BCR Meeting - 4/9/08 - If you missed it!

This past Wednesday was the monthly meeting of the Belknap County Republicans.  Below, you can see the video of the meeting.  Click on the links to watch!

Intro and Reports

Jim Steiner, candidate for Congress - NH Congressional District 2

John Stephen, candidate for Congress - NH Congressional District 1

Short Q & A

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In addition, John Stephen penned an Op-Ed in the Union Leader yesterday.  In it, he reemphasized the US need for energy independence and how he would go about doing so.

SINCE THE Industrial Revolution made America the world's strongest economy over a century ago, our nation has depended on affordable and reliable energy to make our country go. We count on the fact that when we flip the switch, the lights will go on, and that our energy costs will not force our businesses and households to go dark.

Today, this very idea is increasingly under assault.

With the per-gallon price of gas and heating oil above $3 and diesel over $4, our lack of energy independence isn't merely an inconvenience, it's a threat to our economic prosperity. The fact that Congress and the federal government have not only added massive regulatory burdens that cut into domestic energy supply, but actually passed laws specifically to stop production, is an outrage that is now hitting us directly in the wallet.

It's time for a different plan. We need change, and fast.

America needs a strategy that addresses both short and long-term energy needs and does so in a way that does not interfere with our economy. Americans have made clear that we won't tolerate blackouts like in California in 2001 or the gas shortages of 1973.

We also need an energy strategy that restores our commitment to independence from foreign sources, a number of whom are hostile to America. We cannot let our energy policy drive our foreign policy as we see it does today.

Sadly, Congress has worked against bringing energy independence to the American people, and we see the consequences every time we fill up our oil tanks or go to the gas station. Skyrocketing prices are a result of our inability to increase our domestic oil supply.

Congress has repeatedly voted against allowing energy exploration both offshore and in Alaska. Then it went on to stop the use of oil shale resources in the Rockies. A Department of Interior study found that we have oil shale supplies amounting to three times the oil reserves of Saudi Arabia, yet we can't access this energy because of misguided federal law.

Unfortunately, over the past six years, our members of Congress from the 1st District have repeatedly voted against expanding the domestic energy supply, forcing us to buy more foreign oil and driving up prices for Americans. Thankfully, both Sens. Judd Gregg and John Sununu recognized the need for energy independence and supported new exploration. They deserve credit.

It's time we demanded an energy independence strategy from Washington. That means more exploration, more refineries and a lot less regulation. We need to repeal the laws and rules that are getting in the way. Right now the energy industry is among the most heavily regulated in the country, and that red tape is bogging down production and slowing innovation. Companies want to expand domestic capacity, if only Congress would let them. It's time to remove the roadblocks.

While increasing the domestic supply of oil and gas is an important solution, it's only a short-term fix. Our economy's energy needs are growing at a rapid pace and we need to keep up with it. Concurrently, countries like China and India are rapidly industrializing, sucking up huge portions of the world's energy resources. We need to begin now to identify how we will meet future energy demands, or our economy will suffer.

There are many possibilities for the energy needs of tomorrow. We need to look at using advanced nuclear and hydrogen cell technology while also maximizing renewable sources like geothermal, hydroelectric, solar and wind power to meet the future energy requirements for our economy's growth.

Most likely though, is that the solution to future energy needs is something that we have not considered. America's great strength has always been innovation, but we have to remove the obstacles to advancements. We have to let the innovators pioneer new ideas in an environment that is unshackled from the regulatory minefields that currently exist.

In some lab, or even a garage or basement, someone is figuring out how to create an inexpensive and dependable energy source. It could be a new way to make energy, a major improvement in efficiency or maybe the next super-battery. It could be the solution to making our economy thrive for the next century, while cleaning the environment for our children and grandchildren.

Until that next technology comes along, we need to stand up to get Congress moving on an energy strategy. Congress has been content to dither for too long. Will gas have to be $8 a gallon before it acts?

John Stephen of Manchester is running for the Republican nomination for Congress in the 1st District.