No excuse for oil policy failure

The oil crises must be taken in it perspective: It is not a new phenomenon; we have been aware that this day would come for at least 50 years.

What have our legislatures done to alleviate the problem? They hold press conferences in gas stations blaming OPEC, the refiners and dealers.

In the period of 1940 to 1945, Franklin Roosevelt, with the help of Congress, took the country out of a depression, fought and won World War II, demonstrated the industrial might of this country, developed atomic energy and constructed the Tennessee Valley Authority and other sources of power and energy.

Now our leadership sends our jobs to other countries, allows environmental groups concerned with a spotted owl or other creature to dictate our energy policies and is more concerned with the support of lobbyists than the constituents.

If this country was able to fight a two-ocean war and produce the necessary supplies for allied nations within five years, there is no excuse other than misplaced priorities for us not to have developed our oil resources and the alternate fuels that are available to us.

The blame must fall on us for electing presidents, representatives and senators who have failed make us energy self sufficient. Remember this in November.

John Culloton

Chicago