A friend of mine test-drove an electric motorcycle, saying the manufacturer claims an operating cost of a penny per mile, including battery life and maintenance. My vehicle, at 20mpg on $4-a-gallon gas, costs 20 cents per mile, not including long-overdue maintenance. The price of going to work is steadily increasing. Having a minimum wage, being underemployed, and working a glad-to-have-it job, my 60-mile commute lowers my hourly pay rate by 50 cents. That really hurts.
But the future of energy is electricity; how we produce it is the only question. Newt Gingrich is promising $2.50/gallon gas when elected, claiming to put millions to work in the process, so we can all drive the big car of our dreams. Problem is: We can’t afford it. Pandering to our pocketbook is great political rhetoric, but very short sighted. As a man who touts a visionary future for this country, his promise is archaic. Drill, baby, drill will not solve our economic woes, only add to ever-increasing problems we already face. This election is about the future of every aspect of our lives. The 21st century is here; time to start maximizing it.
-- David Deick - Atascadero
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