Cheap gas event shows frustration

Recently, I held an event to highlight just how out of control our energy crisis has become.

Here in Illinois, the cost of gas has more than doubled in the last seven years while the average household income has decreased.

So I decided to offer gas to local consumers at $1.85 per gallon, which is the price of gas when George W. Bush and Mark Kirk went to Washington in 2001.

We anticipated there would be some interest in the event, but we did not foresee the huge turnout we received.

As a result, the local police had to help direct traffic around the event.

In hindsight, had we anticipated such an overwhelming response from people who are so frustrated with the high price of gas and Washington's failure to address this issue, we would have contacted local officials ahead of time, but we were as surprised as anyone about the response.

Rather than addressing the soaring gas prices, and his complicity in failing to address them, my opponent has engaged in political attacks in an attempt to change the subject.

What our turnout showed -- beyond the traffic and attention it received -- was how truly frustrated people in the 10th district are not only with the high gas prices but also the inaction from their current representative.

I believe it's time for a new direction on energy policy.

In the short run, I see three steps to delivering price relief to our consumers: putting more oil on the market by diverting deposits from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, encouraging greater use of public transportation and giving the Federal Trade Commission the authority to investigate whether the big oil companies are engaging in price gouging.

But the real opportunity lies in the long run. My plan is to pull the billions of dollars in tax breaks to big oil and invest it in researching renewable and alternative fuels and technologies.

This investment in our future would generate new and better sources of renewable energy, good jobs and improve our national security by kicking our dependence on oil.

Dan Seals

Candidate for Congress

10th District

Wilmette