ANWR

I think all the hype about drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as the answer to our oil crisis is outrageous. Oh sure, I think we can safely drill there without wrecking the environment or harming wildlife and I agree that we probably should. But from what I read the oil wouldn't hit the market for at least ten years after legislation is passed to allow it - if there are no lawsuits to interfere with the process. And if you read the material produced by the Department of Energy this oil will make a difference of between fifty cents to a dollar a barrel of oil which translates to something like six to eight cents per gallon at the pump. It's estimated that with the addition of this oil on the market our dependence on foreign oil will be reduced by about three percent. Here is a report (pdf) issued from the Energy Information Administration which is a branch of the Department of Energy. And another here.

Seems to me all this effort is mis-directed and we should be focused on bringing back the value of the dollar.