"Families in Western New York are sick of excuses; they want immediate relief from skyrocketing gas prices and a long term strategy to get us off of fossil fuels. When Randy Kuhl first took office, the National average for a gallon of gas was $1.96. Today it is well over $4.00. It is time for Democrats and Republicans to stop bickering and work together to find a real solution." - Retired Navy Commander Eric Massa

Working together to lower our gas prices. Retired Navy Commander Eric Massa knows that our families are feeling a significant dent in their wallets every time they fill up their gas tanks. Eric Massa is the only candidate in New York's 29th Congressional district with the backbone to stand up to Big Oil corporations and lower gas prices. How can he do this? Simple, he's the only candidate in this race that refuses to take money from Big Oil, Gas and Energy companies.¹

• ACTING IMMEDIATELY TO LOWER GAS PRICES:
  1. Immediately Pass HR 6578 (The Consumer Energy Supply Act of 2008) and release 10% of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to drive down gas prices tomorrow. The United States Government sits on 707 million barrels of oil. It is the largest stockpile of government-owned emergency crude oil on the globe and at a time when record gas prices are wrecking havoc on the economy, a portion of the reserve must be put to use. By releasing low sulfur oil to refiners that are less than 13 miles from the SPR there will be an immediate market reaction in working families favor. The reality of selling a half million barrels per day from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve will have an immediate market impact and slow or stop speculation. This action will also increase supply and subsequently, reduce prices, providing relief at the pumps within a matter of weeks. The reserve should be replenished starting in six months, over a two year period.
  2. Explore, drill and safely use our own oil -- now. Require Big Oil corporations to start drilling in the 68 million acres of American soil and offshore sites they've already leased. If they refuse to drill, the federal government should rescind the leases, and put them back out for competitive bids for companies that will drill immediately. This is now too important to be left up to Big Oil companies who want to restrict supply and drive up prices. The House Natural Resources Committee reports that there are currently 68 million acres of land (34.5 million on land and 33.5 million offshore) that have been leased by oil and gas companies, but are not being used. If tapped it is estimated that we could be producing up to 4.8 million barrels of oil and 44.7 billion cubic feet of natural gas each and every day from these lands. This would allow us to cut US oil imports by one third and help break our dependence on foreign oil. If the companies that own the leases won't drill, then the federal government should force them to sell to someone who will. This is a matter of national security; this country's survival can no longer be dependant upon oil from the Middle East.
• ACTION BY THE END OF THE BUSH-KUHL ADMINISTRATION:
  1. Use responsible royalties from the oil profits derived from public lands to fund an alternative energy strategy similar to the plan recently released by Republican Oil Tycoon T. Boone Pickens. http://www.pickensplan.com/theplan/ There are currently many alternative energy technologies that exist today that if fully implemented, would greatly reduce America's dependence on foreign oil. This would happen by reducing the demand and thereby lowering the price of gas. An example from the Pickens Plan is to encourage American auto manufacturers to make vehicles that utilize natural gas. Not only is natural gas cheaper (less that $1 per gallon in Utah and Oklahoma), but natural gas is also domestic. An increase in use of this natural gas would also create more manufacturing jobs in the natural gas industry here in Western New York. Through the implementation of a Pickens-like Plan, the US can become energy independent, self sufficient and free from the economic and national security strains of continued reliance on foreign oil.
  2. End Big Oil corporate tax handouts and use part of that money to achieve the goals of the US Department of Energy as described by the conservation and efficiency guide of the US Department of Energy. http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/drive.shtml As Big Oil continues to reap record profits, we must roll back the Bush-Kuhl tax handouts to this industry. We can use a portion of this recovered money to fund an informational campaign to teach Americans about simple ways to be fuel efficient. As a whole, we can conserve by achieving higher gas mileage. Simple things like driving more efficiently, keeping your car in shape, carpooling, and choosing energy efficient vehicles are easy steps that can lessen the demand for oil, thereby lowering gas prices. Washington Republicans might make fun of it, but did you know, according to Time Magazine,² that you could increase your car's fuel efficiency by 7% by making sure your tire pressure is set correctly and by having regular maintenance on your car? That's the equivalent of saving $.30 per gallon every time you fill up your gas tank.³ Washington Republicans might think this is funny, but most people who work for a living wouldn't laugh at that kind of savings.
  3. Provide tax rebates for people who purchase American hybrid vehicles.Promoting American made hybrids will increase this nation's energy efficiency and lower our dependence on foreign oil. As Detroit faces a manufacturing crisis that threatens thousands of American jobs, we should work together to jump start ultra high fuel efficiency auto manufacturing here in America. We should provide incentives for Americans to purchase American made hybrids. Federal tax credits for the purchase and manufacture of hybrid vehicles will encourage individuals to choose more fuel efficient vehicles and encourage manufacturers to produce more. Though this will not solve our long term gas dilemma, in the short term, a boost in ultra fuel efficient cars on America's highways will lower demand for gas, bringing its price down.
• LONG TERM STRATEGIC SOLUTIONS TO MAKE AMERICA ENERGY INDEPENDENT:
  1. Provide expanded research grants to educational institutes to invest in research and development of new technologies to end our dependence on foreign oil.A public/private partnership between our institutes of higher learning, the state and federal government, and private entrepreneurs must be pursued. This will create alternative energy incubators and alternative energy economic development zones much like North Carolina's Research Triangle or Boston's I-128 Technology Corridor. This is an important part to any long term solution to America's energy problems. At institutes of higher learning, America's best and brightest can be challenged to create energy and fuel efficient technologies for the future. Through research grants, universities can encourage students to develop new ideas to improve gas mileage and create an energy independent America.
  2. Provide tax incentives for the American Auto Industry for the research, development and production of better hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles. Instead of giving tax handouts to Big Oil, tax incentives should be given the American automotive industry to conduct research and development on more efficient hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles. Targeting tax incentives to domestic manufacturers of energy efficient vehicles will not only decrease America's dependence on foreign fuels, but will also act as a catalyst to create high paying jobs with good benefits in the U.S. Right here in Western New York, investment in the technology to use switchgrass as an alternative fuel additive would not only lower gas prices, but would be an economic windfall for our farmers and the agricultural industry in the Southern Tier in general.
  
