, "Upset about gas prices?": I am not upset at gas prices. They're merely the result of the follies of our politicians, who created this situation and are letting it get worse and worse.

I remember that during the Carter administration, there was a huge land grab in Alaska. Parks, wildlife refuges and other lands that were larger than many states were created, taking land off the table that might have supplied this country's energy. Large blocks of land off our coasts were similarly made off-limits. Never mind that during the 1970s, after Earth Day and after public awareness was raised about ecology and protecting the environment, all kinds of laws were passed designed to protect and "save the planet." They never seem to be enough.

During the Clinton administration, a large area of Southern Utah was made a national monument by presidential order, but the president did it from the Grand Canyon, not daring to set foot in Utah, where the land and people were affected. This land contained a lot of coal, as I recall. Now there's talk of uranium in the Arizona strip, north of the Grand Canyon. At some point, another large park will be created.

Meantime, on the other side of the aisle, no Republican Congress or administration lifted a finger to undo the land grabs. From time to time there would be attempts to extract Alaska oil, and we heard all the excuses: global warming, wildlife habitat, pollution, we won't get it for 10 years (which was said 10 years ago), and many, many more. Legislation to allow drilling was filibustered, which means 60 votes were need for any action.

So no oil is drilled, while next door in Canada, all kinds of oil is being pumped. In the Gulf of Mexico, China and Mexico explore for oil under our noses.

And whatever happened to all that Iraqi oil we were accused of going to war for? Was any pumped? Did insurgents shut the wells down, or is the oil quietly being sold to China and India?

So the price of oil, and thus everything else, skyrockets. And while gasoline prices go up, don't be surprised to see electricity skyrocket as well, as politicians and environmentalists fight tooth and nail to keep new plants from being built.

So unless and until the American people pay attention and ponder the events and the people who led us here, nothing will change.

Mark Kostner

LAS VEGAS

Brave woman

To the editor:

Praise to former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

I was moved to tears when she appeared on national TV Wednesday before the Senate Special Committee on Aging with her testimony on Alzheimer's disease, then moved to tears again Thursday morning when reading your Thursday article by the Chicago Tribune's Judith Graham. The last paragraph, a quote from Justice O'Connor, was very heart-wrenching: "Alzheimer's disease is a family disease. It may directly attack only one member of a family. But every member of that family ... loses something."

Justice O'Connor said she was 78 and nearing 80, which is the age range that most seniors develop this disease. She and a few U.S. senators testified in the hearings on the need for a national strategy to deal with this mind-robbing illness. I was so moved seeing how much Justice O'Connor has aged since her husband was diagnosed in 1990 and how she has had to care for him.

The plea has been made, and it is up to the people of the United States to come to the aid of all these loving people who are now facing this in their lives. In two weeks, I will be 79, and thanks to the good Lord above, my health has been very good. But things do happen, sometimes overnight, and change our lives.

I am pledging, along with these others, to help all I can, as the next one needing help may be me.

Delcia Bagwell

LAS VEGAS