Baron Hill to Learn About Gas Prices

Congressman Baron Hill (D-San Francisco Seymour) just sent me an e-mail inviting me to the 2008 Southern Indiana Economic Forum. To be more precise, I was actually one of the dozen or so people who actually subscribe to Baron’s official Congressional e-mail list, “Baron’s Briefings”, and bother to read it when it comes.

The event is to take place on September 5th in New Albany and the second session is a panel discussion entitled “Gas Prices 101″. That one looks interesting. You see, Gas Prices 101 is much like Economics 101. In Economics 101 you learn that the fundamental process behind prices is supply and demand. When the supply of something stays the same while the demand rises, then prices go up. As applied to Gas Prices 101 this lesson means that when the supply of gas stays the same and the demand goes up, then gas prices go up. Politics 101 says that when your congressman votes against drilling for domestic oil he is effectively voting for high gas prices. After these three lessons, you, the voter, get to do a practical exercise in Government 101 by throwing the aforementioned congressman (who voted against domestic drilling) out of office.

Of course, you need to be voting for something, not just against something. Mike Sodrel and Luke Puckett both provide voters in the 9th and 2nd Districts respectively with something to vote for. In addition to being the only candidates in each race who have not voted against domestic drilling, the two of them have met first hand with energy experts to discuss what needs to be done to lower gas prices. Both men will be strong advocates for domestic drilling-and thus lower gas prices-when they get to Washington.