  
  3. Raise CAFE Standards.The CAFE Standards must be raised to 50 miles per gallon within the next seven years. At the National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden Colorado, scientists have developed and are actually driving a 100 mile per gallon Toyota Prius.⁴ This technology is not pie in the sky - it is available now, today. As a nation we must set a goal to encourage research and development that will make automobiles more energy efficient. The automotive industry, both foreign and domestic, needs to be part of the solution, and the only way to do this is for the government to raise the CAFE Standards.
  4. Invest in the necessary infrastructure to deliver renewable sources of energy to the marketplace. Tax codes should be changed to encourage private sector investment in new infrastructure requirements such as natural gas filling stations, natural gas pipelines, and in the future, possibly hydrogen cell fueling stations. Renewable sources of energy are available, but are not easily accessible to the public. A partnership between the federal government and the private sector must be implemented to bring renewable energy to everyday Americans.

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1. Thus far, Randy Kuhl has received $65,550 from Oil, Gas and Energy Special Interests http://opensecrets.org/industries/summary.php?ind=E&cycle=All&recipdetail=H&sortorder=N&mem=Y&page=5

2. Time Magazine - http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1829354,00.html

3. The $.30 savings was based upon 7% of the average price of a gallon of gasoline in the State of New York in July 2008 as listed at the U.S. Department of Energy's website http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/hist/mg_rt_nyM.htm

4. Rocky Mountain News - http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/jun/09/lab-drives-car-100-miles-gallon/